Anglian railway franchise starts 1.5m agency hunt

Rail company West Anglia Great Northern (WAGN) is poised to appoint an advertising agency to handle its 1.5m account.

Three agencies, Mustoe Merriman Herring Levy, Carlson, and HDM Linx, are understood to have pitched for the business.

A spokeswoman for the company says WAGN wishes to forge a long-term relationship with a single agency.

WAGN is likely to benefit from British Airways’ decision to run its low-cost airline, Go, out of Stansted airport. The company runs two trains an hour from London’s Liverpool Street station to the airport – a route which is already seen as a strong performer. This frequency may increase if the new BA service proves popular.

WAGN also operates services in the Anglia region to Peterborough, Enfield, Cambridge and Kings Lynn.

The franchise is part of AIM-quoted Prism Rail, which floated three years ago and is one of the country’s largest new private train operators. Prism also operates two Welsh franchises, Cardiff Railways and South Wales & West.

WAGN’s commercial director Mark Powles was unavailable for comment.