InterCity East Coast Rail Franchise Arriva’s vision for the InterCity East Coast franchise is ‘to establish it as the UK’s premier train operating company and realise its true value for all stakeholders’
We welcome your views so that we can realise this vision. InterCity East Coast is crucial to business and leisure travellers.
Business travellers want a place to work or to unwind. Leisure travellers like comfortable cost effective travel. Overall we recognise that both these types of travellers require high quality and reliability.
InterCity East Coast provides a fast, quality route, linking the capital cities of London and Edinburgh, regional capitals such as Leeds and Newcastle and market towns such as Newark and Grantham. InterCity East Coast can take you to work, a day in Doncaster at the races or a weekend in York or the Scottish Highlands. Inverness Carrbridge The InterCity East Coast franchise serves several economically important Aviemore markets throughout the East of England, the East Midlands, Yorkshire, the Kingussie Newtonmore North East of England and Scotland linking them to London and each other. Blair Atholl Aberdeen Pitlochry Stonehaven Dunkeld Montrose The Government is currently deciding who will run the franchise for the Perth Arbroath Dundee next seven years. Gleneagles Dunblane Leuchars Stirling Kirkcaldy Falkirk Arriva wants to be the company the Government selects. We only bid for Inverkeithing Queen EDINBURGH contracts that we believe we can run well and where we bring our success GLASGOW Street Central Haymarket Dunbar Berwick-upon-Tweed and experience from elsewhere to make a real difference. Motherwell Alnmouth Morpeth NEWCASTLE We want to bring our highly regarded rail experience – from across Europe Sunderland Durham – to create a franchise that will meet the needs of passengers. Darlington Middlesborough
Arriva works hard to deliver excellent customer service. We play a central Northallerton Skipton Harrogate Scarborough role as a public transport provider in developing the nation’s economy, Keighley Bradford YORK improving travel opportunities for the people we serve. Huddersfield Hull LEEDS Selby Wakefield Grimsby DONCASTER Retford Lincoln
Newark Norwich we are committed to Grantham PETERBOROUGH Ely excellence in public Principal ICEC services Other ICEC services Cambridge Other non-ICEC connecting services and customer service Stevenage Principal stations Other stations LONDON King’s Cross An invitation to work in partnership with us
This booklet informs you about the kind of company we are and why we believe that we can set the standards for InterCity travel through development of the InterCity East Coast franchise. An important part of our approach is to build strong relationships with our partners and work together to make a real difference.
We’re currently developing our ideas for the franchise and we want to make sure that we address the needs of the people it will serve.
We invite you to contribute to our plans.
work together to make a real difference A European company with a successful track record
To most people Arriva is thought of as a local train or bus operator, but we have a much larger focus. From our roots in the North East of England we have grown and now provide successful regional and national public transport across Europe:
• Arriva is one of the largest public transport operators in Europe employing almost 33,000 people and delivering over a billion journeys a year • Arriva operates over 13,000 vehicles • Arriva runs rail services in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden (summer 2007) and the UK, serving major cities and economic hubs such as Århus, Berlin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Gronigen, Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham • Arriva has previous experience of operating rail services in Merseyside and the North East of England. Having inherited these failing franchises we established financial stability and delivered service improvements even with short term franchise arrangements • Arriva works with the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) on key projects. Projects have included a new rail link to Cardiff International Airport • Arriva helps support Cardiff’s status as one of the fastest growing cities in Europe by providing 1000 extra seats per day into Cardiff during peak periods. Our vision is to be recognised as the leading transport services organisation in Europe. Making public transport work We understand that your journey doesn’t begin and end when you get We operate by a set of values and ethics that fully support our vision. on or off the train. It starts with the need for good information, involves They include: getting to the station, buying your ticket, maybe changing trains, and arriving at your destination feeling relaxed and refreshed. That’s why we’re • putting the safety of our employees and customers first committed to combining industry excellence with new thinking to make rail • having respect for both individuals and the diverse communities we serve, more attractive to passengers. supported by a culture of integrity and honesty • managing the environmental impact of our operations and encourage Improving the whole journey for customers requires effective partnerships. sustainable development of public transport One of Arriva’s key values is that we work in partnership with others to • recognising that working together and maintaining strong local meet passenger needs and expectations, contributing to the social and relationships are fundamental to the delivery of high quality services economic development as part of the community. For Arriva, partnership is • anticipating change and identifying better ways to meet customers’ needs not just about the right words, but also about effectiveness and continually • maintaining a strong commercial focus that delivers long-term value for improving delivery. all our stakeholders.
working in partnership to meet passenger needs and expectations Improving rail services
In Denmark Arriva Tog is the top performing train operator, with average punctuality ratings of 97.5% (against a target of 95%). We delivered a new fleet of trains on time and on budget.
We always strive to innovate and do things better than people had previously thought possible. In the Netherlands we are using our fleet procurement and commissioning expertise to replace the current fleet of diesel trains with new diesel electric trains which consume less diesel and provide future compatibility with electric power. During the development of the new train design specification we worked closely with local stakeholders.
We deliver on our promises and have previously inherited franchises facing difficulties and successfully turned them around.
we always strive to innovate and do things better Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) is continuously looking to improve its services. In Wales we work with the Welsh Assembly Government to secure The introduction of the ‘standard pattern’ timetable in 2005 saw a 20 per additional funding for improvements. After being closed for more than cent increase in services. This provided an additional 950 services/week 40 years, a rail line in the Vale of Glamorgan has been opened to passenger and 1,000 extra seats/day on peak commuter services into Cardiff from the service. We are also working to open a further line in Ebbw Vale for surrounding area. It has improved car parks and created an environment passenger service. where the personal security of passengers is a priority. A total of £50million of funding over the life of the ATW franchise has At March 2007 the Public Performance Measure for ATW, based on been secured for additional rolling stock to relieve crowding and cater for the percentage of franchised passenger trains arriving within five minutes predicted growth on the valley lines. ATW is also working with partners of schedule, had increased to 87.3 per cent, up from 80.1 per cent on the at the Welsh Assembly Government, the Department for Transport (DfT) previous year. and Shropshire County Council to refurbish Shrewsbury station, improving access to parts of the station. In Germany we use environmentally friendly biodiesel, derived from locally grown rape seed oil, for our train operations. Arriva Trains Northern (ATN) took on the operational planning of the Leeds First infrastructure scheme, assisting Railtrack in getting the delayed project We know that working with our partners is the best way to improve our back on programme for completion. Throughout this project ATN was business and provide a better service for customers. For instance we are instrumental in ensuring customers could travel with the minimum currently investing £1.25 million in improvements to customer facilities at of disruption. Chester station. working with our partners is the best way to improve our service Bringing the Arriva approach to the InterCity Looking after our passengers and delivering financial stability to the franchise are at the heart of our approach. We develop approaches that are East Coast franchise particular to the needs of the franchise we operate:
The InterCity East Coast franchise is of strategic importance serving • in Denmark, when we introduced 29 new trains, passengers were given economically important markets in England and Scotland. the opportunity to try them out free of charge. This has encouraged many people to continue using the service and brought former users back to rail We recognise the importance of the East Coast rail services to the people, • in Germany, our on-board catering team and welcome staff have been businesses and communities along its line of route. Arriva’s aspiration is to described as delivering to hotel standards build on the current high quality services of the East Coast franchise and • a recent quality index was published by the public transport authority for create a service suitable for the current and future needs and expectations Berlin and the surrounding state of Brandenburg, comparing the local of customers. private operators and Deutsche Bahn. In all four measures (punctuality, reliability, cleanliness and customer satisfaction) Arriva’s PEG rail operation turned in the best performance • Arriva Trains Northern (ATN) greatly improved Leeds station by transforming the travel centre and ticket office and improving access for people with disabilities and those travelling with children or heavy luggage • Arriva has a strong track record of recovery planning for underperforming businesses. At ATN we were recognised as achieving a “spectacular turnaround” of the franchise by carrying through an 82 point action plan of improvement and won an industry award for excellence in public transport • Arriva Trains Merseyside was similarly transformed from a failing business to the UK’s highest performing mainland operation. We believe that rail has an important part to play in supporting economic Understanding the views of passengers is critical to how we run our growth. Efficient, high performing and dependable transport links are railways. Our own research amongst key groups of leisure and business crucial to many towns and cities along the route which have plans and travellers in London, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Edinburgh has so far aspirations to grow – in terms of jobs, housing and leisure. shown that what they want includes:
Arriva has had considerable success in serving major cities, urban hubs • improved performance, especially when compared to other modes such and areas of regeneration and economic growth in cities, towns and rural as air which may be attractive areas across nine European countries. Arriva runs extensive bus services • dealing with overcrowding and improving luggage facilities in Yorkshire and the North East and operated the Arriva Trains Northern • providing a consistent level of service across the franchise franchise for five years. • user friendly ticketing and reservation systems.
We believe in being an active partner in supporting regeneration and We are developing our plans for the InterCity East Coast franchise. We want economic growth by: to deliver the best possible service to customers and the communities we serve. To do this we would like to get your views. • being responsive to diverse markets and needs • delivering higher service quality and improved value for money • innovating through proven technology and other new ideas to make rail travel easier and more attractive • empowering our people to make a positive difference to our passengers’ journeys.
considerable success in serving major cities We are looking for your views on the whole travelling experience for all Responding, not just listening types of customers from planning their journey through to reaching their Partnership with stakeholders is crucial to running a successful railway. final destinations. We would also like your perspectives on the wider impact Every day Arriva is in contact with private and public businesses and the East Coast franchise makes on the economies it serves and on how it national, regional and local governments across Europe. can work towards a more sustainable environment.
The DfT has set objectives for the InterCity East Coast franchise which can be summarised as:
• achieving sustainable value for money • improving operational performance of ICEC trains • accommodating current and anticipated future growth in passenger demand • improving alignment with stakeholder and passenger aspirations we are looking within the context of the other objectives. for your views We are keen to know what your aims and aspirations are as we develop our plans for the franchise, and look forward to working in partnership to deliver a successful railway. Arriva is keen to hear from passengers, community and interest groups, Please send your thoughts and comments to the Arriva bid businesses, developers, local authorities and anyone interested in making team for InterCity East Coast. We can be contacted at: this franchise a success. Arriva Trains 17 - 19 Bedford Street London WC2E 9HP
We look forward to hearing from you.