"Sam Holloway" wrote in message
...

Thanks, Paul - that was the question I didn't have the answer to. I
wasn't sure whether this was a group rebranding or whether the
franchises really had merged (as in one contract). I suppose that
gives them an excuse to keep the GN out of One. But still, from the
passengers' point of view, it's not a good way to go about. :-(

To be entirely accurate (and a *little* pedantic) the former Anglia
franchise and the Great Eastern franchise reached their expiry dates at 31st
March 2004. From 1st April the West Anglia Great Northern franchise had a
contract variation issued that removed West Anglia (Liverpool Street)
services from it - but otherwise the WAGN franchise continues to the
existing expiry date. From that date the previous franchise boundaries
disappeared from the SRA's franchise map.

From 1st April an *entirely new* Greater Anglia franchise was let, covering
the areas formerly operated as the Anglia, GE franchises and the WA portion
of WAGN. National Express won the bidding (who happen to be the incumbent
operators of the WAGN franchise). So, strictly speaking, any use of the word
'merge' is not accurate. The old contracts died at expiry and this is a
completely new franchise contract covering a redefined area.

I just feel that it's important to clarify these points (not specifically to
you, Sam) as many people still get confused by the difference between the
franchise and the franchise operator and, as this is a general transport
newsgroup, rather than a specific railway newsgroup, there may be more
readers here that are unclear about the structure.

HTH