Go-Ahead joint venture announced as new operator of London's Elizabeth line
- Transport for London (TfL) awards new Elizabeth line operator contract to Go-Ahead joint venture with Tokyo Metro and Sumitomo Corporation
- The Elizabeth line is a high-frequency hybrid urban-suburban rail service and one of London’s most popular railways
- Joint venture GTS Rail Operations Limited will bring the best parts of London and Tokyo to the Elizabeth line
Transport for London (TfL) has awarded the new Elizabeth line operator contract to GTS Rail Operations Limited, a joint venture between Kinetic-owned Go-Ahead Group, Tokyo Metro and Sumitomo Corporation.
GTS Rail Operations Limited will commence the new seven-year contract in May 2025, taking over from existing operator, MTR Corporation (Crossrail) Limited, and will combine experience from Tokyo and London to optimise the current operation and prepare for future growth.
The Elizabeth line is the most significant addition to London's transport network in a generation and has quickly become one of London’s most popular railways, carrying more than 700,000 people a day.
It has transformed life and travel in London and the South East by reducing journey times, creating additional capacity, and improving accessibility across London's transport network.
It is a high-frequency hybrid urban-suburban rail service, with mostly underground and some above-ground sections.
Group CEO of the Go-Ahead Group, Miguel Parras, said Go-Ahead was proud to have been chosen to be TfL's partner, together with Sumitomo Corporation and Tokyo Metro, for the operation of the iconic Elizabeth line.
“We look forward to bringing our collective expertise across UK and international rail operations to London. Our objectives are aligned with TfL - to connect communities across London through safe, reliable, and sustainable public transport services, delivered to the highest level of customer satisfaction,” Mr Parras says.
The new contract with GTS Rail Operations Limited will enable TfL to build on the success of the Elizabeth line and ensure it continues to be a showcase for investment in public transport in London, across the country and around the world.
Chief Operating Officer of TfL, Claire Mann, said the Elizabeth line has had a transformational impact since opening in 2022 and has quickly become one of the most popular and reliable railways in the country.
“The railway has provided new, more direct journey options which has led to huge numbers of customers using our safe and accessible trains and stations,” Ms Mann says.
"I am delighted that we have appointed GTS Rail Operations to continue to build on the success of the Elizabeth line and I look forward to working with them."
Kinetic acquired UK-based Go-Ahead in 2022 as a joint venture with Spanish company Globalvia.
Go-Ahead operates rail and bus services across the UK, Ireland, Europe and Singapore. Through operation of the Govia Thameslink rail link, which is the largest and most complex rail system in the country, it is responsible for a third of all rail trips in the UK.
Go-Ahead also operates a quarter of London's buses, and regional bus services throughout the UK.
This story was originally published on Transport for London’s website.