Go-Ahead to continue Kent rail franchise

18th Mar 2011 11:15

Rail and bus operator Go-Ahead will continue to operate the Southeastern rail franchise in Kent until 2014.Govia, a joint venture that is 65%-owned by Go-Ahead and 35% owned by French transport group Keolis, accepted the continuation of the franchise.Go-Ahead said that the Department of Transport formally offered the continuation of the franchise until 31 March 2014 after Southeastern met performance criteria."In the first five years of this franchise Southeastern has increased the number of train services operated across the region and customer satisfaction has risen," Keith Ludeman, chief executive of Go-Ahead and chairman of Govia, said. "It has successfully introduced the UK's first domestic high speed service and independent research shows that passengers using this service are the most satisfied in the UK."Shares in Go-Ahead jumped nearly 4% after the announcement.