---
title: "Contract for Cross Country rail services. Currently operated by XC Trains Ltd"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-039442"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-039442"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-039442.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-039442.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Planning"
buyer: "DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT"
published: "2022-12-23"
---

# Contract for Cross Country rail services. Currently operated by XC Trains Ltd

Buyer: DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT  
Current stage: Planning  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-039442

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-039442)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-039442.json)

## Summary

The Department for Transport is planning a contract for Cross Country rail services, currently operated by XC Trains Ltd. The contract is intended for a term of four years with the possibility of extending up to eight years. The services will cover various routes across the UK, catering to leisure, business, and commuter travel. The procurement method is a direct award for railway transport, with the contract period starting on 15th October 2023.

This tender for rail services presents opportunities for businesses in the railway transport industry. Companies well-suited to compete are those providing public transport services by railways. The services will operate in regions across England, Scotland, and Wales, encompassing key cities like Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, and more. The Department for Transport is the buying organisation, and businesses interested in commuter, regional, and long-distance rail services can engage in this procurement process for potential growth and collaboration.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Contract for provision of commuter, regional and long-distance rail services on the UK conventional mainline rail system. It is envisaged the services will be substantially similar to those currently operated under the XC Trains Limited Rail Contract (dated 13 October 2020), but subject to route operating and Value for Money (VfM) review. It is envisaged the services would run between: * Plymouth - Edinburgh via Leeds, with a limited service to and from Penzance - some services are extended to Glasgow via Motherwell and also to Dundee and Aberdeen; * Reading - Newcastle via Doncaster; * Bristol - Manchester; * Bournemouth - Manchester via Coventry; * Nottingham - Cardiff via Gloucester; * Birmingham - Stansted Airport via Leicester and Peterborough; and * Birmingham - Leicester local services. A Direct Award is now envisaged, in line with the policy published in March 2013 issued further to Section 26 of the Railways Act 1993.II.1.4 (nature and quantity of services or indication of needs and requirements) There is a mixture of leisure, business and commuter travel on these rail services.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036582-2022 |
| Notice type | Planning Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award for railway transport |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 23 Dec 2022 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Planned |
| Lots status | Planned |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Post town | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1P 4DR |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | Vincent Square |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLE Yorkshire and The Humber, TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England), TLL Wales, TLM Scotland |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 60 - Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

### Codes

- 60200000 - Railway transport services
- 60210000 - Public transport services by railways

## Release History

- 23 Dec 2022 at 15:31 - Planning - Planning Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036582-2022

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-039442. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-039442.json.