Future
It was announced in December 2011 that when the franchise is renewed in 2013, all services that FCC run will continue in the new Thameslink franchise and be merged with the Southern franchise when that ends.
The Department for Transport has announced that at the conclusion of the Southern franchise in July 2015, the South Central franchise will be merged into the Thameslink Great Northern franchise to form a Thameslink Southern Great Northern franchise.
On 29 March 2012 the Department for Transport announced Abellio, First, Govia, MTR and Stagecoach have been shortlisted for the new franchise.
The Invitation to Tender was to have been issued in October 2012, with the successful bidder announced in Spring 2013. However in the wake of the InterCity West Coast refranchising process collapsing, the government announced in October 2012 that the process would be put on hold pending the results of a review.
Read more about this topic: First Capital Connect
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