Birmingham New Street, currently being resignalled
In a statement by the Department of Transport it states that he delivery of services by the West Coast Partnership requires a new contract following the end of the current one, which expires on 1 April 2020. This notice informs the incumbent train operator that the Department for Transport seeks to obtain a Direct Award (DA) for up to 10 years. Contract for West Coast Partnership Rail Services, currently operated by First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Ltd
West Coast Partnership rail services link London Euston, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland. The procurement Contract covers provision of long distance rail services on the UK conventional mainline rail system. They serve the key cities of London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
It is envisaged the services would run between:
(a) London Euston to Lichfield Trent Valley, Crewe, Preston and Glasgow Central;
(b) Lichfield Trent Valley to Macclesfield and Manchester Piccadilly;
(c) Crewe to Wilmslow and Manchester Piccadilly;
(d) Crewe to Chester, Wrexham General and Holyhead;
(e) Crewe to Liverpool Lime Street;
(f) Preston to Blackpool North;
(g) Carlisle to Edinburgh;
(h) London Euston to Coventry, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury;
(i) Wolverhampton to Stafford; and
(j) Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe and Glasgow or Edinburgh. There is a mixture of leisure, business and commuter travel. These services would be similar to those currently operated on the West Coast Partnership franchise. It is envisaged that the contract would also encompass the provision of rail services on HS2 (initially between Old Oak Common in London and Curzon Street in Birmingham and potentially between London Euston and Crewe), and will also include the performance of services in relation to the planning and preparation of HS2 rail services.
The contract is due to start on the 1st April 2022 and to last for 10 years