UK: The Department for Transport intends to directly award incumbent London North Eastern Railway a contract to continue to operate InterCity East Coast passenger services.
LNER is a brand of state-owned operator of last resort DfT OLR Holdings Ltd, which has operated services on the East Coast Main Line between London King’s Cross, Yorkshire and Scotland since taking over from Virgin Trains East Coast in June 2018.
DfT issued a prior information notice on April 2 saying it envisages that the new contract would have a core period of two years starting on June 22 2025, with the Secretary of State able to determine whether and to what extent the contract would continue up to a maximum total period of five years.
Services would be similar to those currently provided.
DfT is not obliged to award a contract, and reserves the right to procure an operator using an alternative method.
DfT told Rail Business UK that it remains committed to strong private sector involvement in the railway, and intends to subject all contracts to competitive tendering ’once market conditions allow’.
