FGW may be awarded five-year franchise

摘要

A direct franchise award, with no competition, could be offered by the Department forTransport to First Great Western. Re-tendering for the FGW franchise was put on hold after the competition for the West Coast franchise was cancelled in October 2012, following errors in the bidding process. Facing the added complication of electrification and the introduction of the IEP Class 800/801 trains, the DfT is of the view that rather than introduce a new franchisee ahead of major changes, a five-year award would avoid complication and prove better value for money in the short-term.