Trainose was established in 2005 as a subsidiary of Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) before becoming a stand-alone company in December 2008. It is currently the only freight and passenger operator on the Greek mainline network.
Rolling stock, which is still owned by OSE, will be transferred to government ownership, while an independent company called Rosco will be set up to maintain the fleet. Rosco will initially be 100% state-owned, although in the longer-term the government intends to sell all of its shares in the company.
Prior to the completion of the tendering process, Trainose will enter into a five-year public service obligation (PSO) contract with the Greek government, which will be worth up to €50m per year. It will also sign track access and rolling stock leasing agreements with OSE, and a long-term train maintenance contract with Rosco.
The bidding process will be split into two phases, starting with the submission of expressions of interest. Following the completion of the first phase and the selection of prequalified bidders, HRADF will launch the second phase, which will involve the submission of binding financial offers by shortlisted investors. The closing date for expressions of interest is September 2.
The full invitation to submit expressions of interest can be found on the HRADF website.
