If First, as rumoured, are getting a 5 year extension on FGW, then is it highly unlikely that the government is going to awrd two mainline contracts to the same company. Think they will dodge a bullet if they avoid East Coast.
Be careful what you wish for. East Coast was what caused Nat Exs problems, let not forget that Sea Containers handed the contract back as well. With new trains due for EC in the next few years, the cost of hiring the roling stock will increase sharply. I would be hoping First keep TPE and FGW ahead of winning EC.
Labour are showing themselves up for what they really are here. they campaigned against Scottish Independence, which would have allowed re-nationlaistion of scotrail. Now, after lying and tricking Scottish people inot voting NO, they are trying to make political capital out of devolved powers that may never come to pass.
A good decision for the Scottish travelling public. Whilst First operated the Scotrail franchise very well, they had to lose it as their bus operations in Glasgow and Central Scotland have been terrible. Ageing bus fleets, dirty buses, reduced timetables and until very recently rising fares. Perhaps now they no longer have an incentive to shunt bus passengers onto the trains, they will get back to operating a decent bus service in Scotland. With regard to fleet replacement, nothing impressive about it. they are buying cheap and cheerful single deckers as they can`t affors to replace double deckers where they are needed. This company still holds TPE, and FGW, so the idea that they must win one of these to keep them as a rail operator is nonsense. The sad facts are that the birds are coming home to roost for First Group. At what point they decide to change what has until now cclearly been a disastrous policy one can only tell, but you wonder how long the board will retain large shareholder defeat when bad news follows bad news.