Transport for London has announced that four bidders have been confirmed on the shortlist to take over as operators of the Elizabeth Line when the current contract expires.
With the current contract with MTR Elizabeth Line set to expire in May 2025, the procurement process sees the following bidders outlined as potential operators:
- Arriva UK Trains
- First Keolis Elizabeth Line
- GTS Rail Operations Limited
- MTR Corporation Limited
Elizabeth line Director Howard Smith said:
“The Elizabeth line has had a transformational impact, providing new, more direct journey options for customers, including at ten new central London stations.
“We have introduced new, more spacious trains, which run more frequently through 41 stations that were either newly built or modernised, supporting hundreds of millions of customer journeys each year. The new Elizabeth line operator will play a major role in supporting us to continue that growth and success, providing high levels of customer service and satisfaction.”
Transport for London is expecting to issue those that have been shortlisted with tender documentation in April, with July expected to see the bids made. Through the new contract, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan will continue to be responsible for the setting of fares, whilst members of staff who are currently employed by MTR Elizabeth Line will transfer to the new operator.
Currently, TfL is also going through the process of establishing the new operator for the DLR, with the shortlisted organisations being Keolis Amey Docklands, Connecting Docklands, and ComfortDelGro.
Image credit: iStock
