THE COMPETITION to run Crossrail trains has been launched, and Transport for London has revealed that the contract will take the form of a concession rather than a franchise. The decision means that TfL will control every public aspect of the service.

TfL said it is seeking an operator to run Crossrail services from May 2015, and that a notice has now been published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). Bidders have until the end of April to submit expressions of interest, with TfL expecting to name the winner by the end of next year.

TfL said it will stipulate the level of services to be provided, including hours of operation and staffing levels. The network will also be branded as part of the Transport for London group of services, using a roundel with a purple ring. It is predicted that the network will carry 200 million passengers a year.

The successful bidder will run the train services and many of the stations along the Crossrail route, providing front line and operational staff. The services on Crossrail will be phased and will initially operate on existing lines between Liverpool Street and Shenfield, taking over the stopping services currently operated by Greater Anglia. The underground route through Canary Wharf, the City and the West End will now open in late 2018, with the full route to Maidenhead following in 2019 (see below).

TfL said: "Passengers using Crossrail will see reduced journey times and the new stations will be fully integrated with existing London Underground, DLR and National Rail stations, making it easy for passengers to change between services."

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "We’re looking to appoint a world class operator to run a world class service that will see Crossrail set the benchmark for railway services in Europe.”

The announcement comes hard on the heels of the revelation that the Government has accepted a recommendation from the Mayor that the forthcoming order for Crossrail rolling stock shall be entirely publicly funded.

Previously, it had been said that roughly two-thirds of the £1 billion needed would come from the private sector. However, the Thameslink rolling stock order, which also depends on private sector funding via preferred bidder Siemens, still seems to be mired in difficulties, and financial close of that order has been deferred several times.

Likely opening sequence – to be confirmed

Heathrow to Paddington (main line platforms) – May 2018 (when Crossrail takes over the Heathrow Connect service)
Paddington (Crossrail platforms) to Abbey Wood – December 2018
Paddington (Crossrail platforms) to Shenfield – May 2019
Full through service (including services to Maidenhead) – December 2019