DISA II contract awarded to start legally binding

With the expiry of the statutory waiting period, the award of the contract for the Saxony-Anhalt diesel network (DISA) to Regionalverkehre start Deutschland GmbH (start) has become legally binding. On behalf of the states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and the Greater Braunschweig Regional Association, the company will take over the diesel network from Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland from December 2024 and operate it until 2032.

NASA GmbH was in charge of the award procedure with all the contracting authorities. Managing director Peter Panitz is relieved: "We are delighted to have completed the contract process on time and look forward to working with start. We now need to work with Abellio to ensure a smooth transfer of staff and vehicles to the new company.

The contract with start stipulates that staff will be transferred if they wish to do so. The vehicles will also remain the same and will continue to be maintained at VIS in Halberstadt. The contract for the Saale-Thüringen-Südharz network will not be affected by the new contract for the diesel network. This network will continue to be operated by Abellio under the terms of the contract.

The diesel network comprises most of the diesel-operated routes in Saxony-Anhalt with a performance volume of around 9.3 million train-kilometres per year, of which around 8.4 million train-kilometres are operated within the state. The contract with the current DISA operator, Abellio, will be prematurely terminated in 2024 after the company ran into financial difficulties in 2021 and entered into administration. In light of the insolvency proceedings, all parties have reached a settlement agreement which has resulted in the early re-tendering of the diesel network, in which Abellio was unable to bid.