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Railhub Archive 2000-03-14 SRA-001 Shadow Strategic Rail Authority0
Six companies shortlisted for first franchise replacement round
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         Six companies shortlisted for first franchise replacement round _______________________________________________________________

 related documents
type Press release
Details of the parties that have been selected for the first phase of franchise replacement negotiations for the GNER, Chiltern and Connex South Central franchises were announced by SSRA Chief Executive Mike Grant today. Two parties are to go forward for negotiations for each franchise. The companies selected for negotiation are as follows: GNER: Sea Containers (incumbent owner of Great North Eastern Railway) Virgin Rail Group in conjunction with Stagecoach Chiltern: M40 Trains (incumbent owner of Chiltern Railways - subsidiary of Laing Group) Go-Ahead (franchisee of Thames Trains) Connex South Central: Connex Rail (incumbent owner of Connex South Central - subsidiary of Vivendi SA) GoVia (franchisee of Thameslink) On the South Central franchise, SSRA is looking for evidence that the operators are committed to a radical improvement in service quality. In particular, SSRA will be looking for early achievement of higher performance standards, including cleanliness and provision of information. Proposals in these areas will need to be far more ambitious than the ideas outlined so far. We appreciate that passengers will be looking for the signs that potential operators are serious about making improvements. Negotiations for both South Central and Chiltern are expected to last several weeks, with a view to replacement franchises being determined in late spring and becoming effective in the second half of the year. On the GNER franchise, the proposals are associated with extensive upgrade of the East Coast Main Line, so the decision process will take longer. With the Virgin & Stagecoach proposal, SSRA will need additionally to be convinced that it is in the interests of passengers that the two major London to Scotland franchises should be in the hands of a single owner. SSRA Chief Executive, Mike Grant, said: "After careful consideration of the merits of the various proposals, we have selected which companies' proposals we wish to take forward for negotiation. "The negotiation process will now start in earnest to decide the future owner and duration of these three franchises. Throughout the process, we will be aiming to ensure the best possible deal for the passenger in the final outcomes, with strong commitments to investment and improved customer service, along with value for the taxpayer." Notes to Editors 1. The pre-qualified parties who were unsuccessful in moving forward to the negotiation stage for round one are Arriva (for the Chiltern franchise) and Stagecoach (for the Connex South Central franchise). 2. On March 8, the SSRA invited companies to pre-qualify for the three franchises which would form the second round of franchise replacement (franchise propositions based on the existing Central Trains franchise, and the South West Trains franchise and a new franchise proposition, Transpennine Express, which forms part of the franchise currently operated by Northern Spirit Ltd). It also announced the setting up of a feasibility study into the possibility of a dedicated 'Wales Rail' franchise.
Railhub Archive ::: 2000-03-14 SRA-001
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