FIRST CAPITAL CONNECT


'First Capital Connect' is a train operating company in England that began its passenger operations on the National Rail network at 02:00 BST 1 April 2006. It is owned by First Group and combines the service on the cross-London Thameslink railway line with the services along the East Coast Main Line from King's Cross and Moorgate to Peterborough, Cambridge, and King's Lynn formerly operated by wagn, often referred to as Great Northern. First Group plans to overhaul the trains with new liveries and on-board services as well as an £8 million programme of upgrades for several major stations.[1] The full term of the franchise is 9 years (until 2015) however this depends on meeting performance targets at the end of the forth year (automatic 2 year extension) and the discretion of the DfT after the sixth year (optional up to 3 year extension).[2]
The two franchises (Thameslink and wagn) were amalgamated in preparation for the Thameslink Programme (formerly Thameslink 2000), which will increase capacity on the Thameslink route and allow trains from King's Lynn, Cambridge and Peterborough to run via Thameslink. On 24 July 2007, the Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly, formally announced that the Government was fully committed to funding the Thameslink Programme. Since the planning permission and legal powers associated with the project have already been granted, the project is now clear to proceed [3].

Contents
News
Performance
Rolling stock
Current fleet
Management
References
External links

News


On 11 June 2006, First Capital Connect caused consternation among commuters by restricting off-peak travel in the evenings for some journeys[4][5]. Commuters who for many years have used the off-peak service suddenly found they could not get home at their usual evening time without paying an additional fare. This "congestion charge" is attracting protest, the argument being that it unfairly penalises a subset of existing customers for congestion caused by all of them. In addition, FCC will apply these restrictions to delayed trains that were scheduled during the restricted hours5. This means that any delay occurring to trains in the restricted evening hours (between 1630 and 1900) could delay the start of the off-peak time by an equivalent amount, meaning off-peak ticket holders may need to wait for anything up to 2.5 additional hours before they are allowed to travel, even though trains are running regularly through the station.
However, following criticism of the changes4, on 10 July 2006 FCC announced that the restrictions would no longer apply to the following stations: Radlett, Knebworth, Welwyn North, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Welham Green, Brookmans Park, Potters Bar, Watton at Stone, Hertford North, Bayford and Cuffley[6].
In addition to these changes FCC also revised the ways that their customers could apply for compensation on the occasions that their journeys were delayed on the Thameslink route. In place of cash refunds, a form has to be filled in to claim rail vouchers.

Performance


The latest performance figures for First Capital Connect (FCC) as of the last quarter of the financial year 2006/7 are 88.2% overall (PPM)[7] slightly below the same figures from the same period last year of the previous franchise holders: Thameslink and West Anglia Great Northern (WAGN).

Rolling stock


Current fleet

ClassImageTypeTop speedNumberRoutes operatedBuilt
mphkm/h
Class 03
diesel locomotive29.5461Depot Shunting1957-1962
Class 313
electric multiple unit7512041Inner suburban ECML (Moorgate, Hertford Loop)1976 - 1977
Class 317
electric multiple unit10016012Fast ECML1981 - 1982
Class 319
electric multiple unit10016074Thameslink (Brighton - Bedford, Sutton - Luton)1987 - 1988
1990 - 1991
Class 365 ''Networker Express''
electric multiple unit10016040Fast ECML1995

Management


The current Managing Director is Elaine Holt. Other directors include Andy Cope (Engineering), Hugh Clancy (Commercial), Karen Boswell (Customer Services), Belén McWilliam (Projects), Mohammed Saeed (Human Resources), Chris Cornthwaite (Finance) and Nigel Holness (Operations and Safety).

References


1. First Capital Connect links London RailStaff
2. DfT announces winner of Greater Western and Thameslink/GN franchises DfT
3. THE £3.5BN THAMESLINK PROJECT CLEARS MAJOR HURDLE Network Rail
4. New curb on cheap day rail travel BBC News
5. Ticket changes First Capital Connect
6. Changes to Evening Peak Restrictions First Capital Connect
7. PPM actual

External links



★ First Capital Connect official web site

★ BBC News article on Takeover

★ Network Rail's| Thameslink Programme




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