Dentons wins DB Regio’s Tyne & Wear Metro work

DB Regio Tyne & Wear won the contract to operate stations and trains running on the light rail network from Nexus, Tyne & Wear’s Passenger Transport Executive.

Dentons lead partner Matthew Hanslip-Ward advised the client with assistance from associate Stuart Cottis following a 15-month competitive tender process in which it was up against Tyne & Wear Metro’s in-house team, advised by Berwin Leighton Paisner partner Richard Lucas.

A relationship between Dentons and the parent company DB Regio UK stems back three years, when the firm advised on the successful bid by Deutsche Bahn acquisition target Laing
Rail to operate the London Overground network.

This deal comes as the Government announced £580m in funding to revitalise the 30-year-old railway system, which is owned by the five local authorities that make up the Tyne & Wear Metropolitan Authority.

The majority of the funding, £350m, will be spent on the Metro, while a further £230m will support its ­running and maintenance.

Nexus was advised by Dickinson Dees partner Paul Coleman, assisted by Kevin Bell.