With effect from 1 April 2004, the now-defunct Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) transferred the franchise for these services to First Group, which also held the Great Western franchise (branding it as First Great Western) running long-distance services from Paddington station. First rebranded the franchise as First Great Western Link, which ran for two years. Both franchises were merged into the Greater Western franchise on 1 April 2006, in accordance with the SRA policy of having only one company running train services into any one London terminus. The new franchise, which also incorporates the former Wessex Trains franchise running regional services in the South-West of England, was also awarded to First Group, which runs it as First Great Western.