"Paul Corfield" wrote in message
...
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/press-cent...t.asp?prID=984

"Transport for London (TfL) has announced that MTR Laing and Go-Via have
been selected to submit a 'best and final offer' for the contract to run
London Overground services on the integrated North and East London
Railways, under the management of TfL."

Interesting choice - nice to see MTR are in the running. National
Express and Nedrailways are out.

This creates an interesting potential situation if Go-Via win this *and*
the West Midlands franchise as effectively the current Silverlink
operation (plus some bits) will have transferred from Nat Ex to Go-Via.

I rather hope MTR Laing get it as the MTR (in Hong Kong) is phenomenal
in terms of its reliability, lack of incidents and good asset
management. Laing are not without some credit as Chiltern seem to be
considered to be one of the better franchises. If MTR can deliver the
same sort of HK reliability on the Overground network then that will be
some achievement and might put Network Rail under a bit of pressure!

Go-Via are already running the services on the stretch that the extended ELL
will operate over - and the rather limited hourly service up the WLL to
Watford Junction... Could see some interesting through running if it was
eventually or ever allowed!

Agree its good to see MTR still in the mix, I think some of there earlier
involvement has been in the wrong type of franchise, ie longer distance,
when its metro type operations where their experience is.

Paul