UK’s largest rail franchise awarded French railways subsidiary
The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced the first long-term rail franchise award since the hiatus two years ago over the proposed West Coast Main Line (WCML) award to First Group. This was overturned by the threat of a Judicial Review instigated by Virgin and Stagecoach, the incumbent WCML franchise operator partners.
The DfT intends to award the new Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) franchise to Govia Thameslink Railway Limited. This company currently operates the Gatwick Express, London Midland, Southern and Southeastern franchises.
Govia, the owning group, is 65% owned by Go-Ahead and 35% by Keolis who is a French-based operator of passenger transport services majority owned by the French national railway, SNCF.
So despite the ongoing staffing troubles at London Midland which have seen the DfT order passenger compensation to be paid, Govia has won another franchise. It is also understood that they had been in tentative discussions with the DfT over the handing back the London Midland franchise before announcing the redundancies to help offset unbudgeted Class 350 train maintenance costs.
The TSGN is the largest UK rail franchise when measured in passenger numbers, trains operated, revenue levels and staff employed. Currently the activities employ around 6500 staff who provide services carrying around 273m passengers annually who pay £1•3billion a year for their tickets.
Four years of change to come
The incoming management team will have to work with Network Rail over the next four years as the Thameslink project is completed. While the major upgrade is underway, then will be introducing new fleets of trains already ordered. These will deliver more services with more seats to more places at higher speeds.
Govia Thameslink Railway Limited is the name of the new company who will run the services for a seven year period starting on September 14. From 2018 direct services will operate through London linking Brighton and Gatwick Airport in the south to King’s Lynn, Peterborough, Cambridge and Bedford in East Anglia and the south midlands. They will also operate the suburban service between Hertfordshire, to and from Moorgate.
To do this, they will need to learn how to operate almost 1400 new carriages including the Class 700 EMU built by Siemens, which will offer 50% more capacity and 10,000 extra seats every weekday morning into central London by the end of 2018.
Govia has pledged to invest £50 million improving 239 stations and increase staffing, introduce a simplified ticketing structure and meet tough new punctuality targets reducing delays by around a fifth and to improve cleanliness.
