CrossCountry National Rail Contract Award

CrossCountry awarded National Rail Contract to maintain vital services across Great Britain

Long-distance train operator CrossCountry, part of the Arriva Group, welcomed the announcement today by the Department for Transport (DfT) that it had been awarded a new contract to keep operating passenger services across Great Britain.

The new contract allows CrossCountry to continue running its long-distance and inter-regional services crossing England, Scotland and Wales, providing journeys for business and leisure customers and connecting cities and towns across Great Britain. Alongside providing customers the confidence of a stable and sustainable service, the new contract includes a range of benefits to improve their travelling experience and benefit the communities CrossCountry’s trains serve.

The agreement will enable CrossCountry to introduce a range of customer improvements including a full fleet refurbishment of both the Voyager and Turbostar fleet – the first major refurbishment in 20 years. This will include fitting CCTV, Automatic Passenger Counting equipment on board, new carpets and LED lighting, all designed to tackle long-standing pain points for our customers. There will also be further enhancements to the timetable, building on the company’s May 2023 changes. This includes a new daily direct service between Cardiff and Edinburgh, strengthening connections across Great Britain.

Welcoming the DfT announcement, CrossCountry’s Managing Director, Tom Joyner, said, “This is great news for our customers and stakeholders and recognises the importance of our continuing to deliver long-distance business and leisure services across England, Scotland and Wales.

“Our trains connect towns and cities, people and communities across Great Britain, playing an essential role in people’s lives. We look forward to working closely with stakeholders to further improve the customer experience in the years to come.”

The new contract commences on Sunday 15 October 2023.