BIDS to run Kent’s railway are now with the Government.

Four companies are in the running for the eight-year Integrated Kent Franchise and bids had to be with the Department for Transport by last weekend.

It is a complex bid, with operators having to launch high-speed domestic service on Hitachi bullet trains in 2009, as well as run commuter and longer-distance services.

Staff at Go-Ahead headquarters in Croydon celebrated as several yards of documents were taken to Whitehall as part of the joint bid by Govia and Keolis, a subsidiary of SNCF, the French railway operator. Govia runs the Southern and Thameslink franchises.

A team of 20 people, including commercial director Vince Lucas, from Kingswood, near Maidstone, worked on the bid full time for about four months.

Great South Eastern Railway, a partnership between GNER and MTR, the Hong Kong operator, has also put in a bid.

GNER’s chief executive, Christopher Garnett, who previously lived in Kent, said: "We want to create a strong sense of pride and community involvement on this important part of the rail network – 'a railway for everyone, every day'."

Other bids were submitted by Danish State Railways/Stagecoach, and First Group.

A decision is expected by the end of the year.