Siemens and a consortium led by the
engineering company have been selected as preferred bidder for
Thameslink Rolling Stock Procurement Programme (TRSP).
The UK Government’s TRSP, led by the
Department for Transport, covers the delivery, maintenance and
financing of around 1,200 vehicles and the construction and
financing of two depots for the £6 billion 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,
has been selected for 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. The 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 leading supplier
of trains on British railways with more than 1,500 carriages with
six mainline rail operators, employing around 16,000 people in the
UK.
The contract to build, own, finance and maintain the new Desiro
City trains and construct two new maintenance depots is yet to be
finalised.
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By GlobalDataFunding for the project will be provided by, Innisfree, a
longterm Public Private Partnership (PPP) investment fund and 3i
Infrastrcuture a closed-ended investment company which invests in
infrastructure businesses and assets as well as Siemens PV.
The funders will work closely with the Department for Transport
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.
Villiers said the contract will create 2000 new jobs in the UK
and described the announcement as a “major step forward.”
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 Department for Transport said it will retain the other
bidder VeloCity, a consortium comprising of Bombardier
Transportation, RREEF, Serco Holdings, Amber Infrastructure Group
and SMBC Leasing (UK), as the reserve bidder in the event that
contracts cannot be successfully finalised with Siemens Plc and XL
Trains.
grant.collinson@vrlfinancialnews.com
