Written questions, answers and statements

Avanti West Coast and South Western Railway: Contracts

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Question for Department for Transport

UIN 20703, tabled on 26 March 2024

Question

Louise Haigh
Labour
Sheffield, Heeley
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the (a) Avanti and (b) South Western train contracts.

Answer

Huw Merriman
Conservative
Bexhill and Battle
Commons

Answered on

15 April 2024

For Avanti West Coast (AWC), no assessment has been made as the operator has a contract with a core term until 15 October 2026, after which the Department can terminate the contract at any point with three months' notice.

The National Rail Contract for South Western Railway ends in May 2025 having been extended by the maximum two-year period to a maximum term of four years. A Prior Information Notice was issued on 2 April 2024 setting out the Department’s intention to seek to obtain a Direct Award with SWR at the end of the current contract. The proposed Direct Award is expected to have a core term of three years and a potential maximum term of up to eight years.

Answered by

Department for Transport
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