A new rail franchising deal for London and the south east will increase capacity by 50 per cent, reduce delays and open up new routes, according to the Department for Transport (DFT).
The DFT has confirmed it will award the new Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) franchise to Govia Thameslink Railway Limited – providing nearly 1,400 extra carriages by the end of 2018 and increasing capacity by 50% during the peak morning rush-hour into central London.
The seven-year franchise deal, the largest ever let in terms of passenger numbers, is part of the government’s multi-billion pound investment in the region’s rail network.
The DFT said it will help improve services to many destinations including: Brighton, King’s Lynn, Peterborough, Cambridge, Bedford and Gatwick airport.
The newly-created TSGN franchise replaces the existing Thameslink and great Northern franchise – more commonly known as First Capital Connect.
Rail minister Stephen Hammond said: “New state-of-the-art trains, more seats, better connections and improved stations will transform travel across London and the south east.
“That’s great news for businesses and the hundreds of thousands of passengers who use these vital services every day.”
The deal will see 24 trains an hour travel in each direction from Blackfriars to St Pancras. New tunnels will link Peterborough and Cambridge to the existing Thameslink route providing easy access across London via St Pancras to Gatwick and Brighton.
Govia said it will order a new fleet of 108 carriages for the Gatwick Express service, replacing the current 25-year old trains “with a fleet better suited to the needs of airport passengers”. It will also secure 150 new carriages to replace the 40-year-old trains currently operating on the route between Moorgate, north London and Hertfordshire.
Govia also said it will “invest significantly” in improving stations, including free wifi at more than 100 stations, better retail and catering facilities and improvements to customer information services.
A DFT spokesman said train fares and season ticket pricing policies would be unaffected by the deal.