The franchise was awarded to National Express on 7 February 1997, when it was agreed they would take over North London Railways Ltd, a shadow franchise created when the Network SouthEast sector of British Rail began to be prepared for privatisation on 1 April 1994. The franchise began on 3 March 1997 and was due to end on 15 October 2006, but on 11 August 2006 the DfT extended the franchise to finish on 11 November 2007.