The Transport Executive, Nexus, has announced the five bidders that have been shortlisted to design, build and maintain the new trains for the Tyne and Wear Metro.
Nexus is the public body that owns and manages the Metro and has begun negotiations with all five, with the aim to narrow it down to a single bidder by the end of the year.
The first new trains will be delivered two years after to serve the train network that carries more than 36 million passengers a year.
The five bidders, chosen from those who submitted a selection questionnaire to Nexus earlier this summer, are:
- Bombardier Transportation UK Ltd
- Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A. (CAF)
- Downer EDI Rail Pty Ltd – a joint venture between Downer EDI Rail and CRRC
- Changchun Railway Vehicles Co. Ltd)
- Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd
- Stadler Bussnang AG
The successful business will design, build and maintain the new fleet of trains, including a new depot at the existing site in Gosforth, Newcastle.
The successful bidder will also be responsible for maintaining the current fleet of trains to ensure there is a smooth transition between the old and new fleet between 2022 and 2024.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:
“The Tyne and Wear Metro has been an essential part of the public transport network in the North East for 40 years. That is why the Government is committed to investing nearly £340 million to upgrade the fleet and secure its future for decades to come.
“We are committed to the Northern Powerhouse and northern investment. In the five years up to 2020, we will have spent £13 billion improving and modernising transport in the region – a record level of investment.
“We are also investing £3 billion to upgrade the Transpennine route and are proving an extra 500 carriages with space for 40,000 extra passengers and 2,000 additional services each week across the north.”
Tobyn Hughes, the Managing Director of Nexus, said:
“Our investment in new trains will transform passengers' experience of the Tyne and Wear Metro.
“We have issued an Invitation to Negotiate to five bidders who, between them, are building trains for many of the world's biggest cities and rail networks. This marks an important milestone as we work with them to provide an excellent Metro for North East England for decades to come.”
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I agree also they should be dual voltage so they can run on the existing 1500v DC also the 25,000v AC system as used on existing Network Rail.
CAF, Bombardier, Hitachi or Stadler. I think Hitachi should build new vehicles for the Tyne and Wear Metro as their manufacturing plant in County Durham is at least 40-50 miles from Newcastle. And I reckon the new vehicles will have air-conditioning.