The next West Midlands franchise

[The Real 4778]

The last I heard was for an announcement in July.  The current rumours are that the new franchise should start on 15 October but there have been rumours of a postponement until December 11 (the start of the winter timetable).

The next franchisee - if it is a new operator - is given a three month mobilisation period.  Whether or not that implies something is anybody's guess!

[DJ]

As @Winston said in the London Midland thread, they have been given an 8 week extension, with an option of an extra 8 weeks extension available.

https://www.go-ahead.com/en/media/news/2017/london-midland-franchise-extension.html

[Roy]

The DfT have published a schedule of rail franchise dates today.  It shows an announcement in August for a start date of 10 December BUT with the new franchise possibly delayed for one or two accounting periods at the Secretary of State's discretion.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/630238/rail-franchise-schedule.pdf

However, the current LM direct award allows for an potential extension from October 2017 up to November 2018, so we'll see how long Grayling can delay things.

[BusFan94]

This might sound strange to you but to me it makes sense Why don't Centro or whatever there called these days go to Mr grayling and ask if NX group could run the franchise with The West Midlands area being connecting by Nubs and Network tickets and your NXWM bus pass I would call it NXWM Rail and of course for Services that go further Towards Crewe, Liverpool, London, Northampton you could have a Separte Operator as well as the Branch lines such as saint albans So here is where something else pops into my Head Stagecoach own Eastmidlands Trains could run the long distance services and call them West midlands Trains and at Liverpool have a special ticket or pass to connect you go Stagecoach buses and East Midlands Train Services. Now the Saint Albans branch line could be operated by First or Arriva and call it First Saint Albans or Arriva Trains Hertfordshire

[Bob]

Or why not take it into public ownership?!

[Kevin]

This might sound strange to you but to me it makes sense....

No
Just no

[Tony]

This might sound strange to you

Very

[Stuharris 6360]

This might sound strange to you but to me it makes sense Why don't Centro or whatever there called these days go to Mr grayling and ask if NX group could run the franchise with The West Midlands area being connecting by Nubs and Network tickets and your NXWM bus pass I would call it NXWM Rail and of course for Services that go further Towards Crewe, Liverpool, London, Northampton you could have a Separte Operator as well as the Branch lines such as saint albans So here is where something else pops into my Head Stagecoach own Eastmidlands Trains could run the long distance services and call them West midlands Trains and at Liverpool have a special ticket or pass to connect you go Stagecoach buses and East Midlands Train Services. Now the Saint Albans branch line could be operated by First or Arriva and call it First Saint Albans or Arriva Trains Hertfordshire

My first reaction is, they are trying to simplify the franchises, not make them more complicated.

[YN64AOG]

This might sound strange to you but to me it makes sense Why don't Centro or whatever there called these days go to Mr grayling and ask if NX group could run the franchise with The West Midlands area being connecting by Nubs and Network tickets and your NXWM bus pass I would call it NXWM Rail and of course for Services that go further Towards Crewe, Liverpool, London, Northampton you could have a Separte Operator as well as the Branch lines such as saint albans So here is where something else pops into my Head Stagecoach own Eastmidlands Trains could run the long distance services and call them West midlands Trains and at Liverpool have a special ticket or pass to connect you go Stagecoach buses and East Midlands Train Services. Now the Saint Albans branch line could be operated by First or Arriva and call it First Saint Albans or Arriva Trains Hertfordshire

They might call it NXWM rail if National Express wins the contract.  But they're not even bidding for it!

[Westy]

Hasn't NX already run the WM trains as Central Trains a few years back?

The rail maps appeared on the buses at some point too!

[2206]

Hasn't NX already run the WM trains as Central Trains a few years back?

The rail maps appeared on the buses at some point too!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Trains
Yes. "Central Trains was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by National Express that operated the Central Trains franchise from March 1997 until November 2007."

[mikestone]

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/proposed-rail-upgrades-would-support-gbp-2bn-economy-boost-with-more-trains-and-better-hs2-links#
;
refers to 137 extra vehicles under the new franchise. I can't find anything in the invitation to tender.

[The Real 4778]

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/proposed-rail-upgrades-would-support-gbp-2bn-economy-boost-with-more-trains-and-better-hs2-links#
;
refers to 137 extra vehicles under the new franchise. I can't find anything in the invitation to tender.

No, that wasn't in the ITT.  The quote to which you refer sounds very much as if it's taken from the winning bid.

"Following a 90 day consultation Network Rail and Midlands Connect have committed to bringing in longer trains and longer platforms over the next five years. Work has already started to extend platforms and 137 extra vehicles will be brought into service by 2022 through the new West Midlands Franchise."

[RW]

The ITT is silent on the subject of new trains and I'm not sure what this 'article' is telling us. Most new francises currently being let make provision for new trains, for example Anglia where a completely new fleet is being introduced but in the WM we could be in line for the more of the same with totally inadequate trains for example on the X city line with 3 car units leading to ridiculous over crowding. Time will tell assuming the DfT ever get round to letting the franchise!

[Cheese]

The ITT is silent on the subject of new trains and I'm not sure what this 'article' is telling us. Most new francises currently being let make provision for new trains, for example Anglia where a completely new fleet is being introduced but in the WM we could be in line for the more of the same with totally inadequate trains for example on the X city line with 3 car units leading to ridiculous over crowding. Time will tell assuming the DfT ever get round to letting the franchise!

Expecting an announcement very soon, possibly by the end of this week.