FCP were lead advisers to Arriva in winning the new Cross Country franchise about which Tom Harris, Minister of State said: “We have secured an excellent deal with Arriva. Not only are they delivering an even bigger increase in capacity than we asked for, they are doing it a year earlier than expected.”

Franchise Bids and Mobilisation

FCP has extensive experience in leading as well as supporting bids for rail concessions and franchises in the UK and the European Union. Our strength is our multi-functional expertise in running train operating companies and understanding their dynamics in every facet of their activities. In addition to providing functional experts we are also able to deploy project and programme managers to direct these always complex, time and cost critical bids to a successful conclusion.

Since 2004 FCP has project and programme managed five major bids for passenger train operating franchises and been significantly involved in supporting bids for two others. In addition we have been instrumental in developing mobilisation plans in respect of those bids and implementing them where bids were successful.

First Class Partnerships provides strategic, commercial, operations, engineering and infrastructure rail consultancy and advice to leading rail companies, investors in rail, governments and regulators around the globe.