Shortlisting for MR5 Train Franchise

Go Places Melbourne, a joint venture between Go-Ahead Australia, Tokyo Metro Co. and ACCIONA, is delighted to be shortlisted for the opportunity to serve Melbourne as future operator of the city’s historic and iconic metropolitan railway network.

Our consortium brings together three world-class rail entities to offer Melburnians a brighter future of operational excellence, and better journeys. We plan to detail how Go Places Melbourne will bring the railway excellence of London’s Elizabeth line and the Tokyo Metro to Melbourne and deliver the world-class network the city deserves.

Go-Ahead Australia, based here in Melbourne, is the regional subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group – a leading UK-based international railway operator. With nearly 30 years’ experience in UK rail, Go-Ahead Group is presently responsible for operating 34% of passenger journeys nationwide. In its existing partnership with Tokyo Metro, Go-Ahead operates the prestigious Elizabeth line – a world-famous railway tunnelling project through the heart of London which has had an extraordinary impact upon the economic and social fortunes of the city, adding millions of new passenger journeys annually – and over £42bn in economic growth since opening in 2021. The Group also operates Stockholm’s Tunnelbana network – the backbone of public transport in Sweden’s capital city and additionally home to legendary art installations throughout the system’s renowned stations.

Tokyo Metro’s reputation for railway excellence began when the company was founded in 1927, since when it has pioneered technical innovation and world-class railway development in one of the world’s greatest mega-cities. Today as a fully integrated operator, it serves 2.5bn customers a year, whilst maintaining on-time punctuality of 99% of services. The company’s formidable prowess in asset management, technical innovation and service quality will be a central focus for GPM as we develop our proposals for Melbourne.

ACCIONA is a trusted partner here in Victoria, with more than 25 years’ experience in delivering high-quality, complex rail projects. In Melbourne this includes the Southern Program Alliance and Caulfield to Dandenong Alliance, delivering fourteen brand new stations and removing 23 level crossings as part of Victoria’s highly successful Big Build Level Crossing Removal Program. ACCIONA is a global leader in sustainable infrastructure solutions combining local expertise with global experience to deliver positive outcomes for local communities. Headquartered in Melbourne, ACCIONA has delivered complex and landmark projects across the country – combining excellence in construction and project delivery, with a proven record of innovative and sustainable development practice. ACCIONA’s commitment to pioneering social value is embedded into our philosophy.

A spokesperson for the consortium said: “Go Places Melbourne brings together three world-class rail entities with an extensive record of co-operation, able to blend international excellence and local understanding. We are ready to create proposals which will transform and elevate Melbourne’s rail network and bring the best of our partners’ international expertise in London and Tokyo, right here to Victoria.”