Arriva welcomes shortlisting for Great Western rail franchise

Arriva today welcomed the naming of its G.W. Trains Ltd as oneof the shortlisted companies announced today by the Department forTransport to have pre-qualified to bid for the Great Western railfranchise.

Arriva UK Trains managing director Bob Holland said:“Arriva’s pre-qualification to bid for the GreatWestern franchise is great news. The longer 15-year franchiseperiod gives an opportunity to innovate and invest to providequality services for passengers, deliver value for the Government,and draw on the experience across our UK railway operations.We’re looking forward to working with the Department forTransport through the next stages of the biddingprocess.”

The Invitation to Tender for the Great Western franchise isexpected to be issued to shortlisted bidders in May 2012, with anannouncement of the winning bid anticipated in December 2012. Thenew successful bidder would take on running of the Great Westernfranchise from April 2013.

Arriva’s UK Trains division currently operates theChiltern Railway, CrossCountry and Arriva Trains Wales franchisesand owns the Grand Central open access rail operation. It alsooperates the Tyne and Wear Metro concession and the LondonOverground concession through its LOROL joint venture with MTR.

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Notes to editors

• Arriva is one of the largest providers of passengertransport in Europe, employing some 47,500 people and deliveringmore than 1.5 billion passenger journeys every year.
• We provide transport services including buses,trains, commuter coaches and waterbuses, and operate in 12 Europeancountries: Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Malta, theNetherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and theUK.
• Arriva is part of Deutsche Bahn, one of theworld’s leading passenger transport and logistics serviceproviders. Headquartered in Sunderland, UK, Arriva is responsiblefor Deutsche Bahn's regional passenger transport services outsideGermany.
• DB UK Investments Ltd is the holding company forArriva’s operations in the UK.