A few initial reactions:
- How can they best serve Bolton? By extending London - Manchester trains? But then a six coach train is far too short for that route (given how busy Manchester trains are). Or a Voyager reversing at Wigan North Western?
- No mention of electrification from Crewe to Chester? I was hoping that this short section hadn't been mentioned in CP5 because the Government wanted to announce it when the new West Coast tender was announced. Shame.
- I don't think IEP would work on the West Coast, given the lack of tilt (thus limiting them to 110)?
- No mention of taking over the TPE Scottish services (I thought that there was a chance that this would be announced when the franchise was confirmed - sadly not)
- Will be interesting to see how the Blackpool/ Bolton/ Shrewsbury services are run - will they be frequent enough to provide a real service, or just a box ticking exercise like Wrexham?
- If the new trains are 390s (which isn't guaranteed, but realistically there are no other 125mph tilting trains on the market) then could a six coach one work with a Voyager? (probably not but thought I'd ask)
- For all the complaints about the size of the First premiums (which aren't as large as some guessed), can you imagine the complaints if the Government had turned down a big bid to award it to Virgin (given that Branson already got bits of Northern Rock at a rather "cheap" price)?
This just proves one thing... Very much like the ECML.
The DFT are not interested in what is best for the franchise, they are just interested in who will give them the most money!!
Except that on the ECML the DfT turned down a larger bid (Arriva) when awarding the franchise to NXEC - if they are only interested in the highest bidder then why would they have done that?
Seems to me like it's mostly change for changes sake - and at huge cost in rebranding etc.
Compared to the billions involved in this long franchise, the cost of rebranding is tiny. Especially considering that paint jobs/ vinyls are only meant to last for a finite period anyway (and would have had to be replaced/ repainted/ updated by whoever won).
Afaik monopolies such as running both WCML and ECML are not allowed
Really?
First will have a monopoly on some routes (including London to Wales, which nobody has noticed), but then many TOCs have monopolies on routes.
The fact that the Government has amended the franchise map to have one main operator at Liverpool Street/ Paddington etc (and thus creating monopolies on routes like London - Ipswich/ Oxford where there was once competition) suggests that the "monopoly" argument is a red herring.
Hey, Wiganners, going to have to change trains to get to London, that's progress :roll:
Where's the evidence that they'll need to change trains to get from Wigan to London?
I thought that the plan (as far as we know) was for an hourly service between the two (albeit a Blackpool service rather than a Glasgow service)?
New trains (baby Pendolinos for sure), more destinations (it's nice to see Shrewsbury getting direct services at last - all the moaning paid off!), faster services, station improvements and massive premium payments to the Treasury. What more do people want!?
Good point - everyone is so desperate to hate First that they are ignoring the benefits here - good to see someone else has noticed the improvements
I'm also bemused by the "outcry" from the general public over Virgin loosing the franchise. Usually they're moaning about how terrible the service is. Virgin Trains is a Train Operating Company, not some brilliant tour operator or broadband provider, both of which are optional. Virgin Trains are a good TOC, but by no means excellent, and I'm reasonably confident that First can do just as well.
Agreed again
The staff at Picc look rather p--sed off to say the least
How do the staff at Piccadilly know the details of First's plans? Or are they just guessing? Or believing Mr Crow's latest claims?
GNER overbid and handed back the keys, NXEC overbid and handed back the keys, RB does have a point.
Other TOCs bid highly (like AXC) and haven't handed back any keys.
Plus GNER's problems were as much to do with their parent company (Sea Containers) and the fact that Grand Central created a big hole in their income.
A lot the travelling public don't really understand how it works (why would they?). Virgin according to some turned the whole thing around all by themselves and no one else was involved. Of course, that's hardly true, is it?
Also, why do people keep predicting the success of a franchise based upon what has happened in the past on a different franchise or an another one in the portfolio? Different management, different commitments, different culture, different TOCs,
National Express had some great franchises before East Coast, need I say more...
I agree - especially re Nat Ex (ScotRail and MML were great franchises, seeing lots of new trains, doubling of some services, new links from London to Matlock/ Burton/ Barnsley...). Please don't let everyone think of National Express only in terms of NXEA and NXEC (C2C are rather good!).
it seems that all the 221s are to be retained within the West Coast franchise beyond 2016
A shame - they'd be very welcome on the core XC routes
Gives them four years to think up an excuse not to run from Shrewsbury!
So First have announced new services from Shrewsbury to London and your first reaction is to complain?
The interesting thing here is there has been no statement released by the all mighty Souter. I wonder if he is keeping quiet due to the fact his company have/are bidding for franchises elsewhere?!
Souter isn't as daft/ publicity hungry/ swift to react as Branson/ Crow. But Stagecoach's involvement in Virgin Trains has been ignored by many - it's bad news for Stagecoach too.
a 185 from Manchester Piccadilly to London on hire :P
