GB Railways

File:Stowmarket_Station_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1663881.jpg 86230 at Stowmarket with a Liverpool Street bound service]]

File:Indian_Pacific_Locomotive._Cook._SA.jpg at Cook, South Australia]]

File:Hull_Trains_170.jpg 170393 at Hull]]

File:66706-KingsCross20040928.JPG 66706 at London King's Cross]]

GB Railways was formed in October 1996 by entrepreneurs with diverse backgrounds initially to bid for rail franchises in the United Kingdom during the privatisation of British Rail. After being awarded the Anglia franchise in 1996,{{citation|url=http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/pgr-rail-passenger-franchises-historicaldata-pdf/report.pdf |at=Section 3.1.1, "Anglia", p.24 |title=Rail Franchising Policy: Analysis of Historic Data |date=10 January 2010 |publisher=Department of Transport |author=KPMG LLP |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327003551/http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/pgr-rail-passenger-franchises-historicaldata-pdf/report.pdf |archivedate=27 March 2014}}{{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=YBFvP6h8wr8C| title = British rail, 1974–97: from integration to privatisation| first=Terence Richard |last=Gourvish| publisher =Oxford University Press| year = 2002| isbn = 9780199250059|at = p.517, Appendix L, Table L.2 "Franchised passenger services 1996-7"}}{{citation| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Mx3Uxc3HWUQC| title = European Conference of Ministers of Transport : Competitive tendering of rail services | publisher = OECD Publishing| year= 2007| isbn = 9789282101636 | at=p.11, Table 1, "Rail Franchises – First Round"}}{{citation| url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=883174| archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118152646/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=883174| url-status=dead| archive-date=18 January 2013|title=GB Railways Group plc|publisher=Bloomberg LP|work=investing.businessweek.com}} GB Railways was listed on the Alternative Investment Market in January 1997.{{citation|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/debut-by-gb-rail-nets-founders-pounds-2m-paper-profit-profit-1282071.html|title=Debut by GB Rail nets founders pounds 2m paper profit|date=7 January 1997|work=The Independent|first=Patrick|last=Tooher}}

In October 1997 as part of the Great Southern Railway Consortium with Legal & General, Macquarie Bank, RailAmerica, G13 Pty Ltd[http://www.g13.com.au/index.html G13 Pty Ltd] and Serco, it acquired the interstate passenger services of Australian National Railways, which were operated as Great Southern Rail.{{citation|url=http://www.serco.com/Images/311097GSRacquiresRailwayBusiness_tcm3-673.pdf |title=Great Southern Railway Consortium completes acquisition of Australian National Railways Passenger Business |publisher=Serco Group |date=31 October 1997 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410044645/http://www.serco.com/Images/311097GSRacquiresRailwayBusiness_tcm3-673.pdf |archivedate=10 April 2011 }} In 1998 GB Railways, as part of the Inter Capital Express consortium, was shortlisted for a high-speed rail service from Sydney to Canberra."Riding the Big Ticket" Railway Digest (Australian Rail Historical Society) August 1998 Page 18 In September 2000 GB Railways, as part of the Western Freight consortium with AMEC Engineering, lodged a bid for the Westrail freight business in Western Australia.[http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/westrail-bids-shortlisted.html Westrail bids shortlisted] Railway Gazette International 1 September 2000"Short List Announced for Westrail Freight Sale" Railway Digest (Australian Rail Historical Society) September 2000 Page 5

In October 1999 the company announced the sale of its 19.7% share in Great Southern Rail to Serco.{{citation|url=https://www.investegate.co.uk/article.aspx?id=200006081153279276L|title=GB Railways Grp PLC Final Results|publisher=GB Railways Group plc|date=8 June 2000|work=investigate.co.uk}}

In September 2000 GB Railways launched Hull Trains (with an 80% shareholding), an open access InterCity rail operator running trains between Hull and London King's Cross.{{citation| url = http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/right-track-years-launch/story-11971281-detail/story.html| archive-url = https://archive.today/20120913073039/http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/right-track-years-launch/story-11971281-detail/story.html| url-status = dead| archive-date = 13 September 2012| title = Still on the right track ten years after launch| date = 6 October 2010| work = This is Hull and East Riding}}

In November 2000 GB Railways acquired an interest in the Estonian passenger rail operator Edelaraudtee through Estonian subsidiary GB Railways Eesti AS, for 10million Kroon ($540,000), with investment and stock increase deals over five years as part of the agreement.{{citation| url = http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/3487/| title = Passenger transportation projects rejected| first= Aleksei|last= Gunter| date = 30 November 2000| work = The Baltic Times}}{{citation| url = http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/edelaraudtee-sold-to-gb.html| title = Edelaraudtee sold to GB| date = 1 January 2001| work = railwaygazette.com| publisher = Railway Gazette International}}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} GB Railways owned 20% of the shares, with the majority owners being Edelaraudtee chairman Henn Ruubel and lawyer Marcel Vichmann.{{citation|url = http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/5306/| title = Rail deal unveils shady investors| date = 9 August 2001| work = The Baltic Times}}{{citation|url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQQ/is_10_41/ai_80898144/| journal = International Railway Journal| date = October 2001| title =Estonia Passenger Services Restored – World Report}}{{citation| url = https://www.epl.ee/news/eesti/article.php?id=50806908| title = Vichmann ja Ruubel said Edelaraudtee põhilisteks omanikeks| language = Estonian| work = epl.ee| date = 2 August 2001}} In 2002 GB Railways investment in the company was only £70,000 – it provided management to the company on a fee basis.[http://www.grandavenue.plus.com/MyWeb/Home_files/GBR%20Annual%20Report%202002.pdf Annual Report 2002] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110112064158/http://www.grandavenue.plus.com/MyWeb/Home_files/GBR%20Annual%20Report%202002.pdf |date=12 January 2011 }} GB Railways plc 31 March 2002

GB Railways launched freight train operating company GB Railfreight in March 2001.{{citation| url = http://www.railfuture.org.uk/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=712| title = New rail freight player| date =31 March 2001| work = railfuture.org.uk|publisher=Railfuture}}

In 2001 the company was rumoured to be in takeover talks with potential suitors. The company's services were badly affected by the speed restrictions imposed on all train operators by Railtrack after the Hatfield rail crash,{{citation|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=vCJniku2eJMC| title = Off the rails: Britain's great rail crisis : cause, consequences and cure| first= Andrew |last=Murray| publisher = Verso|year = 2001 | isbn = 9781859846407| at = "Companies in trouble", pp.124–125}} and was making a net loss despite receiving an increased subsidy from the Strategic Rail Authority.{{citation| url =https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2758028/Hatfield-hit-GB-rail-gets-23m-hand-out.html| work = The Telegraph|title = Hatfield-hit GB rail gets £23m hand-out|first= Sophie |last=Barker| date = 28 March 2002}}{{citation| url =https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2765713/GB-Railways-halts-bid-talks.html | work = The Telegraph|title = GB Railways halts bid talks| first= Alistair|last= Osborne| date = 19 June 2002}}

In 2002 a consortium of GNER and Freightliner attempted to acquire the company, valuing it at around £1 per share, or £8.75 million; GNER sought the passenger trains operations, whilst Freightliner sought the GB Railfreight subsidiary. The offer was rejected without discussion and the companies ceased the acquisition attempt.{{citation| url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2773863/Spurned-GB-Rail-bidder-applies-the-brakes.html| title = Spurned GB Rail bidder applies the brakes| first = Alistair |last=Osborne| date =19 September 2002| work = The Telegraph}}{{citation|url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-1164766-freightliner-bid-shunted-away-by-gb.do |title=Freightliner bid shunted away by GB |date=18 September 2002 |work=This is London }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In July 2003 FirstGroup made a successful takeover offer for GB Railways, offering £2.50 per share offer. There was a further deferred consideration of £2.00 if the Greater Anglia franchise was won and £0.50 if either the Northern Rail or Wales & Borders franchises were won,{{citation| url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2857889/First-Group-bids-500p-a-share-for-GB-Railways.html| title = First Group bids 500p a share for GB Railways| first = Alistair |last=Osborne| date = 17 July 2003| work = The Telegraph}}[https://archive.today/20130123020057/http://www.firstgroup.com/latest_news/?id=003521 Recommended cash offer for GB Railways Group plc] FirstGroup plc 16 July 2003 however none of these franchise bids were successful.[https://web.archive.org/web/20040104233341/http://www.sra.gov.uk/news/20031222_greater_anglia_preferred_bidder.tt2 National Express Group Announced as Preferred Bidder for new Greater Anglia franchise] Strategic Rail Authority 22 December 2003[https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090826025205/http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/releases/sra/2004/2004b/onedrailwaysannouncedasp1487.pdf Serco-NedRailways Announced as Preferred Bidder for new Northern Rail Franchise] Strategic Rail Authority 1 July 2004[https://www.investegate.co.uk/article.aspx?id=200308010700462243O SRA Announces Preferred Bidder for New Integrated Wales Franchise] Strategic Rail Authority 1 August 2003 Wales & Borders

Hull Trains continued as a subsidiary of FirstGroup, being rebranded First Hull Trains in 2008. FirstGroup sold GB Railfreight to Eurotunnel in June 2010.{{citation| url =http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e92d984c-6d15-11df-921a-00144feab49a.html| work = FT| publisher = Pearson plc|title = Eurotunnel in £30m Deal for GB Railfreight|first= Robert |last=Wright| date = 1 June 2010}}

{{clear}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{UK TOCs|defunct|state=collapsed}}

Category:Companies formerly listed on the Alternative Investment Market

Category:Defunct train operating companies in the United Kingdom

Category:Railway companies established in 1996

Category:Railway companies disestablished in 2003

Category:1996 establishments in England

Category:2003 disestablishments in England

Category:2003 mergers and acquisitions

Category:British companies disestablished in 2003

Category:British companies established in 1996

Category:FirstGroup railway companies