Deutsche Bahn or NedRail for Chiltern.

[Metroland]

TWO European rail giants are vying to take over Chiltern Railways, the train company that runs commuter and long-distance services from London’s Marylebone station.

Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national rail company, and NedRail, its Dutch equivalent, are the sole remaining bidders for the UK group. A winner is likely to be announced before Christmas.

Chiltern has been put up for sale by funds controlled by Henderson, the fund-management company. Henderson acquired Chiltern last year when it bought Laing, Chiltern’s parent company, for £950m. KPMG is running the auction.

Chiltern, unusually for a train company, also operates its terminus station, Marylebone, and runs north and west along the M40 corridor from London as far as Birmingham.

Awarded the franchise in 1996 on the break-up of British Rail, it is regarded as one of the successes of rail privatisation. It has earned a good reputation for customer service and invested in extra rail lines to increase capacity.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article3021314.ece

 

[Callufrax]

Whoever wins, I wonder if it'll mean re-branding. And, if so, I wonder what DB or NS would re-brand it to.

 

[Metroland]

More white trains? Seems to be in vogue...

 

[33056]

More white trains? Seems to be in vogue...

Only ICE trainsets and IC coaches are white in Germany. All locos and regional stock are red, the stock having white doors, like this .

There again, if NS get the franchise, perhaps the trains will be yellow !

 

[Callufrax]

To be honest, I think I'd prefer the red.

 

[djw1981]

Would this also include the chiltern stake in WSMR?

 

[clagmonster]

Don't NedRail operate the Northern franchise? In which case, they have marketed it as a completely seperate company, with no similar livery or any other obvious link to the Dutch operation.

 

[rail-britain]

The Northern Rail franchise is operated by a partnership of Serco and NedRail
The note of interest to the DfT would solely be from NedRail
Nothing from the DfT yet though

 

[AlexS]

I would hazard a guess, that given that 'Chiltern Railways' isn't one of the more normal ilk like 'First Great Western' and corporate, and that given it has pretty much the best remaining reputation on the UK network for an existing company, it will remain Chiltern Railways whatever happens!