Go-Ahead, Stagecoach miss out on Greater Anglia franchise

20th Oct 2011 07:27

Transport group Abellio, the international arm of Dutch Railways, has been awarded the Greater Anglia rail franchise, beating FTSE 250 rivals Go-Ahead and Stagecoach.The Department for Transport (DfT) announced on Thursday morning that Abellio Greater Anglia Ltd had been chosen to run trains on the network, which operates across Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. The new franchise will start in February next year and will operate for 29 months."The franchise will also play a significant role in transport for the London 2012 Games providing crucial services to the Olympic Park area," said the minister of state for transport, Theresa Villiers.Both Eastern Railway (operated by Go-Ahead) and Stagecoach Anglia Trains (Stagecoach) bidded for the franchise, while current operator National Express was not shortlisted."Whilst Go-Ahead is naturally disappointed with the outcome, the group will continue to explore  future rail franchise opportunities and build on its position as the UK's busiest rail operator running Southern, Southeastern and London Midland franchises," Go-Ahead announced this morning."When the franchise is renewed again in July 2014, the contract is expected to be 15 years in length," Villiers added.BC