Editing Thameslink (section)

===Franchise owners===
As of the early 1990s [[privatisation of British Rail]], Thameslink was franchised to [[Thameslink (train operating company 1997–2006)|Thameslink]], a subsidiary of [[Govia]].

By late 1998, more than 28,000 passengers were carried at morning peak times.<ref>{{cite press release|url = http://nds.coi.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=181549&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False|publisher=[[Strategic Rail Authority]]|date = 29 March 1999|access-date = 17 June 2008|title = Sustained Passenger Growth in London}}{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

From 1 April 2006, the franchise was taken over by [[First Capital Connect]] along with some services that had been operated by [[West Anglia Great Northern|WAGN]].<ref>{{cite press release |url= http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=181549&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False |title=Department for Transport Announces Winner of Thameslink/GN Franchise |publisher=Department for Transport |date=13 December 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070310142714/http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=181549&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False |archive-date=10 March 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= FirstGroup wins rail franchises |date= 13 December 2005 |work= BBC News |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4523592.stm |access-date= 13 November 2024}}</ref> The branding of most trains, stations, and signs was changed to match the name of the new company, but [[City Thameslink railway station|City Thameslink]] and [[West Hampstead Thameslink railway station|West Hampstead Thameslink]] were not renamed as ''Thameslink'' referred to the route.{{efn|[[King's Cross Thameslink railway station|King's Cross Thameslink]] kept the Thameslink suffix until it closed on 8 December 2007.}} After criticism of the loss of the apt name for this group of routes,<ref>{{cite web|title=Letter from TfL to FCC|url=http://uk.transport.london.narkive.com/9fxPexxo/letter-from-tfl-to-fcc|url-status=dead|website=Narkive.com|access-date=12 February 2015|archive-date=12 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212084126/http://uk.transport.london.narkive.com/9fxPexxo/letter-from-tfl-to-fcc}}</ref> First Capital Connect's publicity began calling this set of services its "Thameslink route" to distinguish it from the former WAGN services.

On 14 September 2014, Govia Thameslink Railway took over operations from [[First Capital Connect]].<ref name="DFT20140523">{{cite press release |publisher= Department for Transport |url= https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-rail-franchising-deal-set-to-transform-passenger-services-across-london-and-south-east |title=New rail franchising deal set to transform passenger services across London and south east |date=23 May 2014 |access-date=11 June 2015}}</ref>