View source for First Capital Connect

{{Infobox rail company
|name=First Capital Connect
|logo = 
|image = 377514 at St Pancras International Platform 1.jpg
|image_size=300px
|franchise = [[Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern|Thameslink Great Northern]]<br />1 Apr 2006 – 13 Sep 2014
|abbr=FC
|regions = [[East of England]], London, [[South East England]]
|secregions = 
|stations=approx. 129
|stationsop= 77
|routekm= 778.9
|parent_company=[[FirstGroup]]
|website= www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk
|map = [[File:First Capital Connect route map 2010.svg|300px|Route map]]
}}
'''First Capital Connect''' was a train company in [[England]]. It ran the [[Thameslink]] railway line between [[Brighton]] and [[Bedford]] and it ran services along the [[East Coast Main Line]] from [[London King's Cross railway station|King's Cross]] and [[Peterborough]], [[Cambridge]], and [[King's Lynn]] from [[1 April]] [[2006]] to 13 September 2014.

It was owned by [[First Group]].

On 14 September 2014, the franchise was taken over by [[Govia Thameslink Railway]], and it became part of the larger [[Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise.]]
== Rolling stock ==
First Capital Connect took on a fleet of Class 319 units from [[Thameslink (train operating company 1997–2006)|Thameslink]]. It also took on a fleet of Class 313, 317 and 365 units from WAGN on the Great Northern routes.

{| class="wikitable"
|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9
! rowspan="2" |Class
! rowspan="2" |Image
! rowspan="2" |Type
! colspan="2" |Top speed
! rowspan="2" |Number
! rowspan="2" |Routes operated
! rowspan="2" |Built
|----- bgcolor=#f9f9f9
!mph
!km/h
|-
|[[British Rail Class 03|Class 03]]
|[[File:FCC 03179 at NVR.jpg|100px]]
|[[diesel locomotive|Diesel Locomotive]]
|28
|46
|1
|Shunting
|1957–1961
|-
|[[British Rail Class 313|Class 313]]
|[[File:Ready to depart, the 12.54 to Moorgate from Hitchin. - panoramio.jpg|100px]]
|rowspan="8" |[[Electric multiple unit|EMU]]
|75
|120
|44
|Inner suburban [[Great Northern route|Great Northern]]<br />([[Moorgate station|Moorgate]] - {{rws|Letchworth Garden City}}/{{rws|Hertford North}}/{{rws|Welwyn Garden City}})
|1976–1977
|-
|[[British Rail Class 317|Class 317/1]]
|[[File:317342 AND 317340 Peterborough.JPG|100px]]
| rowspan="7" |100
| rowspan="7" |160
|12
|Fast & Semi Fast [[Great Northern route|Great Northern]]<br />[[London King's Cross railway station|London King's Cross]] to [[Peterborough railway station|Peterborough]] & [[Cambridge railway station|Cambridge]]
| rowspan="2" |1981–1982
|-
|[[British Rail Class 317|Class 317/7]]
|[[File:317719_NatEx_East_Anglia_LST.JPG|100px]]
|2
|Used to provide cover for [[British Rail Class 365|Class 365]] units undergoing refurbishment.<br>Withdrawn at end of franchise.
|-
|[[British Rail Class 319|Class 319]]
|[[File:Blackfriars station MMB 09 319378.jpg|100px]]
|84
|[[Thameslink]]<br />([[Brighton station|Brighton]] - [[Bedford railway station|Bedford]], [[Sutton railway station (London)|Sutton]] - [[Luton railway station|Luton]] and [[Kentish Town station|Kentish Town]] - [[Sevenoaks railway station|Sevenoaks]])
|1987–1988 <br> 1990
|-
|[[British Rail Class 321|Class 321]]
|[[File:Peterborough railway station MMB 02 321404.jpg|100px]]
|13
|Fast & Semi Fast [[Great Northern route|Great Northern]]<br />[[London King's Cross railway station|London King's Cross]] to [[Peterborough railway station|Peterborough]] & [[Cambridge railway station|Cambridge]]
|1989–1990
|-
|[[British Rail Class 365|Class 365 ''Networker Express'']]
|[[File:Class 365 8-car unit at Ely.JPG|100px]]
|40
|Fast & Semi Fast [[Great Northern route|Great Northern]]<br />[[London King's Cross railway station|London King's Cross]] to [[Peterborough railway station|Peterborough]] & [[King's Lynn railway station|King's Lynn]] via [[Cambridge railway station|Cambridge]]
|1994–1995
|-
|[[British Rail Class 377|Class 377/2 ''Electrostar'']]
|[[File:Harrow and Wealdstone station MMB 14 377213.jpg|100px]]
|11
|rowspan=2|[[Thameslink]]<br />([[Brighton railway station|Brighton]] - [[Bedford railway station|Bedford]] and peak services: [[Bedford railway station|Bedford]] - [[Ashford International railway station|Ashford International]]/[[Rochester railway station|Rochester]]) <br>Class 377/2s sub-leased from [[Southern (Govia Thameslink Railway)|Southern]].
|2003–2004
|-
|[[British Rail Class 377|Class 377/5 ''Electrostar'']]
|[[File:377519 at Bedford.jpg|100px]]
|23
|2008–2009
|}
== Depots ==
First Capital Connect operated two depots:
*[[Bedford Cauldwell depot|Bedford Cauldwell]] - code BF
*[[Hornsey Electric Multiple Unit Depot|Hornsey]] - code HE

== First Capital Connect Media ==
<gallery widths='160px' heights='100%' mode='traditional' caption=''>
File:313059 D Welwyn Garden City.JPG|[[British Rail Class 313|313]] at [[Welwyn Garden City railway station|Welwyn Garden City]]

File:313044 M Refreshed Interior.JPG|Refreshed interior of a [[British Rail Class 313|Class 313]]

File:319369 319368 A St Albans.JPG|[[British Rail Class 319|319s]] at [[St Albans City railway station|St Albans]]

File:319363 TSO Internal.JPG|Refreshed interior of a [[British Rail Class 319|Class 319]]

File:V F CC 321404 A Hornsey TMD.JPG|Refreshed [[British Rail Class 321|Class 321]] at [[Hornsey rolling stock depots|Hornsey TMD]]

File:V F CC 321404 TSO Internal.JPG|Refreshed Standard Class interior of a [[British Rail Class 321|Class 321]]

File:365501 B Peterborough.JPG|[[British Rail Class 365|Class 365]] at [[Peterborough railway station|Peterborough]]
</gallery>
== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
== Other websites ==
{{Commons category-inline|First Capital Connect}}
* {{official website}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-bef|before='''[[Thameslink (train operating company 1997–2006)|Thameslink]]'''<br /><small>Thameslink franchise</small>}}
{{S-ttl|rows=2|title=Operator of Thameslink and Great Northern franchise
|years=2006 – 2014}}
{{S-aft|after='''[[Govia Thameslink Railway]]'''<br><small>[[Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern|Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise]]</small>|rows=2}}
|-
{{S-bef|before='''[[West Anglia Great Northern]]'''<br /><small>West Anglia Great Northern franchise</small>}}
{{end}}

{{UK TOCs|defunct|state=collapsed}}
{{Great Northern Route}}
{{Current UK TOCs}}

{{transport-stub}}

[[Category:Defunct railway companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:2006 establishments in England]]
[[Category:2014 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]]