Serco wins £3.6bn Merseyrail contract

Serco and Dutch rail operator Ned Railways have been selected as preferred bidder for the
Merseyrail Electric concession. The contract valued at £3.6bn over a 25-year period is due to start on 20 July 2003.

The Merseyrail Electric concession covers the operation of the self-contained railway network on both sides of the Mersey, with 66 Stations, 1,000 staff and the maintenance of the fleet of trains at two dedicated depots.

The immediate priorities will be to ensure that the recent improvement in punctuality and reliability can be sustained in the long-term , as well as enhancing the security of passengers and staff and improving the engineering performance of the trains and the conditions of stations.