MTR Corporation

MTR Corporation Limited (Chinese: 香港鐵路有限公司; literally: "Hong Kong Railway Corporation Limited") is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange and Hang Seng Index. MTR runs Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway (MTR), and is also a major property developer and landlord in Hong Kong. It also invests in railways in different parts in the world, and has obtained contracts to operate rapid transit systems in London, Stockholm, Beijing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Melbourne, and Sydney.

History of the Corporation

The Mass Transit Railway Corporation (Chinese: 地下鐵路公司) was established in 1975 as a government-owned statutory corporation to build and operate a mass transit railway system to meet Hong Kong's public transport needs. On 30 June 2000 the MTRC was succeeded by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL, Chinese: 地鐵有限公司). As with the MTRC, the MTRCL's principal business is to operate the mass transit railway system. Following a successful initial public offering, the MTRCL was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 5 October 2000, however the government is still the major stakeholder in the MTRCL.

Essex Thameside

Essex Thameside is a railway franchise for the provision of passenger services on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway in east London and south Essex. It was formed on 26 May 1996, following the privatisation of British Rail and the franchise was originally called London, Tilbury and Southend. The only train operating company on the line to date has been c2c. Following a number of temporary extensions caused by problems with the rail franchising system, c2c was awarded a new 15-year franchise which commenced on 9 November 2014.

As part of an abandoned round of re-franchising, bids were received from the shortlisted parties in September 2012 with a winner expected to be announced in January 2013. In October 2012 the government announced the refranchising process will be paused, pending a review of the franchising system and the failures of the InterCity West Coast franchising process. In January 2013 the government announced a revised invitation to tender would be issued in summer 2013 with an interim contract for up to two years to be negotiated with National Express. In March 2013 the Secretary of State for Transport announced the franchise would again be extended until 13 September 2014. A further extension of up to eight weeks became necessary following a delay in awarding the franchise. In June 2014 c2c were awarded a new franchise to commence in November 2014.

Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern

Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) is a railway franchise for the provision of passenger services on the Thameslink and Great Northern routes to Bedford, Luton, Peterborough, King's Lynn, Cambridge, London King's Cross, London Moorgate, Sutton, Wimbledon and Brighton.

On 25 July 2015 the whole Southern network (including the Gatwick Express) and the jointly operated First Capital Connect Southeastern services (for example the Kentish Town - Sevenoaks via Catford) were added to the franchise, with the Southern and Gatwick Express brands retained. The franchise is operated by Govia Thameslink Railway, which is owned by Govia, following the end of the First Capital Connect franchise on 13 September 2014. and is the largest railway franchise in the United Kingdom.

History

The Department for Transport decided to create a new Thameslink, Southern Great Northern franchise with the services jointly operated with Southeastern to be added in December 2014 and the entire South Central franchise in July 2015.