TransPennine franchise boost for FirstGroup

5th Aug 2011 08:49

Train and bus operator FirstGroup has had its franchise over the TransPennine Express rail route extended until April 2015. "We are delighted that the DfT (Department for Transport) has taken the decision to extend the First TransPennine Express franchise to 1 April 2015," chief executive Tim O' Toole said."Since we started operating the franchise in 2004 we have delivered a number of improvements including the introduction of a £260m new train fleet and passenger numbers have grown from 13m to 24m per annum."He added: "We will continue to work closely with the DfT and our stakeholders in the region to develop plans for the future of rail in the north of England and to further develop the Anglo-Scottish services."The TransPennine Express serves cities such as Leeds, York and Manchester, with services also extending as far as Glasgow and Edinburgh.At 09.00am, shares in FirstGroup were down by 1.5% at 335.9p.---RG