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Though the next franchise is not due to start until 19th August 2019, the previous East Midlands Trains (EMT) contract was due to expire on 2nd March! Accordingly, the Department for Transport (DfT) and Stagecoach Group have agreed a direct award extension for EMT to cover the interim period. The next franchise operator is due to be announced by the DfT in April. However, if there is any delay, the direct award has an option in it for further extension for up to six 'reporting periods' of four weeks each, i.e. 24 weeks, to February 2020. The direct award includes:
 The East Midlands Trains branding as applied to the side of an HST.
The government’s Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes annual data on rail passenger numbers. Market Harborough saw further growth, with a modest increase of 0.7% to a total of 894,320 rail journeys beginning or ending at the station during 2017-18. This is over three times the 296,838 recorded in 1997-98; proof that if a good train service is provided, people will use it!
At the 2018 AGM on 29th November, Harborough Rail Users reviewed the past year’s activities and set the scene for campaign topics for the next year.
Important decisions will be made over the next few months that will have a major effect on our station and train services for many years to come. The main issues for Harborough Rail Users are:
In issuing the Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the next East Midlands franchise, the Department for Transport (DfT) has set out the essential specification for our train service from August 2019. Harborough Rail Users have therefore had final consultation meetings with all three bidders on the shortlist: Abellio, Arriva and Stagecoach.
We had met all three before the ITT was issued and they have had details of our aspirations for the train service and the Market Harborough station. We took the opportunity to bring to their attention our full response to the DfT's own consultation and talk with each about that and the ITT. Our approach is completely independent and impartial; we want the best possible train service for Market Harborough, irrespective of who provides it. Franchise bidding is, of course, a competitive process and therefore the companies are as yet unable to share any plans they may have. Similarly, the discussions we had with them were conducted in full recognition of commercial confidentiality. Their bids must be submitted by 5th September 2018 and the outcome will be made known by the DfT in March or April 2019. We now await the outcome! The Department for Transport has today published the Invitation to Tender for the next franchise for the services currently run by East Midlands Trains. There is a lot of information, which can be found on the DfT website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/east-midlands-franchise-2018-invitation-to-tender A significant document is the Stakeholder Briefing Document. This summarises the responses to the public consultation: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/714448/east-midlands-rail-franchise-stakeholder-briefing-document-and-consultation-response.pdf Market Harborough is named as one of the top five stations in terms of responses! There is even a picture of the Old Grammar School on p76! However, it is the detail that matters... HRU will be reviewing the documents in detail to see exactly what is proposed for our train service. |
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