Greater Manchester Metrolink — Operation and maintenance of a tram system.

Descriptions

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is seeking to appoint an appropriately experienced and qualified operator-maintainer for its Greater Manchester light rail system, Metrolink. TfGM considers the Metrolink system to be a tram and are procuring the operator-maintainer on this basis.The contract will run from July 2017 for a term of 7 years with a potential extension of up to a further 3 years. In addition, there will be a contract option for TfGM to extend the term for an additional 1 year at the end of either the 7th or 10th year of the contract to accommodate any delay in the procurement process for a subsequent operator-maintainer.The successful contractor will be responsible for both the operation and maintenance of the Metrolink System and may also be responsible for some or all of the renewals. (The scope of renewals that the operator-maintainer will be responsible for has not yet been determined. It is also possible that the operator-maintainer will be required to deliver renewal services through a separate framework agreement).The Metrolink system is the largest tram network in the UK and is of strategic importance to the economy of Greater Manchester as it provides fast and frequent links across the Greater Manchester region supporting employment, leisure and tourism. By 2017, following completion of the phase 3 expansion project the system assets will comprise a fleet of approximately 120 trams, 180 km of track and overhead line, 93 stops, and 44 substations; two operational depots; and a patronage of approximately 40 million journeys per annum. In addition to the existing assets, during the proposed contract term the system may be extended to include at least one additional line and associated infrastructure which may include but not be limited to trams, track, overhead line, stops, and substations.Currently, system maintenance is the subject of two separate contracts. Maintenance obligations for the tram fleet and phases 1 and 2 of the system are included within the combined operations and maintenance agreement (COMA) with Metrolink RATP Dev Limited (MRDL) who are also the operator for the whole of the system. The maintenance obligations for phase 3 infrastructure are delivered under the design, construct and maintain (DCM) contract with the M-Pact Thales consortium (MPT), which is the contractor for the phase 3 extensions. Any additions to the Metrolink network whether envisaged now or later during the life of the Contract can be added to the Contract at TfGM's option.Both the existing maintenance, and operation and maintenance contracts are due to end in July 2017. It is TfGM's intention that the operation and maintenance for the full system (which may extend to maintenance not currently provided for in the agreements with MRDL and MPT) will be delivered under a single contract.