Editing Thames Trains (section)

==History==
The Thames Trains franchise was awarded by the [[Director of Passenger Rail Franchising]] to Victory Rail Holdings,<ref>[http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/03147927 Companies House extract company no 3147927] Victory Rail Holdings Limited</ref> a company owned by [[Go-Ahead Group|Go-Ahead]] (65%) and some ex-[[British Rail]] managers (35%), with operations commencing on 13 October 1996.<ref>[http://www.go-ahead.com/~/media/Files/G/Go-Ahead/ir/presentations/archive_pres/1997pres/ar1997.pdf Go-Ahead annual report 1997] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123165216/http://go-ahead.com/~/media/Files/G/Go-Ahead/ir/presentations/archive_pres/1997pres/ar1997.pdf |date=23 November 2012 }} Go-Ahead Group plc 28 June 1997</ref> Go-Ahead bought the remaining shares it did not own in June 1998.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Go-Ahead Group buy out Thames Trains |magazine= [[Today's Railways UK|Entrain]] |issue=29 |date= 29 May 1998 |page=8}}</ref><ref>[http://www.go-ahead.com/~/media/Files/G/Go-Ahead/ir/presentations/archive_pres/1998pres/ar1998.pdf Go-Ahead annual report 1998] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123170200/http://go-ahead.com/~/media/Files/G/Go-Ahead/ir/presentations/archive_pres/1998pres/ar1998.pdf |date=23 November 2012 }} Go-Ahead Group plc 27 June 1998</ref>

The [[Ladbroke Grove rail crash]] of 5 October 1999 involved a Thames Trains [[British Rail Class 165|Class 165]], which had [[Signal passed at danger|failed to stop at a red signal]]. Thames Trains was fined £2 million for violations of health and safety law in connection with the incident, and was also ordered to pay £75,000 in costs.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |date=2004-04-05 |title=Thames Trains fined £2m for Paddington crash |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/apr/05/transport.ladbrokegrove |access-date= |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>