Rail Franchising

[SNL 824]

RE: Rail Franchising

(26/09/2013 19:18)wirralbus Wrote:  Two rail franchises have been opened up to bidders, the first invitations to tender since the fiasco of the West Coast franchise contract last year.

Invitations have been issued to tender for the Essex Thameside franchise and for the combined Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise.

I get the geographic connection of these franchises having lived in both Harpenden and various parts of South London just before and after Thameslink was introduced, but what we're seeing here is the gradual rationalisation of the franchises. Another couple of combinations and we'll be back to Network SouthEast.

[wirralbus]

RE: Rail Franchising
I think the next one will to be altered will be Northern / Transpennine .

This one has been mooted for a while now .

There getting there finger out because there will have to be a short break in the franchising process around the time of the 2015 General Election in May of that year

[SNL 824]

RE: Rail Franchising
Actually I think I would be in favour of aligning the TOCs back to where we were in the 80's with NSE down south, Inter-City for the mainlines, Merseyrail type operations for Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham and Regional Railways for the rest.

[wirralbus]

RE: Rail Franchising
SNL824 your idea of aligning the TOC's back to the position that they was in the 1990's has been helped now by the fact that the main franchises for Scotland and Wales are with only one franchise holder now.

Can never see just one franchise holder for England it would be too powerful an operation for one franchise holder.

[Cheshire Lines Committee]

RE: Rail Franchising
A return to "The Big Four"?

[childwallblues]

RE: Rail Franchising

(01/10/2013 07:12)Cheshire Lines Committee Wrote:  A return to "The Big Four"?

Would not be allowed to happen for political reasons as Scotland and Wales would have to be split up.

[wirralbus]

RE: Rail Franchising
The Scottish Sleeper Franchise has gone to Serco. This franchise has been let separately for the first time .

At the moment there has not been an indication when the Scotrail franchise will be let yet , but an announcement probably can not be far away.

[Metroline1511]

RE: Rail Franchising
Also, the enlarged Thameslink, Southern & Great Northern franchise has been awarded to GoVia. Apparently the Essex Thameside (c2c) franchise is due to be announced in July.

[wirralbus]

RE: Rail Franchising
The Essex Thameside franchise was retained by National Express.

Just wish that National Express would get rid of the C2C name for something more in keeping with the area that the franchise operates in.

National Express where in the DfT bad books for quite a while when they handed back the East Coast Mainline franchise after misreading the economy at the time .