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Northern Trains new franchise.

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RailUK Forums

LOL The Irony

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NICE is what I think the name of a new Northern + TPE franchise should be called.

Northern Inter City Express
Well...
Doesn't NICE already exist in medical connotations?.....National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
And they have quite an ironic name. They're not very nice and Northern doesn't need connotations to companies/body's with bad PR at this current time.
 

Geoffh73

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Does anyone know what's become of David Brown & the rest of the management board for Arriva Northern?
CJ
They Have same Tupe rights as the rest of staff.
If new operator decides they are not required then they would have to negotiate a settlement with them.
 
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TT-ONR-NRN

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And they have quite an ironic name. They're not very nice and Northern doesn't need connotations to companies/body's with bad PR at this current time.
Yet they choose to retain Arriva’s whole entire branding song and dance! At least they tried a bit with LNER, instead of just ripping Virgin off and calling themselves “Trains East Coast” and retaining Neo Sans font and the flowing silk. And that was a decent train company too which was not struck off for performance! Arriva Rail North caused mayhem to be honest, yet apart from the lack of “by arriva” you wouldn’t know they’d even been taken over!
 

LNW-GW Joint

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If there's something Northern are not short of it's electric trains, once all the 331s are in service.
I guess some of the older ones can be shuffled round and out, replaced by newer ones, although 3-car EMUs replacing 4-car isn't an improvement.
Unless there is to be a larger fleet of class 769 and other conversions to make more services bi-mode.
Some wiring east of Victoria is also needed to improve the utilisation of existing EMUs.
 

TT-ONR-NRN

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If there's something Northern are not short of it's electric trains, once all the 331s are in service.
I guess some of the older ones can be shuffled round and out, replaced by newer ones, although 3-car EMUs replacing 4-car isn't an improvement.
Unless there is to be a larger fleet of class 769 and other conversions to make more services bi-mode.
Some wiring east of Victoria is also needed to improve the utilisation of existing EMUs.
I’ve had many Blackpool North-Manchester Airport/Hazel Grove services turn up with six cars over the last few days! That’s certainly an improvement over four, especially as the 331s are such a nice train compared to the awful layout on the 319s
 

Bletchleyite

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Remember the different vehicle lengths - 3x23m = 69m, only actually 11m shorter than 4x20m, and two more door vesibules are about 3m of that. So a 323 only really has 8m less accommodation than a 319.
 

Mountain Man

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Same here. I actively avoid using them if at all possible for this reason.
They just need to focus on basics that annoy people unnecessarily.

Keep trains clean.

Answer social media questions quickly, not wasting time with silly quizzes.

2 simple things that would increase the franchise widely and easily
 

Mogster

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Service improvements need enhanced infrastructure so it will be years before we see any difference

This.

More electrification. Actually do something about central Manchester and Castlefield rather than commissioning further reports...
 

Class83

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So what can Nationalised Rail North do?

Short Term
Cleaning

Medium Term 2020-2021
Hire enough staff to operate all services reliably without relying on overtime.

2022-25
Either more electrification or a further order for 195s to lengthen trains, there will probably be targeted platform extensions required to accommodate 8*20m or 6*23m trains.
Castlefield 4 track

2025+
High Speed North
 

Djgr

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Someone has had a go at changing the website, although the Bus Bandit's name is still lurking in the shadows, as if threatening to reappear like Chucky.
 
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YorkshireBear

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So what can Nationalised Rail North do?

Short Term
Cleaning

Medium Term 2020-2021
Hire enough staff to operate all services reliably without relying on overtime.

2022-25
Either more electrification or a further order for 195s to lengthen trains, there will probably be targeted platform extensions required to accommodate 8*20m or 6*23m trains.
Castlefield 4 track

2025+
High Speed North
Much of that is outside their hands of course.
 

hwl

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So what can Nationalised Rail North do?

Short Term
Cleaning

Medium Term 2020-2021
Hire enough staff to operate all services reliably without relying on overtime.

2022-25
Either more electrification or a further order for 195s to lengthen trains, there will probably be targeted platform extensions required to accommodate 8*20m or 6*23m trains.
Castlefield 4 track

2025+
High Speed North

More 323s ex LM to replace 319s
 

Mountain Man

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Messages
311
So what can Nationalised Rail North do?

Short Term
Cleaning

Medium Term 2020-2021
Hire enough staff to operate all services reliably without relying on overtime.

2022-25
Either more electrification or a further order for 195s to lengthen trains, there will probably be targeted platform extensions required to accommodate 8*20m or 6*23m trains.
Castlefield 4 track

2025+
High Speed North
Add "Change their social media staff guidance." to the short term.
 

Tomos y Tanc

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The experience of TfW suggests it will be a long time before there are noticable improvements. Without control of the infrastructure and the long lead times for new rolling stock there are very few quick fixes. Cleaning is one of them, the fare structure is another. Cutting fares, as TfW has done in north Wales and on some of the valley services, is something people, particularly from deprived post-industrial areas, notice and appreciate.
 

SteveM70

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Short term:

1 - start the deep cleaning process (although this is already starting to sound like a government buzz phrase akin to get Brexit done and may not actually be a proper deep clean as that would take a fair amount of time)

2 - put a proper end of day cleaning regime in place, otherwise the trains will soon need another deep clean

3 - a quick mod to the 195/331s to give them more, bigger, and more obvious bins

4 - reintroduce infra-shift cleaning at major terminals

5 - decide whether social media is a useful tool for keeping customers informed or something reserved for inane quizzes

6 - if the answer to 5 is the former, give the social media team better guidance on what’s expected and hold them to account if they don’t do as expected

7 - be honest about shortforming. Changing the expected train length from 3 to 2 so the train stops technically being shortformed isn’t good enough
 

WatcherZero

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Allegedly, OLR leaders Robin Gisby and Richard George have 100 days to produce a turnround plan.
If Andy Burnham is part of the advisory board maybe he will be a little more constructive with his criticism.

The board is made up of:

  • Richard George - Chair, Department for Transport Operator of Last Resort Holdings Limited
  • Robin Gisby - Chief Executive Director, Department for Transport Operator of Last Resort Holdings Limited
  • Louise Gittins - Leader, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Vice Chair, Transport for the North
  • Steve Rotheram - Metro Mayor, Liverpool City Region
  • Andy Burnham - Mayor, Greater Manchester
  • Judith Blake - Leader, Leeds City Council
  • Ben Houchen - Mayor, Tees Valley
  • Jools Townsend - Chief Executive, Association of Community Rail Partnerships
  • David Sidebottom - Director, Transport Focus
  • Beckie Hart - Regional Director Yorkshire and the Humber, Confederation of British Industry
  • Heather Scott - Leader, Darlington Borough Council
 

Dr Hoo

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Does anyone else find it odd that the Director of a supposedly independent passenger watchdog will now simultaneously be on the board of one of the biggest and ‘poorest’ train operating units?
 

jkkne

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Extremely disappointing there’s no representation for anyone north of Darlington where for many of us Northern are the only TOC in town (Tyne Valley). It’s quite shocking that over 163 miles of the network have zero representation.

Instead we’ve ended up with a board of those who shout loudest. Rent a quote Houchen who has no discernible qualifications dictating direction for a TOC. Lord help us.
 

Staffordian

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The board is made up of:

  • Richard George - Chair, Department for Transport Operator of Last Resort Holdings Limited
  • Robin Gisby - Chief Executive Director, Department for Transport Operator of Last Resort Holdings Limited
  • Louise Gittins - Leader, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Vice Chair, Transport for the North
  • Steve Rotheram - Metro Mayor, Liverpool City Region
  • Andy Burnham - Mayor, Greater Manchester
  • Judith Blake - Leader, Leeds City Council
  • Ben Houchen - Mayor, Tees Valley
  • Jools Townsend - Chief Executive, Association of Community Rail Partnerships
  • David Sidebottom - Director, Transport Focus
  • Beckie Hart - Regional Director Yorkshire and the Humber, Confederation of British Industry
  • Heather Scott - Leader, Darlington Borough Council
Has any announcement been made about a new Senior Management Team for Northern Trains ?
If the first task of the board is to produce a turnround plan in 100 days, rather than direct the business on a day-to-day basis, it is difficult to see why anything should change in that time. (Other than all the things which would have changed anyway such as introduction of 769s and the remaining 195s/331s, withdrawal of remaining pacers, completing outstanding training, etc.)
 
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The board is made up of:

  • Richard George - Chair, Department for Transport Operator of Last Resort Holdings Limited
  • Robin Gisby - Chief Executive Director, Department for Transport Operator of Last Resort Holdings Limited
  • Louise Gittins - Leader, Cheshire West and Chester Council and Vice Chair, Transport for the North
  • Steve Rotheram - Metro Mayor, Liverpool City Region
  • Andy Burnham - Mayor, Greater Manchester
  • Judith Blake - Leader, Leeds City Council
  • Ben Houchen - Mayor, Tees Valley
  • Jools Townsend - Chief Executive, Association of Community Rail Partnerships
  • David Sidebottom - Director, Transport Focus
  • Beckie Hart - Regional Director Yorkshire and the Humber, Confederation of British Industry
  • Heather Scott - Leader, Darlington Borough Council
The very best of luck getting all those to easily agree something collectively or compromise, sounds like one of Sir Humphreys interdepartmental committees set up to achieve nothing but a load of hot air.
 

Staffordian

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Instead we’ve ended up with a board of those who shout loudest. Rent a quote Houchen who has no discernible qualifications dictating direction for a TOC. Lord help us.
Re qualifications, he is a Conservative Mayor.
 

jkkne

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Re qualifications, he is a Conservative Mayor.

Still not sure how that qualifies him aside him overfunding and nationalising a regional airport he’s not exactly inspirational.

He’s far too focused on political point scoring to be useful. Look at his behaviour re the Nexus Metro tender
 

Glenn1969

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No voice I can see for South Yorkshire or East Riding either. Why is Sheffield Metro Mayor Dan Jarvis not on there I wonder
 

Djgr

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Does anyone else find it odd that the Director of a supposedly independent passenger watchdog will now simultaneously be on the board of one of the biggest and ‘poorest’ train operating units?

Or of course he could be able to look at things from the viewpoint of the passenger, at which TOCs in general and in particular Northern (Arriva variety) are exceptionally poor.
 

Edders23

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22 Sep 2018
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The seats are the worst. Trying to find one that isn't filthy.
unfortunately that's a consequence of carrying the general public I have to get mine washed at least once a year the worst thing is wet shopping bags that have been placed on the ground pick up the dirt then get placed on your seats !!!! grrrrrr..................
 

Staffordian

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No voice I can see for South Yorkshire or East Riding either. Why is Sheffield Metro Mayor Dan Jarvis not on there I wonder
Or any voice for Cumbria, Lancashire or North Yorkshire for that matter.
Being charitable, perhaps Louise Gittins, Vice chair of TFN, and Jools Townsend, CEO of the Association of Community Rail Partnerships, are supposed to represent the interests of all the non-metropolitan areas as well as South Yorkshire and Tyneside ?
 
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