Date: 25/09/2013

After years of the Germans running our trains, a British company has won a deal to run theirs. National Express will sign the 15-year deal worth £1.35 billion (1.6 billion Euros) in Wuppertahl’s conference centre today. The company’s task will be to make the trains run on time in North Rhine Westphalia which is home to 18 million people. However the recent experience of German train passengers suggests that the competition from the native state-owned company may not be too fierce. Deutsche Bahn’s reputation for clockwork-style efficiency took a fierce battering a month ago, when services in Mainz went into a spectacular meltdown.

External links

National Express wins contract to run German trains

Telegraph

After years of the Germans running our trains, a British company has won a deal to run theirs.

Related images

A National Express class 156 passes over the River Bure at Wroxham on 17 April 2010 with a service for Sheringham.
Location: Hoveton and Wroxham
Company: East Norfolk Railway
17/04/2010 Ian Dinmore

The rear end of a National Express East Coast HST preparing to depart from York on 22 April 2009 on an Aberdeen - London Kings Cross working.
Location: York
Company: York and North Midland Railway
22/04/2009 John Furnevel

When National Express first had the ScotRail franchise after privatisation its colours were red blue and gold. It was never adopted as a livery though there was a trial on one ageing unit, 101 692 [see image 18845]. The colours were later changed to purple, dark green and sienna (or was it ochre?) which this time was taken up as a livery. Around 2002, unit 150 262 pulls into the up platform at Markinch after reversing at the north crossover for its return to Edinburgh.
Location: Markinch
Company: Edinburgh and Northern Railway
//2002 David Panton