Thameslink - Thameslink Franchise Owners - D

Thameslink - D

Thameslink Franchise Owners

As of the early 1990s privatisation of British Rail, Thameslink was franchised to Thameslink, a subsidiary of Govia.

By late 1998, more than 28,000 passengers were carried at morning peak times.

From 1 April 2006, the franchise was taken over by First Capital Connect along with some services that had been WAGN's. The branding of most trains, stations, and signs was changed to match the name of the new company, but City Thameslink and West Hampstead Thameslink were not renamed as Thameslink referred to the route.

After criticism of the loss of the apt name for this group of routes, First Capital Connect's publicity began calling this set of services its "Thameslink route" to distinguish it from the former WAGN services.

On 14 September 2014, Govia Thameslink Railway took over operations from First Capital Connect.

Thameslink Construction Programme

Given the network's success, realised plans arose to upgrade the network to cope with persistent peak-time overcrowding. Network Rail obtained planning permission and legal powers in 2006, funding was secured in July 2007 and construction began in October 2007.

Plans included rebuilding the station buildings at Farringdon (in conjunction with the Crossrail project) and West Hampstead Thameslink, total rebuild of London Bridge and Blackfriars stations, two new underground platforms at St Pancras International.

A new tunnel north of St Pancras International to the East Coast Main Line to allow through services to Peterborough and Cambridge, and platform lengthening. A new 8- and 12-carriage fleet of Class 700 trains began in 2016. The new services on to the Great Northern route began initially on 8 March 2018, with the full timetable being introduced in May 2018.

The London and South East Route Utilisation Strategy published in July 2011 laid out a provisional 24tph timetable. South of London it would provide four trains to Brighton (one semi-fast, one stopping) and two each to Three Bridges, Horsham, East Grinstead, Caterham, Tattenham Corner, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford International, Maidstone East, Sevenoaks and Bellingham.

North of London there would be eight semi-fast trains to Bedford, four stopping trains to St Albans, two stopping and two semi-fast trains to Luton, two semi-fast trains to Peterborough, two semi-fast trains to Cambridge and four stopping trains to Welwyn Garden City.

Below is a provisional timetable solely for services running through the 'Thameslink core' tunnel. This 'provisional timetable' was proposed before the upgrade and has not yet been achieved. See Services section above for the current service pattern.

Thameslink Overview

Thameslink Locale:

South East England

Greater London

East of England

Thameslink Predecessor:

Thameslink, 2 Mar 1997 – 31 Mar 2006

First Capital Connect, 1 Apr 2006 – 13 Sep 2014

Thameslink Current Operator(s): Govia Thameslink Railway, 14th Sep 2014 – 1 April 2028

Thameslink Termini:

Bedford, Peterborough, Cambridge,

Sutton, Orpington, Sevenoaks, Rainham, Horsham, Brighton

Thameslink Stops: St PancrasBlackfriars

Thameslink Train Number(s): TL

Thameslink Line(s) Used:

Brighton Main Line

Chatham Main Line

East Coast Main Line

Midland Main Line

Snow Hill tunnel

South Eastern Main Line

Sutton Loop Line

Thameslink Technical Rolling Stock: 115 Class 700 Desiro City

Thameslink Track Gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

Electrification:

25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE

750 V DC third rail

Thameslink Track Owner(s): Network Rail

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