I am pleased to inform the house that the government has
signed a new contract with Arriva to ensure vital train
services continue across the UK’s most extensive rail
network. Stretching from Aberdeen to Penzance and from
Stansted Airport to Cardiff, CrossCountry’s network is the
most geographically extensive passenger rail franchise in
Great Britain. It calls at over 100 stations and connects
seven of Britain’s ten largest cities.
The new agreement means Arriva CrossCountry, which has run
the service since 2007, will continue to operate the
franchise for three more years until October 2023. This
brings stability to CrossCountry services and provides
certainty for passengers and staff as the future direction
of rail reform takes shape.
Vital, long-distance rail services, which people across the
length of Great Britain rely on, will continue to run and
support the UK’s recovery from COVID-19, thanks to this new
contract. As people return to the railway, passengers will
benefit from more capacity and operational staff, along
with new measures to help passengers with disabilities,
aligned with current best practice across the rail
industry.
The contract also has a renewed focus on tackling
environmental impacts. To reduce diesel emissions, Arriva
CrossCountry will trial the use of electrical shore
supplies when Turbostars are in depots for cleaning, and
on-train batteries when Voyagers enter end leave stations.
We will continue to work with the owners of the Voyagers to
ensure engines are turned off when at platforms.
This new contract complements the Emergency Recovery
Measures Agreements (ERMAs) announced in September, in
place for up to 18 months, where the government pays
train companies a small management fee to keep services
running through the pandemic.
The contract will see the Government take on the revenue
and cost risk associated with the franchise and pay Arriva
a performance-linked fee to operate the service,
incentivising the company to deliver improvements to
operational performance, passenger experience and service
quality.
