A Siemens-led consortium has
been selected as preferred bidder for Thameslink Rolling Stock
Procurement Programme (TRSP).
The UK government’s TRSP, led
by the Department for Transport (DfT), covers the delivery,
maintenance and financing of around 1,200 vehicles and the
construction and financing of two depots for the £6bn (€6.7bn)
Thameslink rail network upgrade.
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Siemens and Cross London
Trains (XLT), the consortium of finance partners Siemens Project
Ventures, Innisfree and 3i Infrastructure, won the multi-billion
pound tender after a bidding process of more than two
years.
Steve Scrimshaw, managing
director for Siemens’ rolling stock business in the UK, said
Siemens and XLT were selected against strict evaluation criteria
with focus on deliverability, affordability and value for
money.
UK Minister for Transport
Theresa Villiers said the appointment represents the best value for
money for taxpayers.
Siemens’ UK Rolling Stock
business is already a major supplier in Britain, with more than
1,500 carriages with six mainline rail operators, employing around
16,000 people.
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By GlobalDataThe contract to build, own,
finance and maintain the new Desiro City trains and construct two
new maintenance depots is yet to be finalised.
Funding for the project will
be provided by Innisfree, a long-term public private partnership
investment fund, and 3i Infrastructure, a closed-ended investment
company which invests in infrastructure businesses and assets, as
well as Siemens PV.
The funders will work with
the DfT for several months to reach financial closure and
conclusion of the contract, which will be the largest order in the
commuter and regional market ever awarded to Siemens.
The new Thameslink trains
will start to operate early in 2015 alongside the existing rolling
stock, with the full fleet in use from the end of 2018.
The DfT will retain the VeloCity consortium – comprising
Bombardier Transportation, RREEF, Serco Holdings, Amber
Infrastructure Group and SMBC Leasing (UK) – as the reserve bidder
until the contract has been finalised.
