THE decision by the Department of Transport to award the South West Trains passenger franchise to First MTR South Western Trains Limited (First MTR?SWT) has sent shockwaves down the line, with Alton Line Users’ Association concerned over the loss of incumbent franchisee Stagecoach.

Instead, the responsibility of helping to run one of the biggest rail franchises in the UK has been handed over to a Hong Kong-based firm in a deal which promises to deliver £1.2bn of investment, with “better trains, more seats and quicker journeys” designed to improve the customer experience.

Having experienced a “stable service” over the past 20 years courtesy of Stagecoach, Alton Line Users’ Association is hoping that the new arrangement will not put the needs of the more lucrative lines above the Alton spur line which, for the past 13 years, has been pressing for the reinstatement of a faster, more efficient service.

It came as a surprise on Monday when the Government revealed that as from August 20 the South Western rail network will be run, for the next seven years, not by Stagecoach but by FirstGroup in partnership with MTR, a Chinese company which runs the Hong Kong Metro service, who will hold a 30 per cent share.

In a statement, FirstGroup said its pledge was to deliver “faster and more frequent services” by boosting peak seating provision and providing a new and increased fleet of 90 trains by December 2020 and cutting mainline journey times and providing more Sunday services to match weekday off-peak on most routes from December 2018.

In addition, there is the promise of a new customer app with mobile ticketing, better wi-fi speed and coverage, £90m in station investment, and at least 1,500 new car parking spaces.

The South Western network is one of the largest in the UK, encompassing routes connecting London Waterloo with Portsmouth, Weymouth, Exeter and Bristol. While at the end of a spur line, the fear is locally that the Alton line will remain the “poor relation” to the more lucrative Southampton and Portsmouth lines.

Speaking on behalf of Alton Line Users’ Association, commuter and town councillor Graham Titterington said: “The change in the franchise is quite a shock to the rail system as the Stagecoach tenure at South West Trains is the only franchise that has lasted since rail privatisation started. Commuters will have mixed feelings as they have had plenty to complain about over the last 20 years, but Stagecoach has provided a stable service while handling a massive increase in usage.

“Many of the changes have been due to government policy or wider economic developments and so are likely to continue, whoever is in charge.”

Mr Titterington believes Alton line users will be particularly interested in two elements of the First MTR SWT announcement, namely the introduction of a regular Farnham to Guildford service (which might one day be extended to Alton) and the promise to improve Sunday services.

Mr Titterington continued: “More worrying is the track record of some First Group franchises such as Great Western and the threat of a government-inspired directive to remove guards from trains as a condition of the new franchise.

“Passengers will also be looking for a simplification of the over-complicated fares system, made worse by the recent restrictions on weekend travel using day-return tickets.”

In a letter to East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds, Department of Transport Under Secretary of State Paul Maynard made it clear that the Government is determined to “transform the way that the railway works to deliver a revolution in services for passengers”, to be achieved through “a new era of joined-up working between train operators and Network Rail”.

As a step toward this vision, First MTR SWT Ltd is planning to work alongside Network Rail to “drive higher performance, achieve greater productivity in operations, improve maintenance delivery and infrastructure renewals, and support infrastructure improvement delivery, all for the benefit of passengers across the South Western network”.

Mr Hinds said: “This shows the franchising system at work. There would be no point in having competitive tendering if the incumbent always won. For thousands of East Hampshire residents the commute is a big part of daily life and the quality of the service is vital.

“We have already had steps to increase capacity, particularly at Waterloo, and we are entering a new phase of possibilities on ticketing. With the new franchisee, I welcome the focus again on capacity, reliability and connectivity, and MTR should bring some new expertise. As Hampshire MPs, we will be in close touch with First MTR to discuss their plans.”

“Disappointed” over the loss of the franchise, Stagecoach Group chief executive Martin Griffiths said: “Over the past two decades we have delivered real improvements for our customers right across the network. That success has been built on fantastic people, detailed knowledge of the business and strong relationships with our stakeholders and railway partners. But we have never thought our job was finished.

“We believe we submitted a strong bid for the new South Western franchise. It offered a transformation in the travel experience for our customers, more investment to help the railway support the communities and economy of the south-west, as well as a substantial and deliverable financial benefit to taxpayers to help fund better public services.

“We will be seeking detailed feedback from the Department for Transport on the various elements of our bid.”