UK: Arriva became the sole operator of London Overground services with the start of the new operating concession on November 13. The £1·5bn contract which Transport for London has awarded to Arriva London Rail Ltd in March runs for 7½ years, with an option for up to two more years.
The services had previously been operated by the London Overground Rail Operations Ltd equally-owned joint venture of MTR Corp and Arriva.
Under the terms of the concession, TfL is responsible for setting fares and marketing the services, and retains revenue from ticket sales, advertising, retail and car parking. The operator is responsible for ticket retailing and revenue protection.
‘We look forward to working closely with Transport for London to deliver world-class performance and customer service levels in years to come’, said Chris Burchell, Managing Director of Arriva UK’s trains division. ‘London Overground has been a huge success story since its launch in 2007 and we are excited to be given the opportunity to operate the network through its next crucial phase. The network is vital to maintaining a functioning, well-connected city, which is why expansion of routes into places like Barking Riverside and the electrification of the line between Gospel Oak and Barking presents a next step in the network’s continued integration.’
