Provision of Ticketless Travel Surveys

Description

West Midlands Trains Ltd (WMT) requires ticketless travel surveys to meet its obligations under the National Rail Contract. Within WMT's franchise, the DfT accepts passenger revenue risk, and all ticketing and fares revenues are paid to it. Because the franchisee does not take revenue risk, the Secretary of State (SoS) has a requirement to ensure that the franchisee is operating in the same way it would if it were taking revenue risk. The level of ticketless travel across the lifetime of the franchise is a key measure of WMT's performance. Therefore, WMT are conducting an open tender for the provision of ticketless travel surveys which will take place across its entire network. Due to the National Rail Contract commitments, WMT requires a supplier who has relevant experience of delivering surveys and producing data and reporting within the UK rail market. Surveys are expected to be carried out quarterly throughout the term of the contract, with the first Survey to be completed during November 2024. Further surveys will be expected to take place each year in February, June and September. Each survey is to take place over two-three weeks with an estimated sixty-five to seventy-five shifts over weekdays and weekends, with a target of at least twenty thousand observations.