I am writing to inform you that we have agreed a new contract with FirstGroup for the Great Western franchise.
This agreement will run concurrently with the Emergency Measures Agreements announced last week which will see the Government temporarily take on the revenue and cost risk associated with individual franchises.
We need to make sure services remain in place to help those who need to get to work to continue to do so in these unprecedented times, as well as providing certainty for staff working on the railways. This contract will guarantee key services in the short term and improvements in the longer term. The Direct Award will allow services to be stepped up when the rail network returns to normal following disruption from Covid-19.
This contract will bring capacity improvements for GWR passengers. It will see up to £8.7 million a year spent on station and accessibility improvements, £3.4 million invested to improve on-train WiFi, and plans for 580 new car parking spaces at stations. There are also plans to enhance services in the Bristol area as part of the "MetroWest" scheme, including more frequent services to and from Severn Beach, Westbury, Gloucester and Worcester.
The operator will also deliver cheaper, flexible season tickets on key routes and roll-out a ‘Pay as You Go’ scheme in the wider Bristol area. More than £4.5 million will also be spent on refreshing the trains used between Bristol, Cardiff and Portsmouth.
These are unprecedented times and the rail network is central to our national resilience. We are taking decisive action to ensure vital rail services will continue to serve the South and West of England and South Wales so critical workers can get to their place of work. The deal announced today will guarantee vital services in the short term and tangible improvements for passengers in the long term.
Yours sincerely
Chris Heaton-Harris MP
Minister of State for Transport