Serco-Abellio
{{Short description|Railway operating company joint venture}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox company
|name = Serco-Abellio
|type = Joint venture
| founded = 2002
|founder =
|location_city =
|location_country =
|location =
|locations =
|area_served = Northern England
|key_people =
|industry = Train operating company
|products =
|services =
|revenue =
|operating_income =
|net_income =
|assets =
|equity =
|owner = Serco (50%)
Transport UK Group (50%)
|num_employees =
|parent =
|divisions =
|subsid = Merseyrail
|homepage =
|footnotes =
}}
Serco-Abellio (formerly Serco-NedRailways) is a joint venture between Serco and Transport UK Group, each owning 50%. The joint venture is the train operating company of the Merseyrail franchise since July 2003 in the Liverpool City Region. It previously operated the Northern Rail franchise in Northern England from December 2004 until March 2016.
Serco-Abellio also lodged unsuccessful bids for the Wales & Borders, West Midlands (which Abellio later successfully bid for itself) and Tyne & Wear Metro franchises.
Transport UK Group was established in February 2023, following a management buyout of Abellio.
Operations
=Merseyrail=
In April 2003, Serco-NedRailways was awarded the Merseyrail franchise for 25 years from July 2003.[http://www.serco.com/Images/230403MerseyrailPreferredBiddert_tcm3-753.pdf Serco joint venture selected as preferred bidder for £3.6 billion Merseyrail Electric network concession] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127230229/http://serco.com/Images/230403MerseyrailPreferredBiddert_tcm3-753.pdf |date=27 November 2010 }} Serco 23 April 2003{{Cite news |date=2003-04-24 |title=Merseyrail franchise goes Dutch |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2849849/Merseyrail-franchise-goes-Dutch.html |access-date= |newspaper=The Telegraph}}
=Northern Rail=
In July 2004, Serco-NedRailways was awarded the Northern Rail franchise for six years and nine months from December 2004 with a two-year extension subject to performance targets being achieved.{{cite press release|url=http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/releases/sra/2004/2004b/onedrailwaysannouncedasp1487.pdf|title=Serco-NedRailways Announced as Preferred Bidder for new Northern Rail Franchise|date=1 July 2004|publisher=Strategic Rail Authority|accessdate=23 June 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090825141633/http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/releases/sra/2004/2004b/onedrailwaysannouncedasp1487.pdf|archivedate=25 August 2009|df=dmy-all}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2004/oct/17/theobserver.observerbusiness10|title=Dutch railway to share new Northern franchise|newspaper=The Observer|date=2004-10-17|author=Juliette Jowit}}
In May 2010, the Department for Transport confirmed that Northern Rail had met the performance targets and the franchise was extended for two years until September 2013.{{cite press release|url=http://www.northernrail.org/news/7034|publisher=Northern Rail|title=Northern Secures Two Year Franchise Extension|date=13 May 2010|accessdate=6 September 2010}}[http://www.serco.com/Images/northernrail_tcm3-35551.pdf Serco Northern Rail venture awarded £530m two year franchise extension] Serco 13 May 2010[http://www.northernrail.org/news/6407 Northern Secures Two Year Franchise Extension] Northern Rail 13 May 2010 In May 2012, the Department for Transport granted Northern Rail a six-month extension until March 2014.{{cite news|url=http://www.rail.co/2012/05/10/northern-rail-granted-franchise-continuation/|title=Northern Rail granted franchise continuation|date=2012-05-10|accessdate=2012-05-10|work=Rail.co}}[http://www.northernrail.org/news/7034 Franchise Continuation for Northern Rail] Northern Rail 9 May 2012[http://www.serco.com/Images/CNU_14_tcm3-39582.pdf Contract News Update 14] Serco 14 May 2012 In March 2014, the Secretary of State for Transport announced a direct award until 4 February 2016, later extended to 31 March 2016.[https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/franchise-announcement "Railway plan puts new focus on passengers"] Secretary of State for Transport statement 26 March 2013 The franchise was taken over by Arriva Rail North on 1 April 2016.[http://www.northernrail.org/news/7605 Transformation of rail in the north] Northern 27 February 2015
History
=Bids=
The joint venture was also shortlisted for a number of other rail franchises:
- Wales & Borders in 2003[http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/mergers_ea02/arriva.pdf Completed acquisition by Arriva plc of the Wales and Borders Rail franchise] {{webarchive|url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121112152519/http%3A//www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/mergers_ea02/arriva.pdf |date=12 November 2012 }} Office of Fair Trading 16 March 2004
- ScotRail in 2003, but withdrew to concentrate on the Northern Rail franchise.[http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/scotrail-franchise-bidders-reveal-plans-for-network-s-future-1.123317 ScotRail franchise bidders reveal plans for network's future] Herald Scotland 22 March 2003 Abellio later successfully bid for the contract itself and Serco successfully bid for the newly separated Caldeonian Sleeper contract itself.
- West Midlands in 2007.{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2007/06/21/afx3842945.html|title=UK govt awards West Midlands rail franchise to Go-Ahead Group UPDATE|author=AFX News Limited / Thomson Financial|work=Forbes|date=2007-06-21|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604005717/http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2007/06/21/afx3842945.html|archivedate=2011-06-04 }} Abellio later successfully bid for the franchise in a consortium with Mitsui and JR East.
- Tyne & Wear Metro in 2009{{Cite news |date=2009-02-02 |title=Foreign bids for Metro contract |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7864519.stm |access-date=}}[http://www.abellio.com/pers/?key=1000000113&template=uk-pressarchive1&persitem=archief&pid=25 NedRailways shortlisted for Tyne & Wear Metro franchise] Abellio 6 June 2009
=Partners operating independently=
{{Main|Serco|Abellio (transport company)|l2=Abellio}}
In 2014, it was confirmed that each partner bid independently for the 2016 Northern franchise. Only Abellio made the shortlist of three bidders, however the franchise was awarded to Arriva. The joint venture will continue to operate the Merseyrail franchise until its 2028 conclusion.{{Cite news |date=2014-06-18 |title=Serco to divorce from Northern Rail partner Abellio |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/10908641/Serco-to-divorce-from-Northern-Rail-partner-Abellio.html |access-date= |newspaper=The Telegraph}}{{cite news|title=North of England rail franchise bidders announced|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-28852016|accessdate=23 March 2015|work=BBC News Online|date=19 August 2014}}
Abellio was shortlisted for the London Overground, South Central, Greater Anglia, InterCity West Coast, Essex Thameside and Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchises in its own right.
In April 2015, Serco, in its own right, commenced operating the Caledonian Sleeper franchise, while Abellio ScotRail took over the ScotRail franchise.{{Cite news |date=2014-05-28 |title=Serco wins franchise for Caledonian sleeper train service |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-27599963 |access-date=}}{{Cite news |date=2014-10-07 |title=Dutch firm Abellio wins ScotRail franchise from FirstGroup |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-29531099 |access-date=}}
Abellio managed to keep the Greater Anglia franchise and will operate it until 2025.{{Cite web |title=Better journeys for rail passengers and boost for Derby train industry as new East Anglia franchise announced |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/better-journeys-for-rail-passengers-and-boost-for-derby-train-industry-as-new-east-anglia-franchise-announced |website=GOV.UK}}
In December 2017, West Midlands Trains, a joint venture with East Japan Railway Company and Mitsui in which Abellio owns 70%, commenced operating the West Midlands franchise.
=Abellio sale=
In 2022, Abellio announced its intention to sell its UK business to a management buyout led by its managing director. Full regulatory approval was received in February 2023, so Abellio became Transport UK Group (TUK).{{Cite web |title=Abellio UK to be renamed Transport UK Group as management buyout deal completes |url=https://www.abellio.com/news/abellio-uk-to-be-renamed-transport-uk-group |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301074525/https://www.abellio.com/news/abellio-uk-to-be-renamed-transport-uk-group |archive-date=1 March 2023 |access-date=2023-03-02 |website=Abellio.com |language=}}{{Cite web |last=Deakin |first=Tim |date=2023-02-28 |title=Transport UK Group MBO of Abellio UK completes |url=https://www.route-one.net/news/transport-uk-group-mbo-of-abellio-uk-completes/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301162927/https://www.route-one.net/news/transport-uk-group-mbo-of-abellio-uk-completes/ |archive-date=1 March 2023 |access-date=2023-03-02 |website=routeone.net |language=}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Abellio|state=collapsed}}
Category:Nederlandse Spoorwegen