TRANSPORT for London (TfL) has confirmed a shortlist of four bidders to become the next operator of the Elizabeth Line from May 2025.

The shortlisted bidders are:

• Arriva UK Trains

• First Keolis Elizabeth Line, a joint venture between FirstGroup and Keolis

• GTS Rail Operations, a joint venture between Go-Ahead, Sumitomo Corporation and Tokyo Metro, and

• MTR Corporation UK, the line’s existing operator.

TfL plans to issue a tender in April, with submissions expected in July.

The seven-year concession contract will have an option to extend by up to two years. Under the new contract, the mayor of London will continue to be responsible for setting fares, while TfL will market the services as well as specifying the train service. TfL will also retain fares revenue to reinvest in transport network improvements.

The new operator will be required to work closely with TfL, infrastructure manager Network Rail and HS2 on preparing for the operation of Elizabeth Line services to the new HS2 station at Old Oak Common, which is scheduled to open in 2028-33.

An early market engagement exercise with prospective bidders took place in June 2023.

The central section of the 21km Elizabeth Line opened in May 2022. The service runs from Heathrow and Reading in the west via the central London section to Shenfield and Abbey Wood.

More than 300 million passengers have used the railway since it opened and it is described as the most significant addition to London’s transport network in a generation, operating up to 24 trains per hour at peak times.

“The Elizabeth line has had a transformational impact, providing new, more direct journey options for customers, including at 10 new central London stations,” says Mr Howard Smith, Elizabeth Line director. “The new Elizabeth line operator will play a major role in supporting us to continue that growth and success, providing high levels of customer service and satisfaction.”

TfL is also in the process of selecting the next operator of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). The shortlisted bidders for this contract, which will commence on April 1 2025, are:

• Keolis Amey Docklands, a joint venture between Keolis and Amey, the current operator

• Connecting Docklands, a joint venture between Go-Ahead and Atkins, and

• ComfortDelGro.

The new eight-year franchise contract for the 40km automated light metro network is estimated to be worth £2.3bn.