Govia win new Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise

[whole diary]

[Brucey]

It has today been announced by the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) that Govia Thameslink Railway Limited has been awarded the new "mega franchise" for the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern region.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-rail-franchising-deal-set-to-transform-passenger-services-across-london-and-south-east

[paul7575]

Not unexpected IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion).  I always thought one of the two incumbents would get it, and when you take into account the most complex parts of the merger of services it is really all about altering the 'Southern' network to match a relatively simple network north of St Pancras.

I wonder if GoVia's experience as the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)'s main focus of new EMU^▸ (Electric Multiple Unit) introduction had any bearing?

Paul

[Electric train]

This was always going to be an interesting meld of two TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) that have been until this takes effect operating as 3 TOC's

FCC^▸ (First Capital Connect) (Thameslink routes) and FCC (GN) seem to operate as separate entities although I am sure there is some common management.

There is a new tunnel link being fitted out between the ECML^▸ (East Coast Main Line) and St Pancras low level which is due to be commissioned in just under a year which will bring about the ability to connect Cambridge and Peterborough to the South, although operational train services are not planned until 2018

[TonyK]

Indeed, EE, and the forthcoming building works and related line closures are reflected in the franchise model. It is being let on a management contract. Additional revenues go back to the treasury, and Govia gets to keep a 3% profit margin.  Go-Ahead, not long ago a small bus company, own 65% of Govia, the rest being owned by Keolis. This will raise Go-Ahead's profits by around ^20 million after tax per year, or up 33% against last year's. Given they are likely to have only two or three years of smooth running across the network, this doesn't seem outrageous.

[JayMac]

Conference call between First Capital Connect/FirstGroup Directors and Managers following FirstGroup's failure to win the Thameslink, Southern & Great Northern franchise.

https://arkadinuk.sharefile.com/download.aspx?id=s8d51176e0b64a628

[JayMac]

Govia have announced that the new Franchise's public name will be Govia Thameslink Railway or GTR.



There will be a new sub-brand - 'Great Northern', and the 'Thameslink' brand is being reintroduced. 'Southern' and 'Gatwick Express' brands will be retained.

http://www.govia.info/gtr/

[Red Squirrel]

The name 'Govia' always conjures up in my mind a strange country where chinless people dream up ever more eccentric ideas about how children should be educated...

[ChrisB]

He's just been relieved of that job....

[Chris from Nailsea]

... and looked less than happy about it ... from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):



 

[SDS]

And needs to look where hes walking!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAqyf7a4xFM

[Chris from Nailsea]

From Yahoo News UK^▸ (United Kingdom):

Fury at 'easier to stand' rail boss


Press Association - Govia Thameslink Railway boss Charles Horton and Rail Minister Claire Perry at Blackfriars Station, London

A rail union has reacted with fury to comments by a train company chief that he intends to make it "more comfortable to stand" for his rush-hour passengers.

Charles Horton, chief executive of the Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) running a new "mega" south east England commuter franchise, said his company will be providing 10,000 more seats in the rush-hour.

But, in an interview with London's Evening Standard, he added: "But it doesn't mean I can promise no-one will ever stand on trains into central London. What I can promise is that the trains on Thameslink (Bedford-to-Brighton route) will be more comfortable to stand up in. They have big 'stand-back' areas so people can stand in more comfort."

Mick Cash, general secretary of the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) union, said: "This is a shocking admission which will leave commuters rightly up in arms as they are forced to pay some of the highest annual commuter fares on the network to be jammed in like cattle."

Mr Horton also told the Standard that GTR would also develop smartphone apps with real-time information on seat occupancy so commuters could catch later, less-packed trains. He added: "We want to put more information in the hands of passengers so they will know which services are going to be the busiest and which trains they are more likely to have seats on so they can travel in more comfort. Some people think that getting a seat is more important than the (duration) of their journey - so they will take a slower service if they want to sit down, and there are people for whom speed is all. We want to put more information into the hands of people so they can make a better choice."

The new franchise embraces the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern routes which include Gatwick Express as well as the former First Capital Connect routes.

Mr Cash added: "At the same time this company are planning to axe guards and other staff to maximise profits that will be used by the parent company, French state-owned Keolis, to subsidise rail fares in France. The whole sordid story exposes yet again the racket of rail privatisation."

A GTR spokesman said: "We are providing many more longer and more-frequent trains."

David Sidebottom, director of rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus, said: "Overcrowding is a daily struggle for many commuters. Our latest rail passenger survey found that 30% of commuters were unhappy about overcrowding on their train."

He went on: "Convincing passengers to travel outside the peak by offering incentives could work. However, most passengers who travel in the peak do so out of necessity, rather than choice. Our research found that new trains should provide greater comfort for standing passengers, as well as those who had managed to get a seat."

[paul7575]

The Holy Grail of the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers).   Seats for all on every train on every service, so that the guard can more easily get to the back cab and hide from the passengers...   

Same old story then?  Do any of these people work on the railway?

Thameslink rolling stock high level specification, which asked for large stand back areas for rapid boarding and alighting, and by necessity a high standing capacity, was published by DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) in 2008.   Have the RMT just realised?

Paul

[stuving]

The Holy Grail of the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers).   Seats for all on every train on every service, so that the guard can more easily get to the back cab and hide from the passengers...   

Same old story then?  Do any of these people work on the railway?

Thameslink rolling stock high level specification, which asked for large stand back areas for rapid boarding and alighting, and by necessity a high standing capacity, was published by DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) in 2008.   Have the RMT just realised?

Paul

Surely it's more a case of the RMT exploiting the press not knowing it was happening. I don't imagine Mick Cash's comments were derived from careful consideration of the number and design of the trains, it looks more like they were just the usual complaints grabbed from the bag kept handy for the purpose.

That's most obviously true of the bit about "jammed in like cattle", set against Horton's "more comfortable to stand up in". For the same passenger numbers there must be more space, and depending on whether there are more trains on that service there may or may not be more seats too. So ...

[TonyK]

The name 'Govia' always conjures up in my mind a strange country where chinless people dream up ever more eccentric ideas about how children should be educated...

I thought that was Consignia.

[JayMac]

Bordered by Centrica.