2013 Franchise
The invitation to tender for the Thameslink franchise is expected to be issued in October 2012, with the contract commencing in September 2013. The pre-qualified bidders announced by the Department for Transport on 29 March 2012 are:
- Abellio Thameslink Limited (NV Nederlandse Spoorwegen)
- First Thameslink Limited (FirstGroup plc)
- Govia Thameslink Railway Limited (Go-Ahead Group plc and Keolis SA)
- MTR Corporation (Thameslink) Limited (MTR Corporation Limited)
- Stagecoach Thameslink Trains Limited (Stagecoach Group plc)
The new franchise is expected to be merged with the South Central franchise currently operated by Southern and certain routes from the Integrated Kent franchise, currently operated by Southeastern.
Read more about this topic: Thameslink
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“To-day women constitute the only class of sane people excluded from the franchise ...”
—Mary Putnam Jacobi (1842–1906)