Transatlantic law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has advised long-standing client Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) on a £256m services contract with Alstom.

The Technical Support and Spares Supply Agreement (TSSSA) will run from October 2022 for a period of five years, five months to align with GTR's National Rail Contract, and will see Alstom support the ongoing maintenance of the Class 377 and 387 Electrostar fleets in operation on GTR's TSGN network. Alstom has been a long-term trusted partner to GTR, having already serviced the fleets for nearly 20 years.

The WBD team was led by transport team partner, Paul Coleman, and managing associate, Todd Rayner.

Paul Coleman commented:

"Our strong relationship with GTR, combined with our in-depth understanding of the rail sector, ensured that we were well placed to assist their team on all aspects of this deal."

WBD's expertise in transport, logistics and infrastructure is recognised in UK legal directories Legal 500 and Chambers. The firm is highly ranked across the UK for its rail-related work in both directories, including most recently Band 1 for Franchising in Chambers last month. WBD is described by the Chambers guide as a "market-leading practice with expertise in complex and high-profile transactions" with the firm handling the full spectrum of franchising, rolling stock and infrastructure matters as well as rail planning and contract work. Clients have also praised the firm's expertise with one client commenting: "the team at Womble Bond Dickinson can handle any piece of work that is thrown at them in the railway sector with great success."

The WBD team works with public and private passenger service providers (rail, bus and air), freight operators, manufacturers, infrastructure providers/managers (including rail networks, ports and airports), government bodies and members of the supply chain.

Ranking in the UK's top 20 law firms, WBD provides legal expertise in eleven key sectors, including Transport, from across seven offices in the UK and 23 offices in the US.