29 Mar 2012 09:03
29 March 2012
Stagecoach Group shortlisted for Great Western and Thameslink rail franchises
Stagecoach Group plc ("Stagecoach") is pleased to confirm that it has been shortlisted by the Department for Transport ("DfT") to bid for the Great Western and Thameslink passenger rail franchises.
The new 15-year Great Western passenger rail franchise is due to commence in April 2013. It will provide long distance, commuter, regional and branch line train services from London Paddington to the Midlands, Cotswolds, South Wales and West of England, the South Coast, Devon and Cornwall and Gatwick airport. Great Western's Heathrow Connect services are expected to transfer to the separate Crossrail franchise in May 2018. The full Crossrail service is expected to operate to Heathrow and Maidenhead by December 2019, replacing most of the current suburban services provided to and from Paddington.
The Thameslink passenger rail franchise is expected to start in September 2013. It will be for a minimum of seven years, with a potential extension of up to two years. The franchise will initially include train services between London, Brighton, Bedford, Peterborough, Cambridge and King's Lynn. Between April and December 2014, it will take on Southeastern's existing services on the Thameslink route. At some point between July 2014 and July 2017, the franchise will be expanded to include all of the current Southern services in south London, between central London and the South coast, through East and West Sussex, Surrey and parts of Kent and Hampshire.
A Stagecoach Group spokesman said: "We are pleased to have been successful in being short-listed for the Great Western and Thameslink rail franchises. We now look forward to receiving the DfT's final and detailed Invitation to Tender documentation, which will confirm the Government's key requirements for the franchises. Our bids will be firmly focused on delivering better services for passengers, value for money for taxpayers and the right risk-reward profile for our shareholders."
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Steven Stewart, Director of Corporate Communications
Stagecoach Group
Tel: 01738 442111 or 07764 774680
Email: steven.stewart@stagecoachgroup.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
Stagecoach Group
·; Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs around 35,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.
·; Stagecoach operates the South Western rail franchise, which includes the South West Trains and Island Line networks. South West Trains, the UK's biggest commuter rail network, runs nearly 1700 trains a day in the south-west of England out of London Waterloo. Island Line, on the Isle of Wight, has been designated a Community Rail Partnership.
·; In addition, Stagecoach runs the East Midlands rail franchise. East Midlands Trains operates high-speed long distance services from London St. Pancras to Sheffield, Derby and Nottingham, Liverpool - Norwich and regional services throughout Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.
·; Stagecoach also has a 49% shareholding in Virgin Rail Group, which operates the West Coast inter-city rail franchise.
·; Stagecoach also runs the Supertram light rail network in Sheffield.
·; In North America, Stagecoach operates around 2,700 buses and coaches in the United States and Canada. Budget coach service megabus.com links more than 70 key locations in North America. Stagecoach is also involved in operating commuter and transit services, as well as tours, charters, sightseeing tours and a small number of school bus services.