Shortlist for transport companies that could operate Adelaide metro trains revealed
The biggest rail operator in Europe is among three companies short-listed to take control of South Australia’s commuter trains.
SA News
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Europe’s largest rail operator is among three companies in the running to operate Adelaide’s train network.
Transport Minister Stephan Knoll will today announce the consortia short-listed to take over metropolitan services.
Among them are the second wealthiest railway company in the world, a French-based company operating nine international metro networks and an Australian company operating light rail in Melbourne, the Gold Coast and Newcastle.
The consortia, each a partnership between international and Australian firms, will now submit a response to the State Government’s invitation to tender ahead of a decision on the preferred contractor in the second half of 2020.
The move will reignite debate about franchising or privatising the public transport network with Labor threatening to tear up any contracts if they are to win the next election.
Mr Knoll told The Advertiser that the government believes the state’s public transport system has room for improvement.
“What we are seeking to do is bring trains and tram in line with the same model that our buses have operated under for the last 20 years,” he said.
“Encouragingly we’ve seen some green shoots and in the last financial year we saw public transport patronage increase by over one million trips compared to the previous year.”
The consortia vying for the contract are:
ADELAIDE NEXT – German railway company Deutsche Bahn, Europe’s largest rail operator, and Australia’s largest private rail operator John Holland.
KEOLIS DOWNER – French company Keolis SA, currently operating nine metro networks, 23 tram networks and 15 regional train networks around the world and Downer
EDI that has over 100 years’ experience in rail and;
TRAIN CO – The Australian arm of the French-based Transdev Group – a multi-modal passenger transport operator in 19 countries, and CAF, a global railway equipment provider with a base in Sydney.
In November The Advertiser revealed Keolis Downer had won a $1.7 million tender to run an Uber-style bus trial in the Barossa Valley and Mount Barker.
At the time Opposition transport spokesman Tom Koutsantonis raised questions about why the contract did not go out to open tender.
In October The Advertiser revealed dozens of international and interstate companies had shown an interest in taking over Adelaide’s bus and tram services, including several, not part of today’s announcement, that had been embroiled in controversy.
In his boldest pre-election pledge to date, Mr Malinauskas, in October vowed to reverse the
“privatisation of tram and train services” if Labor wins the next state election.
He also vowed to examine returning bus services to the public sector.
In April, the State Government announced it would put out tenders for operators to run bus and light-rail services in Adelaide, arguing SA was the only jurisdiction in the country that did not outsource the operation of its tram services.
It also pledged to put out a tender for train services.