The Hong Kong state-owned metro operator MTR and FirstGroup are to take over the running of South West Trains, one of the Britain’s biggest commuter networks, in a seven-year deal that trade unions denounced for handing another franchise to a state-owned foreign operator. Grand National day rail strikes expected to cause severe disruption Read moreFirst MTR will take over from Stagecoach, which has operated the South West Trains franchise since the UK rail network was privatised in 1996. It also includes a fleet of 90 new trains, refurbished existing trains, faster journeys across the network and more Sunday services. Its group chief executive, Martin Griffiths, said: “We are proud to have operated the network under the South West Trains brand for more than 20 years.”The South West Trains network includes commuter services out of Waterloo to the south-west London suburbs and longer distance trains to destinations including Southampton, Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Exeter. It has expanded from its origins running the Hong Kong rail network and is involved in operating metro services in Stockholm and Melbourne.

Source: The Guardian March 27, 2017 06:49 UTC