First ScotRail franchise extended until 2014

[First ScotRail]

http://www.firstgroup.com/newsdetail.php?id=000091

FirstGroup plc statement re.extension of FirstGroup ScotRail franchise

FirstGroup plc, the UK's leading transport company, today welcomed the
announcement by the Scottish Government that the First ScotRail franchise will
be extended for three years to November 2014.

Commenting on the franchise extension, Moir Lockhead, Group Chief Executive
said: "We are delighted that the Scottish Government has taken the decision to
extend the First ScotRail franchise for three years.

"Since the start of the franchise in October 2004 we have invested more than £
25m in Scotland's railway. More and more people are choosing rail as their
preferred means of travel. The number of passengers using First ScotRail
services has grown by 19% and performance has improved significantly with
delays caused by First ScotRail reduced by 50%.

"Our First ScotRail staff, led by Mary Dickson and her team, work hard to
deliver excellent customer service. First ScotRail's commitment to deliver the
best service for Scotland every day has driven a programme of continuous
improvement and led to this franchise extension."

The agreement creates an investment fund of more than £70m, for control by
Transport Scotland, to further improve Scotland's railway. This has been
achieved by converting future estimated revenue share payments into an
investment fund, in return for a change in First ScotRail's revenue share and
support arrangements.

The revenue share and support arrangements have been amended to further
incentivise First ScotRail to continue to grow passenger revenue. The fund can
be used for additional train services, to improve journey times, connections
and quality of services which will bring direct passenger benefits.

Moir Lockhead continued: "This is an exciting time for rail passengers in
Scotland with a number of major projects underway including Airdrie-Bathgate
services and the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

"The franchise extension also means that First ScotRail will be operating
Scotland's railway during the Commonwealth Games in 2014."

 

[P156KWJ]

never been to scotland, but are First ScotRail and First TPX the only First franchises that are actually adequate?

 

[First ScotRail]

First ScotRails services are excellant. Trains are generally clean, staff usually OK and very good punctuality.

as for the other comment:
FTPE is excellent
FCC is excellent(have you seen their performance figures?)
FGW is improving...slowwwlllyyy
FHT is excellent as well.

 

[Z12XE]

Interesting U turn, didn't the Scottish Government want to take the Scotrail franchise into public ownership as soon as FSR expired?

 

[Mojo]

That was a proposal in the Labour manifesto. Don't know about other parties.

 

[A0wen]

First ScotRails services are excellant. Trains are generally clean, staff usually OK and very good punctuality.

as for the other comment:
FTPE is excellent
FCC is excellent(have you seen their performance figures?)
FGW is improving...slowwwlllyyy
FHT is excellent as well.

Should we assume from your username you may be less than impartial ?!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

That was a proposal in the Labour manifesto. Don't know about other parties.

Which given Worst Group allegedly have been funding the Labour party means you have to question whether it would really have happened..... now if the franchise had still been held by NX you can guarantee it would have happened.

 

[me123]

<Celebrates> I can only reinforce what FSR has said about FSR. I travel FSR about 99% of the time and I rarely have a problem. The trains are clean and comfy (bar 320s, but they're partly SPT sposored anyway); reliability has improved noticibly from a passenger's POV; staff are always friendly and helpful (except one trolley person).

When there are problems now, it's always signalling or infrastructure related. I've never been delayed due to a broken train. Only once have I had a problem with a crew change at Perth, and to be fair to them that was indirectly caused by the signalling as well. The communication to customers is first class, and staff always seem to be eager to help.

It's a wonderful service and they fully deserve the franchise extention. Here's to 6 more years of First Scotrail, and let's hope that they can rub some FSR magic into FGW.

 

[87015]

When there are problems now, it's always signalling or infrastructure related. I've never been delayed due to a broken train.

You don't travel on the Friday night sleeper often then? A complete lottery whether you will get Euston right time, an hour late or about lunchtime !! M11 did well this week 1200 into Euston....

Scotrail seem awfully keen to get the buses out when the slightest thing goes wrong in my experience, could do with some 'get the train through' joined up thinking.

 

[me123]

You don't travel on the Friday night sleeper often then? A complete lottery whether you will get Euston right time, an hour late or about lunchtime !! M11 did well this week 1200 into Euston....

Nope The express route (EDB-GLQ), Aberdeen based services and local trains do very well though.

 

[Tom C]

FCC is excellent(have you seen their performance figures?)

Yes, FCC have one of the worst scores for passenger satisfaction on the entire railway network, tells you all you need to know really/

 

[djw1981]

You don't travel on the Friday night sleeper often then? A complete lottery whether you will get Euston right time, an hour late or about lunchtime !! M11 did well this week 1200 into Euston....

Scotrail seem awfully keen to get the buses out when the slightest thing goes wrong in my experience, could do with some 'get the train through' joined up thinking.

Ah but,..... the SQUIRE regime of fines means that if you cap a journey, and use RRS, but the return is on time, you are only penalised for the outward journey being delayed as long as the return (from the cap point) runs to time. If the outward and return legs are both delayed that counts as 2 delays on the scoring system. Thus as a company, caping is cheaper.

 

[Turbostar]

I lived up in Aberdeen for 2 years, & you couldn't fault First Scotrail. Never had a problem with them when I was up there, trains clean & tidy, state of the art trains, trains on time. Pity First Great Western couldn't take a leaf out of their books.

 

[gingerheid]

I like FSR - never had any problems with them, and the franchise seems to have been written nice and tightly to make them keep paying attention to the small things that matter but could get dumped with cost cutting.

FCC. Urrr. Well. Ehm. No. Not the same.

 

[First ScotRail]

FCC may have low Passenger Satisfaction Scores previously, however I would like to see their most recent scores.

FCC Punctuality:

Overall performance for Great Northern route

2 Mar - 31 Mar 95.0%

Overall performance for Thameslink route

2 Mar - 31 Mar 91.5%

Thats pritty good going in my mind considering what they took over from!

 

[87015]

Ah but,..... the SQUIRE regime of fines means that if you cap a journey, and use RRS, but the return is on time, you are only penalised for the outward journey being delayed as long as the return (from the cap point) runs to time. If the outward and return legs are both delayed that counts as 2 delays on the scoring system. Thus as a company, caping is cheaper.

I know, doesn't make it a very customer friendly thing to do though does it :roll: More to (or should be) it than simply making the biggest profit - isn't privatisation wonderful.

 

[Z12XE]

Passenger Satisfaction Scores are pointless really, most people base it on the train companies image

Take Anglia Railways for example, people in Norfolk and Suffolk loved them, but despite providing an average service in terms to punctuality and relilability, people loved them, 6 months later the company had changed name with the same people in charge and they started to hate them....

 

[Mojo]

And these PPM figures are not that good either. So what if a train arrives on time at its destination because of slack in the timetable if 75% of passengers travel at the start or midpoint of the journey where the train is late.

 

[me123]

BBC news reveals that FSR plans to introduce more EDB-GLQ shuttle services and better services to Ayrshire and Dumfries; all welcome improvmements to the service. The route to Carlisle via Kilmarnock and Dumfries has always been a bit under-used IMO.

 

[djw1981]

Lets be accurate - 2 more EDB-GLQ trains - an 0645 and 1915...to expand the 15 min shuttle to 12.5hrs a day....

The Kilmarnock improvements were planned anyway ( work is already underway on costruction/design). Dumfries improvements depended on the doubling work currently being undertaken, as that provides the additional capacity for additional passenger services. This line is heavily used by freight (mostly coal from Hunterston) and thus, although the passenger timetable looked light, the caocity was close to being reached.

 

[me123]

Lets be accurate - 2 more EDB-GLQ trains - an 0645 and 1915...to expand the 15 min shuttle to 12.5hrs a day....

The Kilmarnock improvements were planned anyway ( work is already underway on costruction/design). Dumfries improvements depended on the doubling work currently being undertaken, as that provides the additional capacity for additional passenger services. This line is heavily used by freight (mostly coal from Hunterston) and thus, although the passenger timetable looked light, the caocity was close to being reached.

The additional shuttle services may be few in number, but both (particularly the 1915) will be especially valuable. I was aware of Kilmarnock improvements, but was particulalry surprised to hear that the capacity was available as soon as it is,

 

[djw1981]

Transport Scotland (IMHO) have been very good at progressing schemes with little fuss.

Indeed the 1915 will be useful. IME the 1830, 1845 and 1900 can be more overcrowded that the peak trains, partly because they are often only 3-cars and also being after the peak, they are cheaper.

I would still like to see the reinstatement of the SuO 2200 & 2300 ex GLQ and 2130 & 2230 ex EDB. Half hour frequency is important on this route IMO.

 

[me123]

I can only fully agree. Sunday shuttle services are more like ****tle services. Overcorwded 3-car trains running hourly most of the day: in the morning it's a quarter capacity of what it is on a Saturday!

I'd also like to see better conections to the North Clydes late evening. The last train to Airdrie is the 0002 and the 2300 ex EDB arrives 0003 . Just a small thing, but if they held that train for five minutes, you could easily make that connection. I do this train occasionally and it's infuriating that I have to find some other way home because the last train leaves a minute early.

 

[First ScotRail]

I would also value more services on the north clyde electrics especially an earlier service from helensburgh say 0545 or even 0515 so people can catch either the 0600 XC service to Bournmouth or the 0710 VT to EUS. The shuttle services are all going to change quite soon anyway to every 10 mins during the peak I read somehwere so I think these measures are temporary.

 

[Mojo]

Just like how I say most of the "problems" with FGW are down to the DfT - how many of these "benefits" from First ScotRail are down to a strict regime and huge amounts of money being spent by Transport Scotland?

 

[me123]

Obviously the drivers are the main issue with early and late running services, but the capacity is there. And a service for the XC and VT early departures would be valuable. Of course, they also provide access for people who work early hours (can't be many of them, but they could easily ise the service). If they can get the drivers for a 10-minutely shuttle, I don't see there being a problem getting a couple to work late evening and early morning.

 

[djw1981]

1. If you look at the expansion to the shuttle timetable, the shuttle will actually be every 15 min from 0630-1930, not 0645-1915 as previously mentioned......as there is no mention of the 0630 or 30 being withdrawn.

2. the new services will not be 10 min frequency, as because some will run faster / limited stop, they will actually leave just before a 'stopper' and arrive just behind the stopper in front. also the transport announcements of increased services do not focus on Queen SAt, but also onvolved TS asking XC to go hourly into Glasgow, on the alternate hours to NXEC, and also on boosting frequency and speed of Shotts services - the new caledonian Express. There is also talk of a non stop/limited stop EMU via Carstairs.

See http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/files/Edinburgh-Glasgow-Final-Report-Oct07.pdf for full report or http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/files/Ed-gla-rail-improvements-summary.pdf for summary.

The Helensburgh services could change to be earlier, but you still end up with the issues of interchanging at Hyndland/Partick for Central or the walk from QS, as connections are harder to make at 0540! With the first VT departure going back to 0430ish, most customers for that will be on business (and thus taxi comes under expenses claim), or from the airport anyway, and thus use taxi's (or airport bus) to get to the station.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Indeed, the attitude of TS is very pro rail and pro development, whereas DfT with a larger area, and arguably larger problems seems less focussed on what it wants.

Maybe Transport should be devolved to the regional government offices - GONE, GOH&Y etc.... with no need for an assembly or anything... since the same civil servnats could do the work, but focusing only on their area, it would give them time to develop the key local contacts with NR, TOcs and PF etc.

 

[me123]

1. If you look at the expansion to the shuttle timetable, the shuttle will actually be every 15 min from 0630-1930, not 0645-1915 as previously mentioned......as there is no mention of the 0630 or 1930 being withdrawn.

2. the new services will not be 10 min frequency, as because some will run faster / limited stop, they will actually leave just before a 'stopper' and arrive just behind the stopper in front.

Re. 1. I had imagibed that to be the case, just being poorly worded. After the 15 minute frequency ceases, train currently run at xx00 and xx30, and I read it that the services would be added to the current timetable as planned.

I had thought the 6tph would be fast/semifast as well, although had (possibly naively)thought that a 10-minute frequency could still be maintained nevertheless?

Also the transport announcements of increased services do not focus on Queen St, but also involved TS asking XC to go hourly into Glasgow, on the alternate hours to NXEC, and also on boosting frequency and speed of Shotts services - the new caledonian Express. There is also talk of a non stop/limited stop EMU via Carstairs.

I have always thought that the link would be extremely useful. A frequent EDB service at Motherwell would make life so much easier for passengers in South Lanarkshire, who contend with few services that sometimes take forever, or a cross-city transfer at Glasgow.

My suggestion is to give FTPE some 180s for EDB and GLC services (they pop up everywhere, don't they?) which can be used on some EDB-GLC and vice-versa services when XC or NXEC don't run any. This puts the 180s to good use, helps FTPE with their slight shortage and could help GLC in particular to get a better service to Manchester with longer trains, and would make things easier for XC and NXEC operating services to GLC.

The extention to the hourly Shotts train is also wonderful. Particularly on the Glasgow end of things (Cleland, Carfin, Shotts etc.) the hourly service barely does the route justice and I htink a half-hourly service to Shotts at the very least could be beneficial. There's also the potential to route some trains via Whifflet, as is done on Christmas Sundays.

A bit of an aside, but Shotts is also a wonderful prospect for electrifiaction as it is electrified at either extremity.

The Helensburgh services could change to be earlier, but you still end up with the issues of interchanging at Hyndland/Partick for Central or the walk from QS, as connections are harder to make at 0540! With the first VT departure going back to 0430ish, most customers for that will be on business (and thus taxi comes under expenses claim), or from the airport anyway, and thus use taxi's (or airport bus) to get to the station.

Nothing to stop them:

1) Running the service to Motherwell, Larkhall, Lanark, Carstairs, CBC or (perhaps in the future) Whifflet via GLC LL, or
2) Running an early morning Milngavie or Balloch service for a transfer at PTK onto the other branch.

 

[djw1981]

Not sure how TPE would help travel between EDB&GLC.... and many people going to Manchester now use Pendo's / Voyagers to Preston, then the more frequent services from there to Manchester - gives a wider range of departure times from Glasgow. From Edinburgh, it is more difficult, but I know a few RBS employees who do Edinburgh-Manchester via York, because they can work in FC on NXEC for 2 hours on the way down but they found both planes and TPE to be "difficult to work on, with lower quality food".

 

[me123]

Direct services to Manchester would still be desirable: 3 a day plus that Virgin return service that uses Manchester simply allow a late evening/early morning service to/from GLC does seem a bit small IMO.

 

[djw1981]

TheVWC train is only until December 2008 anyway. and IIRC teh whole WC timetable, including TP gets shaken up then
See http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/wcml/wcms2008timetables/

Headlines
5 tpd Man-EDB (arr 0832*, 1132, 1531, 1732, 1932) *starts Carlisle (ECS from Corkrhill IIRC)
3 tpd Man-GLC (arr 0941, 1330, 2134)

4 tpd EDB-Man (dep 0912, 1211, 1611, 1811)
3 tpd GLC-Man (dep 0710, 1010, 1410)


Again the timing is shocking - Edinburgh so nearly got 4hrly departures; Glasgow has no departures after 2.10pm.....
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The new VWC Crewe 0557 (GLC 0909) may tempt a lot of potential customers from the first TPE service of the day.

A NRES serach for Tuesday this week has 4 of the first trains to Manchester being VWC then change at Preston or Lancs