First Capital Connect

train operating company in the United Kingdom

First Capital Connect was a train company in England. It ran the Thameslink railway line between Brighton and Bedford and it ran services along the East Coast Main Line from King's Cross and Peterborough, Cambridge, and King's Lynn from 1 April 2006 to 13 September 2014.

First Capital Connect
Overview
Franchise(s)Thameslink Great Northern
1 Apr 2006 – 13 Sep 2014
Main region(s)East of England, London, South East England
Stations called atapprox. 129
Stations operated77
Route km operated778.9
National Rail abbreviationFC
Parent companyFirstGroup
Websitewww.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk
Route map
Route map

It was owned by First Group.

On 14 September 2014, the franchise was taken over by Govia Thameslink Railway, and it became part of the larger Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise.

Rolling stock

change

First Capital Connect took on a fleet of Class 319 units from Thameslink. It also took on a fleet of Class 313, 317 and 365 units from WAGN on the Great Northern routes.

Class Image Type Top speed Number Routes operated Built
mph km/h
Class 03   Diesel Locomotive 28 46 1 Shunting 1957–1961
Class 313   EMU 75 120 44 Inner suburban Great Northern
(Moorgate - Letchworth Garden City/Hertford North/Welwyn Garden City)
1976–1977
Class 317/1   100 160 12 Fast & Semi Fast Great Northern
London King's Cross to Peterborough & Cambridge
1981–1982
Class 317/7   2 Used to provide cover for Class 365 units undergoing refurbishment.
Withdrawn at end of franchise.
Class 319   84 Thameslink
(Brighton - Bedford, Sutton - Luton and Kentish Town - Sevenoaks)
1987–1988
1990
Class 321   13 Fast & Semi Fast Great Northern
London King's Cross to Peterborough & Cambridge
1989–1990
Class 365 Networker Express   40 Fast & Semi Fast Great Northern
London King's Cross to Peterborough & King's Lynn via Cambridge
1994–1995
Class 377/2 Electrostar   11 Thameslink
(Brighton - Bedford and peak services: Bedford - Ashford International/Rochester)
Class 377/2s sub-leased from Southern.
2003–2004
Class 377/5 Electrostar   23 2008–2009

Depots

change

First Capital Connect operated two depots:

References

change

Other websites

change

  Media related to First Capital Connect at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by
Thameslink
Thameslink franchise
Operator of Thameslink and Great Northern franchise
2006 – 2014
Succeeded by
Govia Thameslink Railway
Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise
Preceded by
West Anglia Great Northern
West Anglia Great Northern franchise