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Post by george on May 21, 2019 22:32:04 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2019 15:24:12 GMT
Very interesting. We could see First joining Arriva in departing from the UK transport market. |
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Post by george on May 24, 2019 15:49:11 GMT
Very interesting. We could see First joining Arriva in departing from the UK transport market. By the looks of things is just trains. Would be strange if they pulled out of the UK market altogether since their HQ is in Scotland. |
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Post by ServerKing on May 24, 2019 17:26:39 GMT
Very interesting. We could see First joining Arriva in departing from the UK transport market. By the looks of things is just trains. Would be strange if they pulled out of the UK market altogether since their HQ is in Scotland. I wonder if the Government is making the rail market so unpalatable in order to slowly re-nationalise it, beating Labour's manifesto under Corbyn. I can't see them letting a Chinese state railway run our operations, epecially under a more 'patriotic' PM who may prefer to see it in the hands of a UK operator (DfT may have to back down over Stagecoach & Arriva then)... as franchises run out, we could see more 'directly operated railways' dealing to a BRINO (British Rail in Name Only  ) and perhaps a return to the BR brand (or National Rail)  |
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Post by snoggle on May 24, 2019 19:04:40 GMT
I wonder if the Government is making the rail market so unpalatable in order to slowly re-nationalise it, beating Labour's manifesto under Corbyn. I can't see them letting a Chinese state railway run our operations, epecially under a more 'patriotic' PM who may prefer to see it in the hands of a UK operator (DfT may have to back down over Stagecoach & Arriva then)... as franchises run out, we could see more 'directly operated railways' dealing to a BRINO (British Rail in Name Only ) and perhaps a return to the BR brand (or National Rail) Chris Grayling is in charge is the first issue. He clearly thinks he's being clever in dumping pension fund risk on bidders but he's being inept. The other problem is that too many companies have overbid to retain work and the economy has faltered and will likely soon collapse. This will destroy the basis of multiple franchise plans all at the same time. Abellio are bleeding money on Scotrail and Greater Anglia. First have already made provisions on Trans Pennine. SWR is a basket case after years of reasonable performance under Stagecoach. Timetable and fleet plans on SWR are likely to go out of the window completely in about a year's time. I can completely understand why cold hearted venture capitalists based in the US would consider rail franchises to a disaster zone and would want to get out of that business. I'm not strongly pro nationalisation or pro private sector franchisees. I can see plusses and minusses with both. I do think the current structure and franchising approach has had its day but Grayling is not the person to come up with a viable alternative. There are more important issues on the railways like strategically planned long term investment, getting a more rationalised approach to rolling stock, pushing up operational performance, adding capacity where needed at sensible prices. |
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Post by ServerKing on May 24, 2019 19:23:24 GMT
I wonder if the Government is making the rail market so unpalatable in order to slowly re-nationalise it, beating Labour's manifesto under Corbyn. I can't see them letting a Chinese state railway run our operations, epecially under a more 'patriotic' PM who may prefer to see it in the hands of a UK operator (DfT may have to back down over Stagecoach & Arriva then)... as franchises run out, we could see more 'directly operated railways' dealing to a BRINO (British Rail in Name Only ) and perhaps a return to the BR brand (or National Rail) Chris Grayling is in charge is the first issue. He clearly thinks he's being clever in dumping pension fund risk on bidders but he's being inept. The other problem is that too many companies have overbid to retain work and the economy has faltered and will likely soon collapse. This will destroy the basis of multiple franchise plans all at the same time. Abellio are bleeding money on Scotrail and Greater Anglia. First have already made provisions on Trans Pennine. SWR is a basket case after years of reasonable performance under Stagecoach. Timetable and fleet plans on SWR are likely to go out of the window completely in about a year's time. I can completely understand why cold hearted venture capitalists based in the US would consider rail franchises to a disaster zone and would want to get out of that business. I'm not strongly pro nationalisation or pro private sector franchisees. I can see plusses and minusses with both. I do think the current structure and franchising approach has had its day but Grayling is not the person to come up with a viable alternative. There are more important issues on the railways like strategically planned long term investment, getting a more rationalised approach to rolling stock, pushing up operational performance, adding capacity where needed at sensible prices. I was watching something on YouTube regarding US's lack of real high speed lines, perhaps these US Capitalists are trying to find a useful rival to Amtrak, which hasn't been doing that great across the pond. Where the car is king, rail has not advanced with the top speed being 75mph ( there may be one 100mph line in California), so they may want First's expertise. A Brexiteer may make things more uncomfortable for the foreign firms, Abellio included, Scotrail is a big franchise, and Abellio is also tasked with removing 4 decades worth of train history from the GE when the 315s, 317s, 321's, and 90s go, and the FLIRTs come in. Hamstrung by more or less a two track line from Chelmsford to Norwich / Clacton / Ipswich, and in some places 1960s overhead wires, it's not easy. All of our railways need a shakeup, hopefully if Grayling is PM (in these crazy times anything can happen) we can get a better Transport Secretary... (chance for Theresa May here  ) We now enter a strange period where all the Tories fight for the top job like pigeons over a discarded bit of baguette on the floor... I see First have been retreating from the South West with their bus ops, and gifted Go Ahead a garage in Manchester so we will have to wait and see... |
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Post by busaholic on May 24, 2019 19:57:44 GMT
Chris Grayling is in charge is the first issue. He clearly thinks he's being clever in dumping pension fund risk on bidders but he's being inept. The other problem is that too many companies have overbid to retain work and the economy has faltered and will likely soon collapse. This will destroy the basis of multiple franchise plans all at the same time. Abellio are bleeding money on Scotrail and Greater Anglia. First have already made provisions on Trans Pennine. SWR is a basket case after years of reasonable performance under Stagecoach. Timetable and fleet plans on SWR are likely to go out of the window completely in about a year's time. I can completely understand why cold hearted venture capitalists based in the US would consider rail franchises to a disaster zone and would want to get out of that business. I'm not strongly pro nationalisation or pro private sector franchisees. I can see plusses and minusses with both. I do think the current structure and franchising approach has had its day but Grayling is not the person to come up with a viable alternative. There are more important issues on the railways like strategically planned long term investment, getting a more rationalised approach to rolling stock, pushing up operational performance, adding capacity where needed at sensible prices. I see First have been retreating from the South West with their bus ops, and gifted Go Ahead a garage in Manchester so we will have to wait and see... Actually, First have been consolidating their dominant operator position in the metro Bristol area, Somerset and Cornwall. They capitulated in Devon as soon as Stagecoach (North Devon) and Go-Ahead (Plymouth) established themselves, but in Bristol and Cornwall (with its unitary authority) they appear to have close relationships with the L.A.s and do actually make some money. I can't see First relinquishing those areas short of giving up bus ops altogether : oh, and by the way, First-owned GWR and South West Railway run virtually all the rail services too. |
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2019 20:29:25 GMT
By the looks of things is just trains. Would be strange if they pulled out of the UK market altogether since their HQ is in Scotland. I wonder if the Government is making the rail market so unpalatable in order to slowly re-nationalise it, beating Labour's manifesto under Corbyn. I can't see them letting a Chinese state railway run our operations, epecially under a more 'patriotic' PM who may prefer to see it in the hands of a UK operator (DfT may have to back down over Stagecoach & Arriva then)... as franchises run out, we could see more 'directly operated railways' dealing to a BRINO (British Rail in Name Only ) and perhaps a return to the BR brand (or National Rail) We know where Labour stand on all this. If a pro Brexit party wins out, I also expect a lurch towards a “let’s make the UK great again” symbolism. What better way than to have British Rail emblazoned on every train up and down the country ! |
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2019 20:30:52 GMT
I see First have been retreating from the South West with their bus ops, and gifted Go Ahead a garage in Manchester so we will have to wait and see... Actually, First have been consolidating their dominant operator position in the metro Bristol area, Somerset and Cornwall. They capitulated in Devon as soon as Stagecoach (North Devon) and Go-Ahead (Plymouth) established themselves, but in Bristol and Cornwall (with its unitary authority) they appear to have close relationships with the L.A.s and do actually make some money. I can't see First relinquishing those areas short of giving up bus ops altogether : oh, and by the way, First-owned GWR and South West Railway run virtually all the rail services too. Similar to the situation on the Sussex coast with Go Ahead running vast majority of buses as well as trains, |
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Post by YY13VKP on May 24, 2019 20:39:02 GMT
I see First have been retreating from the South West with their bus ops, and gifted Go Ahead a garage in Manchester so we will have to wait and see... Actually, First have been consolidating their dominant operator position in the metro Bristol area, Somerset and Cornwall. They capitulated in Devon as soon as Stagecoach (North Devon) and Go-Ahead (Plymouth) established themselves, but in Bristol and Cornwall (with its unitary authority) they appear to have close relationships with the L.A.s and do actually make some money. I can't see First relinquishing those areas short of giving up bus ops altogether : oh, and by the way, First-owned GWR and South West Railway run virtually all the rail services too. And TransPennine Express for that matter, which I must say they are doing a good job with in recent times considering that they were absolutely terrible back at the end of last year. First are also the dominant bus operator all over West Yorkshire, particularly around Huddersfield, Halifax, Bradford and Leeds so I really don't see them wanting to pull out of the UK Transport market anytime soon. |
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Post by YY13VKP on May 24, 2019 20:47:11 GMT
I wonder if the Government is making the rail market so unpalatable in order to slowly re-nationalise it, beating Labour's manifesto under Corbyn. I can't see them letting a Chinese state railway run our operations, epecially under a more 'patriotic' PM who may prefer to see it in the hands of a UK operator (DfT may have to back down over Stagecoach & Arriva then)... as franchises run out, we could see more 'directly operated railways' dealing to a BRINO (British Rail in Name Only ) and perhaps a return to the BR brand (or National Rail) Chris Grayling is in charge is the first issue. He clearly thinks he's being clever in dumping pension fund risk on bidders but he's being inept. The other problem is that too many companies have overbid to retain work and the economy has faltered and will likely soon collapse. This will destroy the basis of multiple franchise plans all at the same time. Abellio are bleeding money on Scotrail and Greater Anglia. First have already made provisions on Trans Pennine. SWR is a basket case after years of reasonable performance under Stagecoach. Timetable and fleet plans on SWR are likely to go out of the window completely in about a year's time. I'm just hoping now that Theresa May has resigned is that Chris Grayling is removed from his post as Transport Secretary by the new prime minister and is replaced by someone who can actually see sense and stop placing additional risks on train operators so that they'd end up failing |
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Post by busaholic on May 24, 2019 21:23:21 GMT
Chris Grayling is in charge is the first issue. He clearly thinks he's being clever in dumping pension fund risk on bidders but he's being inept. The other problem is that too many companies have overbid to retain work and the economy has faltered and will likely soon collapse. This will destroy the basis of multiple franchise plans all at the same time. Abellio are bleeding money on Scotrail and Greater Anglia. First have already made provisions on Trans Pennine. SWR is a basket case after years of reasonable performance under Stagecoach. Timetable and fleet plans on SWR are likely to go out of the window completely in about a year's time. I'm just hoping now that Theresa May has resigned is that Chris Grayling is removed from his post as Transport Secretary by the new prime minister and is replaced by someone who can actually see sense and stop placing additional risks on train operators so that they'd end up failing Grayling will be first on the list for removal by whoever becomes P.M. Theresa May's personal patronage was all that kept him in post, I suppose on the basis of ''if you think I'm doing a rotten job, just look at that idiot over there.'' |
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Post by vjaska on May 25, 2019 1:10:54 GMT
I'm just hoping now that Theresa May has resigned is that Chris Grayling is removed from his post as Transport Secretary by the new prime minister and is replaced by someone who can actually see sense and stop placing additional risks on train operators so that they'd end up failing Grayling will be first on the list for removal by whoever becomes P.M. Theresa May's personal patronage was all that kept him in post, I suppose on the basis of ''if you think I'm doing a rotten job, just look at that idiot over there.'' Not if he backs a candidate and they win the leadership contest. |
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Post by kmkcheng on Aug 14, 2019 8:33:44 GMT
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Post by george on Aug 14, 2019 8:42:44 GMT
Have to say I wasn't expecting first to win the service thought it would be MTR. I started the threat as it was a story from a trusted news organisation so it could well have been true. I wish first/trenitalia well for running the new franchise altough I havn't been too impressed since they took over the SOuth Western Franchise. |
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) and perhaps a return to the BR brand (or National Rail) 
) 
