Great Western Coffee Shop

Spare a thought for another of First's franchises, which becomes history at 2am tomorrow. Their website, which today bravely thanked customers and promoted the improvements they introduced, has already been stood down, for a holding page, three hours before the franchise ends.

My perception is that it was unloved, and will soon be forgotten. Although time will tell whether Govia, on a management contract, will enjoy any better reputation, though they do have the advantage of new trains on the way.

I don't think Govia had a particularly good reputation the last time they had ownership of the Thameslink route. Time will indeed tell though.

RIP FCC.

The new website for the Thameslink and Great Northern routes of the TSGN franchise:
http://www.thameslinkrailway.com/

And the new operator's welcome leaflet:
http://www.thameslinkrailway.com/download/3084.9/customer-connections-issue-1/ (.pdf download 2MB)

I did wonder when I saw a Southern train joined to an FCC train at Wimbledon last week why neither had any logos on them. This now makes sense. Will those FCC trains in Southern colours be repainted in a TSGN scheme or eventually returned to Southern as they are?

The group is actually GTR (Govia Thameslink Rail) and will be the largest rail franchise in the UK when Southern disappears next year TSGN and Southern merge.

There is a major timetable reshape in Southern land principally on the BML when GTR is final whole

The 319s (the older units on Thameslink) all go off lease and are replaced by new Desiros, class 700s.  Some of the 319s are still in SN livery but are nothing to do with SN anymore. It would normally be these you saw at Wimbledon.  Then there are 23 dual voltage Electrostars, class 377/5, these were subleased to FCC by SN from new, they are all in FCC livery but will either go back to SN routes, or possibly be used on GN route to Kings Lynn.  A handful of older 377/2  are with Thameslink on short term loan from SN and are still in SN livery.

I think that's about it. The movement of stock resulting from the new Thameslink stock is anything but straightforward,  the 319s could end up almost anywhere from the NW to the Thames Valley, no one really knows what the detailed plans are.

Paul

Hopefully, the Department for Transport will know?  ::) ;) ;D

That's the chaps who leave it all to the TOCs and ROSCOs surely?

Paul

Optimist ;D

How Dare you. The DaFT know everything about the railway........

Sarcasm over.