Abellio wins West Midlands franchise

[Bletchleyite]

It was poor yesterday and an overreaction to about 2 inches of snow.

I don't know, some of the estates including mine were in a right state (you won't see that living on a relatively main road in Fenny), and there were some right dangerous idiots out there driving far too fast as well, posing a danger to others. FWIW there were actually about 4" on my table in the back garden.

I have a Land Rover Defender which can handle this kind of thing well enough (as well as anything can), but I still chose not to drive yesterday. Too much risk of someone else hitting me and all the attendant insurance hassles. I went for a long walk (hour and a half or so) to CMK instead, and shortened it a bit on the way back by using the train. Quite pleasant really. Just required the "big coat", hat, gloves and hiking boots, as it were

They could possibly have operated a grid-road-only contingency service, but the question is how useful that would have been as almost nobody would have known about it.

Interestingly, there were almost no taxis out - and whether they go out or not is entirely the choice of the individual driver. I think that says quite a lot.

 

[sprinterguy]

I've posted some photos of the West Midlands Railway launch unit, 172339, at Snow Hill on the "WMTrains livery" thread, to try and contain the paint wibble a bit:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/wmtrains-livery.157508/page-3#post-3237683

I was surprised to see that they have also already repainted the support columns at Snow Hill in the new corporate style.

 

[Wivenswold]

https://twitter.com/Modern_Railways/status/940171134992912384

 

[KashmireHawker]

https://twitter.com/Modern_Railways/status/940171134992912384

And LNR have confirmed on Twitter that it the 350 will be out on service this afternoon

 

[sd0733]

Obviously the pic I saw of 373 with wrap around yellow was an unfinished one!

 

[XCTurbostar]

I hope that this is just a taster livery. Plenty of time to amend the livery for the rest of the units, similar to Virgin's repaints.

 

[700007]

And LNR have confirmed on Twitter that it the 350 will be out on service this afternoon

Any idea what duty? What time will it be at Euston?

 

[KashmireHawker]

Any idea what duty? What time will it be at Euston?

No specific times yet, but they have stated "Stay tuned for pics" - something will happen shortly in that case

 

[SprinterMan]

I am very confused by the operator codes. According not National Rail, WMR and LNWR have both been assigned codes: WM & LN. However, all trains are coded LM with the old London Midland code. Will this be change in the future, such as at the next timetable change? When Govia took over from FCC the GN & TL codes replaced the old FC code immediately. Govia are sometimes internally referred to as GT, with one piece of staff software referring to all GTR services (including Southern) as FC still! Very confusing.

Adam

 

[Idon'tKnow]

The screens inside the carriages on London Northwestern still said "10:30 London Midland" today, however I did see a LNW route map on board my service!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yeah, only some units appear to have had the PIS changed over.

 

[JordyWM]

I hope that this is just a taster livery. Plenty of time to amend the livery for the rest of the units, similar to Virgin's repaints.

I hope so, but they won’t keep my hopes up.

 

[sd0733]

I hope so, but they won’t keep my hopes up.

We've been told that they had to get one of each out but the new management hate the new liveries so expect the next one to be different.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I guess that was also true of "wmtrains", hence why it has now disappeared completely.

 

[XCTurbostar]

I guess that was also true of "wmtrains", hence why it has now disappeared completely.

I wondered that too.

 

[sd0733]

It's all a very confused effort..This morning I was working for WM trains on a train operated by West Midlands Railway with my London North Western badge and tie on a unit branded and announcing as London Midland!!

 

[azz7008]

I wondered that too.

Snow at snow hill!

 

[JordyWM]

We've been told that they had to get one of each out but the new management hate the new liveries so expect the next one to be different.

Now that is good news! But... why didn’t they just do a basic livery then? Seems mad to paint a complicated livery onto a train if management dislikes it.

Let’s hope managment get their way and make changes.

 

[sd0733]

Now that is good news! But... why didn’t they just do a basic livery then? Seems mad to paint a complicated livery onto a train if management dislikes it.

Let’s hope managment get their way and make changes.

It was a franchise commitment to have on out in each brand in the first day. None will be done now until it's all finalised. I believe they are vinyl wraps for the first two.

 

[A Challenge]

I wondered that too.

The thumbnail makes me think it is a tram, that purple!

 

[XCTurbostar]

Just as a side note, staff have been given dairies, notepads, lanyards, mugs etc which all have "wmtrains" on them so I think thats here to stay.. I think the "West Midlands Trains" on the side of the cab doors is just to help passengers understand how the service has been presented. Although, the way this is turning out has got to be pretty confusing for passengers.

Whilst I was at New Street today, I saw a CIS display with a Virgin Trains departure that had "wmtrains tickets not valid" on it. But to a passenger waiting on a platform, the service is advertised as West Midlands Railway or London Northwestern Railway not wmtrains. Not to mention that when the train turns up it has "London Midland" on the side of it! Its all a bit confusing.

 

[700007]

Now that is good news! But... why didn’t they just do a basic livery then? Seems mad to paint a complicated livery onto a train if management dislikes it.

Let’s hope management get their way and make changes.

Yes management is very unhappy with the design team saying that WMR looks too much like London Overground, LNWR looks too much like Southern (which will be too confusing for passengers between Milton Keynes and Harrow & Wealdstone /Wembley Central). They did tell the design team that it was not happy with this choice but for some reason the design team overrode this and still went for it. To quote management, they are genuinely embarrassed by the liveries.

Likelihood of seeing 350373 on a regular out in public service will be slim and for now the LNWR public press launch has been cancelled it seems until a rebrand of some sort takes place.

 

[SprinterMan]

Yes management is very unhappy with the design team saying that WMR looks too much like London Overground, LNWR looks too much like Southern (which will be too confusing for passengers between Milton Keynes and Harrow & Wealdstone /Wembley Central). They did tell the design team that it was not happy with this choice but for some reason the design team overrode this and still went for it. To quote management, they are genuinely embarrassed by the liveries.

Likelihood of seeing 350373 on a regular out in public service will be slim and for now the LNWR public press launch has been cancelled it seems until a rebrand of some sort takes place.

I had not noticed that before, but you are spot on. The new LNWR livery is weirdly like Southern. If they replaced the green with black (like the original LNWR) they would end up looking like the new SWR. Funny old world :P

 

[Class172]

Yes management is very unhappy with the design team saying that WMR looks too much like London Overground, LNWR looks too much like Southern (which will be too confusing for passengers between Milton Keynes and Harrow & Wealdstone /Wembley Central). They did tell the design team that it was not happy with this choice but for some reason the design team overrode this and still went for it. To quote management, they are genuinely embarrassed by the liveries.

Likelihood of seeing 350373 on a regular out in public service will be slim and for now the LNWR public press launch has been cancelled it seems until a rebrand of some sort takes place.

Considering the first potential mock-ups appeared nearly a year ago now, which although slightly different still had 'LO-style' orange doors, surely these concerns would have been raised earlier to avoid what sounds like is now becoming a farcical situation regarding the liveries.

 

[matt]

Likelihood of seeing 350373 on a regular out in public service will be slim and for now the LNWR public press launch has been cancelled it seems until a rebrand of some sort takes place.

350373 is currently working http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P65417/2017/12/11/advanced

 

[driver_m]

Why not just get rid of the yellow altogether now that the standards allow for its removal as long as the lights are good enough. After numerous blindings by 350s passing me, are the lights already compliant or not?

 

[XCTurbostar]

I don't think the lights are compliant. Its bothering me now. Im firmly in the 'keep the yellow' camp but if your going to do half a job just get rid of all of it..

 

[JordyWM]

Yes management is very unhappy with the design team saying that WMR looks too much like London Overground, LNWR looks too much like Southern (which will be too confusing for passengers between Milton Keynes and Harrow & Wealdstone /Wembley Central). They did tell the design team that it was not happy with this choice but for some reason the design team overrode this and still went for it. To quote management, they are genuinely embarrassed by the liveries.

Likelihood of seeing 350373 on a regular out in public service will be slim and for now the LNWR public press launch has been cancelled it seems until a rebrand of some sort takes place.

Surely managment would have had to sign off the liveries though? If I was management, I’d get a new design team and start from scratch. Luckily, only two have been rebranded then.

I dislike the London Overground livery, and it’s not something I want WMR to replicate in anyway.

 

[driver_m]

I don't think the lights are compliant. Its bothering me now. Im firmly in the 'keep the yellow' camp but if your going to do half a job just get rid of all of it..

My thoughts exactly. Do it fully or not at all.

 

[6Gman]

I'm really not bothered what colour any of their trains will be ... but ... these Aventras - are they 2+2 or 2+3 seating, and what will they be used on?

(Just want to see the back of 2+3 350/2s on Liverpool - Birmingham trains.)