Andy's Bus Blog has announced that Govia, a joint venture between Go-Ahead and Kelios have been awarded the largest railway franchise ever awarded, which covers the current Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern Franchises. Investment in new rolling stock, station and infrastructure improvements is going to be huge, with 1,400 new carriages being rolled out by 2018, and up to 24 trains an hour in each direction between Blackfriars and St Pancras. The Thameslink and Great Northern (currently First Capital Connect) networks will be transferred to Govia on September 14th this year, with the Southern franchise to be added on July 26th 2015. In addition a few South Eastern stations and services will be transferred to the new franchise.
You can read Andy's full report which quotes the D of T press release here.
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| First Capital Connect 365517. Services will be operated by Govia from September |
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| As will Southern Railway services from July 2015. 377 201 leaves Lingfield |
Wirst are getting an unenviable track record, aren't they? Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory (West Coast), taking all of the pain for none of the gain (Thameslink, where they were dealt a poor hand and made it worse, to the anger of pretty much everybody) and giving it all away (London and . . . well let's wait and see, shall we?). Carry on like this and will they be sloping off back with their CE to America? Their company reports seem all America, America whilst the UK largely gets a BR "we're getting there" (accompanied by a load of waffle, admittedly) - with the same result? Interesting they rebuffed the (American) shareholder who wanted them to sell off the American assets and invest properly in the UK. Determined to prove him wrong, I suppose? Perhaps it's their way of celebrating the anniversary of the First World War, the only war to be won in the bunker?
ReplyDeleteI'll adjourn judgement for a bit. They've held on to GWR for sometime now in an industry where seldom are franchises renewed. Certainly there needs to be investment across the board within First Group but I am seeing the first signs that it maybe happening. Time will tell but as someone who worked for Connex I'm certainly not going to give First a hard time. Well not their rail operations anyway! Govia have bitten off a huge chunk of the rail network and a lot of people will be gathering like vultures to see them fail. I won't be one of them.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that First do score well on their financial management, better than Connex! Trouble is that could well be true of a declining business, as of a growing one. I think the question they have to address is what else they bring to the party?
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