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Great Western Link
A short franchise created when FirstGroup bid successfully for an extension of Thames Trains against the existing franchisee Govia.
The SRA’s choice of First as preferred bidder on 4 November 2003 meant that a separate two-year contract was needed, and this was named Great Western Link in anticipation of the creation of a ’Greater Western’ franchise in 2006, which absorbed Great Western Link, the intercity Great Western franchise and Wessex Trains and would be known as First Great Western.
start date
1 April 2004
end date
1 April 2006
owned by
FirstGroup plc (Great Western Holdings Ltd)
legal title
First Great Western Link Limited
service area
Outer London suburban and regional services. London Paddington-Slough-Reading–Basingstoke/Guildford-Gatwick Airport/Newbury-Bedwyn/Didcot Parkway-Oxford-Bicester Town/Banbury (-Leamington Spa/Stratford-upon-Avon until December 2004)/Worcester-Hereford. Thames Valley branch lines to Henley, Marlow, Windsor & Eton Central, Greenford.
replaced
Thames Trains
was replaced by
First Great Western
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