Southern Railway

[Lizzienrob]

Does anyone know if it is true that Southern are to taken over by Thameswlink in 2014?

[Lizzienrob]

Sorry for the dreadful typing, doing this in the dark!

[Jonathan-Joe]

If i've read this correctly
http://assets.dft.gov...slink-ojeu-notice.pdf
there will be a new francisee for Thameslink in September 2013, who will take on all the services operated by the current Southern franchise between July 2014 and July 2017.

[EDDIE51]

All the rail operaters are fixed term contracts, they have to bid for the contracts. So if Thameslink are the highest bidder they get the contract. I do not know if Thameslink are due to take over the contract that Southern used to hold.

[Jonathan-Joe]

In my link, it seems the name "Thameslink" refers to the group of rail services, not any franchisee operating them. At present, Thameslink services are operated by First Capital Connect. I don't know whether they are seeking renewal of the franchise.

[Lizzienrob]

thanks for the info - the pdf will not open for me, but that was enough info for my husband to report back to "them in charge" at work - he works for Southeastern, and they know nothing!

[Buenchico]

There are currently two separate franchise AREAS (not companies).

South Central (owned by Govia) holds the franchise to operate within the Southern area (using the trading name 'Southern') until 2015. First Capital Connect currently holds the franchise for the Thameslink routes.

A new Thameslink franchise will come into effect from September 2013. Companies will be allowed to tender from October of this year, with the winner being announced in May next year.

Whoever wins the new franchise will initially take over running the services currently operated solely by First Capital Connect. Between April and December 2014, those services currently jointly operated by FCC and Southeastern will be added to the franchise. Then at an (as yet) unspecified date between July 2014 and July 2017 the existing Southern services will be taken over by the Thameslink franchise.

So, eventually, there will be a SINGLE franchise replacing both the Southern and Thameslink ones, but nobody yet knows who will be running it (since the bidding process hasn't even opened).

http://assets.dft.gov...slink-ojeu-notice.pdf

Chris

[Jonathan-Joe]

Lizzie The franchise document also mentions SouthEastern:
at a point between April and December 2014 the franchise would include some services currently operated by Southeastern. These services would be all those that are jointly operated by FCC and Southeastern at present, and some further current Southeastern services which may be transferred to enable the implementation of the full Thameslink service operations;

[EDDIE51]

A bit of Googling tells me that Thameslink may have a problm with the new Southern contract. Thameslink have leased a lot of their rolling stock to another operator Network SouthEast ?,and can't get them back in time.

[mushroom25]

this should take care of the stock shortfall eddie

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...d-derbyshire-16344487