Foreign firms vie for right to run Scottish rail network

Published on Sunday 1 December 2002 00:00

GERMANY’S state-owned railway company has confirmed it is in the running to take over the ScotRail train franchise as one of four foreign firms in the running to run rail services north of the Border.

Deutsche Bahn (DB) is joined by the Danes and Dutch state railway companies and Koulis, a company part-owned by the French national system SCNF in expressing interest in the franchise.

In addition, five UK-based companies are interested in the contract, including National Express, who currently run the service.

The companies have submitted initial bids of interest to the London-based Strategic Rail Authority (SRA). They will be expected to produce more detailed plans early in the New Year with the final choice to be made next autumn. The selected operator will begin running the network from April 2004.

A DB spokesman said: "We have submitted a formal expression of interest in running ScotRail. We are still considering how realistic it would be for us to run Scotland’s railways.

"We have a team of experts examining whether the Scottish railways system is something which suits our expertise and whether we can make it work."

Germany’s railways are legendary for their efficiency, punctuality and speed and DB is seen as one of the companies which might be large enough to take on the ScotRail franchise in addition to its own network.

A spokesman for Danish State Railways (DSB) said that his company was still pondering if it was big enough to take on the Scottish franchise, and that the company’s plans were still at an initial stage.

He said: "We have an interest to go into this business, although that doesn't mean that we have decided to go further. This is big business for a relatively small railway."

He said the Scottish commuters could expect new trains if the Danes won the franchise, adding: "What we are working on and have proved in our home market, is to improve the service by having new trains, better and more frequent timetables, and better punctuality. What we have done well in Denmark we would like to take to Europe."

No one at either the Dutch state railways or Koulis was available for comment.

A spokeswoman for Iain Gray, the Scottish Executive transport minister, said that ministers welcomed the expressions of interest from abroad.

She said: "We are delighted by the response which will lead to a good and healthy competition for the next franchise, and ultimately to a good deal for rail passengers across Scotland."

A spokesman for National Express, which has run ScotRail services since April 1997, said: "We intend to compete vigorously for the right to run the service. We are running 2,000 trains and carry 8m passengers more per annum than the service had prior to us coming in to run it. In addition, we do for less subsidy than the old ScotRail operator did."

UK-based companies which have expressed interest include First Group, which runs a number of services South of the Border, GB Railways, which runs Anglia Railways, and Arriva, which runs two franchises in the North of England.

Martin Helme, spokesman for First Group, said: "Yes, we are bidding. We are very committed to the franchise. We want to grow the rail market in Scotland. We fully understand every aspect of services needed in Scotland, including sleepers.

A spokesman for GB Railways said: "In principle we are very interested indeed in bidding. We are interested in ScotRail after the successes of Anglia Railways which, like Scotland, requires a mixture of intercity routes and local routes. We believe these successes should be and could be replicated in Scotland."