THE operators of London's Docklands Light Railway - Keolis Amey - will run the Wales and Borders rail service and the South Wales Metro for the next 15 years, the Welsh Government has announced.

It intends to award the contract for the franchise to the joint venture partnership of international public transport operator Keolis, and infrastructure asset management specialist Amey upon the successful completion of a 10-day standstill period.

The contract will run from June 4 this year to October 14 2033, with rail services transferring on October 14 this year. This standstill period is normal procurement practice.

KeolisAmey currently runs the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in London, which has one of the best records in UK rail - consistently better than 99 per cent reliability.

It also operates and maintains Greater Manchester’s Metrolink, the largest tram network in the UK.

“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," said Alistair Gordon, Keolis UK chief executive.

“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.”

Amey's chief executive Andy Milner, said: “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.

KeolisAmey is unable to make any further comment until the procurement process has concluded and the contract has been awarded.