History
The 2004 takeover
How the withdrawal of National Express led to one operator running Melbourne’s suburban trains.
December 2002 · A franchise withdrawal
National Express withdrew from its three Victorian franchises. Receivers and managers operated the affected businesses while the government negotiated interim arrangements and reassessed the franchise structure.
April 2004 · One train franchise
The state negotiated directly with Connex for the consolidated metropolitan train franchise. Connex began operating the combined suburban network on 18 April. The change brought two fleets, two operating histories and two sets of maintenance arrangements into the same business.
The work behind the change of name
Train compatibility had a practical effect on where fleets could run. The independently refurbished Comeng fleets needed further work to operate together. M>Train’s Siemens sets entered the Connex fleet through the takeover, while X’Trapolis trains had already been introduced under Connex.
Compare the before-and-after route table and the fleet guide.
Sources and further reading
- Victorian Auditor-General · Franchising Melbourne’s Train and Tram System (2005)
- Victorian Auditor-General · Maintaining Victoria’s Rail Infrastructure Assets (2007)
- Essential Services Commission · Metropolitan rail access documentation (2009)
- Connex Melbourne · fleet and operating chronology (secondary reference)