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Post by daveb0789 on Aug 15, 2012 6:28:12 GMT
Official announcement made this morning. Wonder if they'll sack all the drivers and bring in trainspotters willing to do it for half the wage to save money?!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2012 7:51:05 GMT
Gutted Branson.
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Post by mre81 on Aug 15, 2012 8:02:20 GMT
Bad bad news for anyone using the WCML. If First run it anything like their shockingly poor Capital Connect/Thameslink service, then the trains will be filthy, overcrowded, expensive and massively unreliable. Listening to the analysis on Radio 4 this morning, it sounds like in two years we'll have another ECML situation with First having to hand back the keys.
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Post by twobellstogo on Aug 15, 2012 9:03:16 GMT
I think FirstGroup have overbid for the franchise. Whether the service is of high quality, time will tell. Capital Connect and Great Western are not pleasant experiences, but they do a fine job with Trans-Pennine Express. We shall see...
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Post by onthebuses on Aug 15, 2012 9:03:52 GMT
So have Virgin lost all its routes out of Euston? or does the West Cost just cover a certain section?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2012 11:21:36 GMT
So have Virgin lost all its routes out of Euston? or does the West Cost just cover a certain section? Virgin Trains will cease to be a train operator on 9 December unless someting major happens
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Post by T.R. on Aug 15, 2012 11:28:20 GMT
Branson's not a happy chap... www.virgin.com/richard-branson/blog/on-virgin-trainsIMO Virgin have provided an excellent service. I remember an ad when the Pendos were introduced in 2002... But Branson's rant won't help if he tries bidding for East Coast. In terms of First.... well. From my viewpoint: Capital Connect - GN side is somewhat okay, but Thameslink is awful. Great Western - the HST side of things are rather average (comfort is another story entirely). Local Devon services are fine, but unsure about others. I hear Cardiff-Pompey is rather poor though. TransPennine Express & Scotrail - can't comment on that as I've not been on them. First are also bidding for the Greater Western, Expanded Thameslink (incl. Southern) and Essex Thameside (C2C) franchises. Surely they can't get them all without the Competition Commision or a similar body intervening?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2012 12:06:00 GMT
Bad bad news for anyone using the WCML. If First run it anything like their shockingly poor Capital Connect/Thameslink service, then the trains will be filthy, overcrowded, expensive and massively unreliable. Listening to the analysis on Radio 4 this morning, it sounds like in two years we'll have another ECML situation with First having to hand back the keys. Dont forget FGW. Nearly every time ive used a 165, its stuffed full and theyre absolutely Filthy. Doesnt look like theyve given em a clean for ages Not to mention at times, you ahve to wait over Half an Hour just for a train to Paddington
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Post by vjaska on Aug 15, 2012 12:11:26 GMT
Branson's not a happy chap... www.virgin.com/richard-branson/blog/on-virgin-trainsIMO Virgin have provided an excellent service. I remember an ad when the Pendos were introduced in 2002... But Branson's rant won't help if he tries bidding for East Coast. In terms of First.... well. From my viewpoint: Capital Connect - GN side is somewhat okay, but Thameslink is awful. Great Western - the HST side of things are rather average (comfort is another story entirely). Local Devon services are fine, but unsure about others. I hear Cardiff-Pompey is rather poor though. TransPennine Express & Scotrail - can't comment on that as I've not been on them. First are also bidding for the Greater Western, Expanded Thameslink (incl. Southern) and Essex Thameside (C2C) franchises. Surely they can't get them all without the Competition Commision or a similar body intervening? Someone has to rant because it seems bang out of order. They want to leave Southern well alone, it's the one I use more than any other when I actually do require the train and while Southern has it's faults, it's light years better than First if the Thameslink operation is anything to go by. The problem with these contracts is they seem to just plump for the one who offers/bankrupts themselves rather than the one who will/has ran the sevice in an excellent manner. It seems from everyone on here that Virgin do a good job with the West Coast line so 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'! At times, the bus tendering system in London has this problem but to a lesser extent.
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Post by mre81 on Aug 15, 2012 14:02:20 GMT
Branson's not a happy chap... www.virgin.com/richard-branson/blog/on-virgin-trainsIMO Virgin have provided an excellent service. I remember an ad when the Pendos were introduced in 2002... But Branson's rant won't help if he tries bidding for East Coast. In terms of First.... well. From my viewpoint: Capital Connect - GN side is somewhat okay, but Thameslink is awful. Great Western - the HST side of things are rather average (comfort is another story entirely). Local Devon services are fine, but unsure about others. I hear Cardiff-Pompey is rather poor though. TransPennine Express & Scotrail - can't comment on that as I've not been on them. First are also bidding for the Greater Western, Expanded Thameslink (incl. Southern) and Essex Thameside (C2C) franchises. Surely they can't get them all without the Competition Commision or a similar body intervening? Someone has to rant because it seems bang out of order. They want to leave Southern well alone, it's the one I use more than any other when I actually do require the train and while Southern has it's faults, it's light years better than First if the Thameslink operation is anything to go by. The problem with these contracts is they seem to just plump for the one who offers/bankrupts themselves rather than the one who will/has ran the sevice in an excellent manner. It seems from everyone on here that Virgin do a good job with the West Coast line so 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'! At times, the bus tendering system in London has this problem but to a lesser extent. 100% agree with this! I use Southern every day, and FCC reasonably regularly. Southern, whilst admittedly not perfect, provide a service a billion times superior to FCC. They seem to make a real effort with their rolling stock and their station refurbishments. Their season ticket prices for out of London commuters are reasonable (especially when compared to South Eastern: £2100p.a to East Grinstead versus £3900p.a to Tunbridge Wells- roughly same time and distance). FCC on the other hand, seem as if they couldn't give a flying f*ck as long as they squeeze every last drop of money out of their passengers and taxpayers. Their trains are hugely unreliable, overcrowded and disgustingly filthy inside and out. On a slightly frivolous note their colour scheme is vile too (in my opinion. The only time I ever wish I was colourblind is on an FCC train!). I and others I know who use Southern will be massively upset and dissapointed if First win the franchise. Southern have done a really decent job with it, considering the circumstances, and I have absolutely no faith whatsoever in First at all.
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Post by snowman on Aug 15, 2012 15:05:56 GMT
So have Virgin lost all its routes out of Euston? or does the West Cost just cover a certain section? Virgin Trains will cease to be a train operator on 9 December unless someting major happens Virgin lost cross-country to Arriva few years ago The West Coast franchise is long distance, there are still local trains operated by others I think Virgin has a 49% stake in South west Trains so wont be totally out of UK train business in December
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Post by vjaska on Aug 15, 2012 15:12:42 GMT
Virgin Trains will cease to be a train operator on 9 December unless someting major happens Virgin lost cross-country to Arriva few years ago The West Coast franchise is long distance, there are still local trains operated by others I think Virgin has a 49% stake in South west Trains so wont be totally out of UK train business in December Stagecoach run South West Trains as it's known as Stagecoach South West Trains hence why there was a subsidary of Stagecoach South called South West Trains that did rail replacements. Stagecoach are the ones who have a 49% stake in Virgin Trains.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2012 17:43:14 GMT
Virgin Trains will cease to be a train operator on 9 December unless someting major happens Virgin lost cross-country to Arriva few years ago The West Coast franchise is long distance, there are still local trains operated by others I think Virgin has a 49% stake in South west Trains so wont be totally out of UK train business in December SWT, like EMT is a 100% Stagecoach operation
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Post by Hassaan on Aug 15, 2012 18:01:22 GMT
and disgustingly filthy inside and out. It's not just First's trains that are like that... ;D
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Post by smiler52 on Aug 15, 2012 19:39:56 GMT
Branson's not a happy chap... www.virgin.com/richard-branson/blog/on-virgin-trainsIMO Virgin have provided an excellent service. I remember an ad when the Pendos were introduced in 2002... But Branson's rant won't help if he tries bidding for East Coast. In terms of First.... well. From my viewpoint: Capital Connect - GN side is somewhat okay, but Thameslink is awful. Great Western - the HST side of things are rather average (comfort is another story entirely). Local Devon services are fine, but unsure about others. I hear Cardiff-Pompey is rather poor though. TransPennine Express & Scotrail - can't comment on that as I've not been on them. First are also bidding for the Greater Western, Expanded Thameslink (incl. Southern) and Essex Thameside (C2C) franchises. Surely they can't get them all without the Competition Commision or a similar body intervening? the Portsmouth to Cardiff route late over overcrowding not running the full route due to being late so they turn it at fratton Newport Bristol fareham southampton
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