ANNEX
Passenger Rail Franchises
| Current train operating company
| Original Franchise
| Changes since original franchise commencement date
|
|
| Start
| Length
| Expiry
| Franchisee
|
|
| Anglia Railways
| 05.01.97
| 7 years 3 months
| 04.04.04
| GB Railways Group PLC
| -- |
| Arriva Trains Merseyside
| 19.01.97
| 7 years 2 months
| 18.03.04
| MTL Trust Holdings Ltd.
| Previously Merseyrail Electrics. Arriva acquired the franchise from MTL in February 2000 for a period of 12 months on existing terms. An extension agreement was signed in February 2001 for a further two years
|
| Arriva Trains Northern
| 02.03.97
| 7 years 1 month
| 01.04.04
| MTL Trust Holdings Ltd.
| Previously Regional Railways North East and then Northern Spirit. Arriva acquired the franchise from MTL in February 2000 for a period of 12 months on existing terms. An extension agreement was signed in February 2001 for a further two years.
|
| Cardiff Railway
| 13.10.96
| 7 years 6 months
| 12.04.04
| Prism Rail
| The takeover of Prism by National Express Group was agreed on 17 January 2001.
|
| Central Trains
| 02.03.97
| 7 years 1 month
| 01.04.04
| National Express Group
| -- |
| Chiltern Railways
| 21.07.96
| 7 years
| 20.07.03
| M40 Trains Ltd.
| Heads of Terms signed in August 2000 for a new 20-year franchise with M40 Trains. New franchise agreement currently being negotiated.
|
| Connex South Central
| 26.05.96
| 7 years
| 25.05. 03
| Connex Rail Ltd. (renamed Connex Transport UK Ltd.)
| Transferred to GoVia on 26 August 2001. New 20-year franchise agreement being negotiated with GoVia.
|
| Connex South Eastern
| 13.10.96
| 15 years
| 12.10.11
| Connex Rail Ltd. (renamed Connex Transport UK Ltd.)
| -- |
| C2C |
26.05.96 |
15 years |
25.05.11 |
Prism Rail
| Formerly known as LTS Rail. The takeover of Prism by National Express Group was agreed on 17 January 2001.
|
| Gatwick Express
| 28.04.96
| 15 years
| 27.04.11
| National Express Group
| -- |
| Great Eastern
| 05.01.97
| 7 years 3 months
| 04.04.04
| FirstGroup PLC
| -- |
| Great North Eastern Railway
| 28.04.96
| 7 years
| 27.04.03
| GNER Holdings Ltd.
| Two-year extension being negotiated.
|
| Great Western
| 04.02.96
| 10 years
| 03.02.06
| Great Western Holdings Ltd.
| FirstGroup plc acquired Great Western Holdings Ltd. in March 1998.
|
| Island Line
| 13.10.96
| 5 years
| 12.10.01
| Stagecoach Holdings
| Two-year extension until 27 September 2003 agreed in March 2001.
|
| Midland Main Line
| 28.04.96
| 10 years
| 27.04.06
| National Express Group
| Two-year extension agreed on 10 August 2000
|
| North Western
| 02.03.97
| 7 years 1 month
| 01.04.04
| Great Western Holdings Ltd.
| FirstGroup plc. acquired Great Western Holdings Ltd. in March 1998
|
| ScotRail
| 31.03.97
| 7 years
| 30 .03.04
| National Express Group
| - |
| Silverlink
| 02.03.97
| 7 years 6 months
| 01.09.04
| National Express Group
| Formerly known as North London Railways
|
| South West Trains
| 04.02.96
| 7 years
| 03.02.03
| Stagecoach Holdings PLC
| Heads of Terms signed in April 2001 for a new franchise for up to 20 years with Stagecoach Holdings. New franchise agreement currently being negotiated.
|
| Thames Trains
| 13.10.96
| 7 years 6 months
| 12.04.04
| Victory Railway Holdings
| In June 1998 it was agreed that Go-Ahead Group plc would take over from Victory Railway Holdings
|
| Thameslink
| 02.03.97
| 7 years 1 month
| 01.04.04
| GoVia PLC
| -- |
| Virgin Cross Country
| 05.01.97
| 15 years
| 04.01.12
| Virgin Rail Group Ltd.
| -- |
| Virgin West Coast Trains
| 09.03.97
| 15 years
| 08.03.12
| Virgin Rail Group Ltd.
| -- |
| Wales and West
| 13.10.96
| 7 years 6 months
| 12.04.04
| Prism Rail
| Previously South Wales and West. The takeover of Prism by National Express Group was agreed on 17 January 2001.
|
| West Anglia Great Northern
| 05.01.97
| 7 years 3 months
| 04.04.04
| Prism Rail
| The takeover of Prism by National Express Group was agreed on 17 January 2001.
|
Notes:
1. The Shadow Strategic Rail Authority announced in June 2000
its intention to develop new franchises for Wales and Borders
and Wessex. The Strategic Rail Authority announced on 15 February
2001 that it had shortlisted four parties for negotiations to
select a preferred operator for a new Wales and Borders franchise.
On 2 March 2001 it announced that it had prequalified seven parties
to prepare proposals for a new Wessex franchise.
2. The 'Wales and Borders' managerial unit will consist of Valley
Lines' services and Wales and West services within Wales and to
some English destinations. Discussions are continuing with National
Express Group on an early transfer of services within Mid-Wales
(from Central Trains) to the new Wales and Borders management
unit. Services in North Wales will currently continue to be operated
by First North Western.
3. The 'Wessex Trains' managerial unit will consist of Wales and
West services not transferring to Wales and Borders. London Waterloo-Exeter
services and Reading-Brighton services will currently continue
to be operated by South West Trains.
(Source: HC Deb, 10 December 2001, cols. 565-68W)
4. On 19 December 2001, the Strategic Rail Authority announced
that it had restarted the franchise replacement process and expressions
of interest were sought from prospective bidders for the new Wales
and Borders, Northern and Merseyside franchises ('Building a better
railway: new franchising plan to bring forward benefits for passengers',
SRA News Release, 19 December 2001).
5. A two-year extension until April 2005 of the existing GNER
franchise was announced in January 2002 ('Two-year GNER Extension
Agreed - £100m Private Sector Investment Committed', SRA
News Release, 16 January 2002).
| 
