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Go-Ahead secures new rail franchise agreement

Published on 9 Jun 2009 under category: legal

Public transport firm Go-Ahead has announced that it has secured the franchise agreement for the South Central rail line.

The company has been re-awarded the franchise by the Department for Transport (DfT) and will look after the route for the next five years and ten months, starting in September this year.

Go-Ahead owns a majority holding in French company Govia, which has been operating the existing franchise since 2001.

"I am delighted that the DfT has retained Govia to operate one of the UK's most important and operationally complex rail franchises," said Go-Ahead chief executive and Govia chairman Keith Ludeman.

He added: "The new franchise will deliver a comprehensive package of train, station and security investment, improved operational performance and innovative retailing."

The new franchise agreement will see the company investing £76 million into improvement of the line's trains and 167 stations.

Go-Ahead employs over 27,500 people across the country, while around 920 million passenger journeys are undertaken on its services each year.