East West Rail Company Ltd (EWR Co): Enterprise Partner - Pre Procurement Market Engagement

Tender description

East West Rail is an ambitious project that involves bringing back into use a section of railway that was closed to passengers in the 1960s, refurbishing existing railway lines between Oxford and Bedford, as well as building brand new railway infrastructure between Bedford and Cambridge. East West Railway Company (EWR Co) was set up as an innovative new way to deliver this project with a customer focus and excellent value-for-money. Further information on the East West Rail values and objectives can be found in the linked video. East West Rail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC-SYIHNe6I EWR Co is interested in exploring innovative methods of working and adopting an enterprise approach to the delivery of the East West Railway, embedding private sector expertise and new ways of working within EWR Co’s organisation. Interested participants from industries outside of infrastructure delivery are encouraged to engage and respond to this PIN Lot 1: EWRCo proposes to appoint a Partner to draw capability & capacity to provide strategic support in the specification, delivery, entry into service & operation of the new railway. The staff providing this capability will be embedded within EWRCo. This role will be rewarded for the key resources contributed, with enhanced margins, deferred to the point at which outcomes materialise. The role will be a 15-year contract commencing early in the EWR process (2022). EWRCo also proposes to appoint the same private sector partner(s) as the Integrated Operator (IO) for EWR. The IO will be responsible for the initial phase of operations and asset management on EWR, commencing in 2024 with operations only on completion of CS1 capital works and both operations and asset management on completion of the CS2 and CS3 capital works. This will be a long-term contract, remunerated principally on a cost reimbursable basis with performance linked margins similar to ‘new railway’ operations contract. Additional information: EWRCo seeks real-world operations, asset management & customer experience perspectives with sufficient authority to specify the railway efficiently & cost effectively. The proposed model ensures the EP provides considered inputs, aware of their future impact on live operations & aligns incentives for shared risk management in pursuit of the programme outcomes. More Information is at section VI.3