After a two year process the contract for the Wales and Borders rail service has been awarded.

The joint venture partnership, between international public transport operator Keolis and infrastructure asset management specialist Amey, KeolisAmey was awarded the contract by the Welsh Government this morning.

The contract will begin on June 4, when KeolisAmey will take over the contract that has been operated by Arriva for the past 14 years.

Alistair Gordon, Chief Executive of Keolis UK, said: “This will be a transformative new rail service for Wales and its borders which will see Keolis once more combine its worldwide expertise in passenger operations with Amey’s engineering excellence.

“We look forward to the successful completion of the procurement process - this exciting contract will deliver for all of Wales. The procurement process was rigorous, resulting in transformative solutions for the benefit of all in Wales, and indeed, future generations.

“While the proposed changes won’t happen overnight, the railway will be unrecognisable in five years thanks to the vision of the Welsh Government.”

Andy Milner, Amey’s Chief Executive, added: “Building on our successful partnership with Keolis, which already sees us deliver two high performing services – the Greater Manchester Metrolink and London’s DLR – we are honoured to be asked to operate the Wales and Borders service.

“This is a great opportunity for us to use our joint capabilities to deliver a first-rate service for Wales. We will be focused on working with Transport for Wales to transform the existing infrastructure and introduce new trains to significantly improve the passenger experience, as well as creating hundreds of new jobs and apprenticeship opportunities.

Upon successful completion of a 10-day standstill period, the contract will run from June 4, 2018, to October 14, 2033, with rail services transferring on October 14, 2018. This standstill period is normal procurement practice.

KeolisAmey currently runs the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in London and operate and maintain Greater Manchester’s Metrolink – the largest tram network in the UK.

The contract process was launched in July 2016 with three companies putting bids forward by December last year - Arriva not one of them, opting out of the process.

Transport for Wales has been evaluating the bids assessing each for its quality, robustness and ability to deliver on the Welsh Government’s policy priorities.