Eversheds Sutherland (International) advises the Department for Transport on the new South Western rail franchise

The new franchise was awarded to First MTR South Western Trains Limited and completed on 7th April 2017. It will run for 7 years from 20 August 2017 to 18 August 2024 with an optional extension period.

First MTR South Western Trains Limited will oversee a £1.2 billion investment programme to improve services for passengers on all parts of the network from London to the South West. There will be thousands of extra seats into and out of London Waterloo in the morning and evening peak and a fleet of 90 new trains will provide more space for passengers on Reading, Windsor and London routes.

The plans were designed to make optimum use of increased platform capacity at London Waterloo which will become available following completion of a major investment programme. First MTR South Western Trains Limited will make use of the experience of one of its major shareholders, MTR, which operates the busy Hong Kong metro. Faster journeys will be delivered through a consistent fleet of new suburban trains offering a regular, metro-style service. There will also be major investment in stations and car parks and the use of smartcards will be expanded.

The Eversheds Sutherland team was led by Partner Mark Brunton and included Procurement Partner Totis Kotsonis, Competition Partner Kate Newman, Senior Associate Andrew Bell and Associate Edward Norris.

Mark Brunton of Eversheds Sutherland comments:

“We are delighted to have advised the Department for Transport on this important new franchise which will deliver major benefits for passengers across the South Western franchise area and support economic growth.”