Virgin Trains East Coast franchise to end 24 June 2018 and is temporarily re-nationalised

fireftrm · 21 Jun 2018

westv said:
Received an email from VTEC asking me to click "yes" so that LNER can contact me for marketing.
The link works but the web page that comes up just produces an error when clicking on it to confirm.

Worked perfectly fine for me - browser issue?

RailUK Forums

Silver Cobra · 21 Jun 2018

fireftrm said:
Worked perfectly fine for me - browser issue?

Strange. I've tried both on my phone and my home PC, using Firefox and Chrome, but I always get the same result with that error message. Guess I'll have to wait until the site goes live to sort it out there.

aar0 · 21 Jun 2018

Silver Cobra said:
Strange. I've tried both on my phone and my home PC, using Firefox and Chrome, but I always get the same result with that error message. Guess I'll have to wait until the site goes live to sort it out there.

Also failed for me - when pressing yes on the page it takes you to identify just get an error.

Journeyman · 21 Jun 2018

Rail Blues said:
Yes, however this got approved needs a wake up call. Hopefully their pr and marketing teams gets a sharp reminder that they are adults, as are their potential customers and to start acting accordingly. The wacky uncle at a barbecue routine is wearing in the extreme, I am in my mid to late 30s and am fairly relaxed and easygoing: happy to be called by my first name rather than Dr by my students and am generally not a stickler for formality either at work or in my interactions with companies or organisations, outside it, but I really don't appreciate the faux mateyness of the virgin brand. I don't undertake leisure travel with Vtec due to Souter's repugnant views, but if I have to use virgin for work, all I want is to get to my destination on time in a clean and comfortable train, I don't need brash and gaudy marketing. Plus, if I have occasion to use the toilet, I would like to do so in silence please.

Oh, you and me both.

I've got a couple of journeys coming up with LNER shortly, and I sincerely hope all the stupid marketing nonsense is toned down a bit by the time I undertake them (because two trips are Edinburgh to London, and it gets a bit wearing after four and a half hours).

fireftrm · 21 Jun 2018

Silver Cobra said:
Strange. I've tried both on my phone and my home PC, using Firefox and Chrome, but I always get the same result with that error message. Guess I'll have to wait until the site goes live to sort it out there.

You made me doubt myself as I did it on my iPhone and without my glasses on, so just tried again from the email using my MacBook with Firefox - straight to the site and the Yes button worked immediatley and a response thanking me for allowing LNER my details.

FQTV · 21 Jun 2018

Rail Blues said:
Looks like the handiwork of a talentless LWNKR

Oh. Dear.

dorsetdesiro · 21 Jun 2018

FQTV said:
Oh. Dear.

The marketing has failed here, I could see what they're trying to do by going for station/airport codes like DUR for Durham therefore Peterborough could get posters with "LPBOR" but that doesn't seem to work as the average person wouldn't always know that and if the Durham poster wasn't read properly then some Durham people could take this as an insult thinking LNER are calling them fools!

I have to say "Durr!" to LNER's marketing dept for This mishap. It seems that it's the same team from VTEC responsible for the silly social media hype marketing are being kept on...

91109 · 21 Jun 2018

dorsetdesiro said:
The marketing has failed here, I could see what they're trying to do by going for station/airport codes like DUR for Durham therefore Peterborough could get posters with "LPBOR" but that doesn't seem to work as the average person wouldn't always know that and if the Durham poster wasn't read properly then some Durham people could take this as an insult thinking LNER are calling them fools!

I have to say "Durr!" to LNER's marketing dept for This mishap. It seems that it's the same team from VTEC responsible for the silly social media hype marketing are being kept on...

As I stated in an earlier post, the transition team came up with these posters, nothing to do with VTEC.

Brummigrant · 21 Jun 2018

pt_mad said:
So although their West Coast customers don't realise it yet, we are seemingly now within the last 18 months of the brand Virgin Trains being in existence in the UK.

Their livery has been stripped on a lot of their trains over the last few months. It's noticeably disappearing.

DenmarkRail · 21 Jun 2018

_MJP said:
Their livery has been stripped on a lot of their trains over the last few months. It's noticeably disappearing.

If virgin trains win in 2019, and the brand disappears, I’ll get onto one of they’re trains and eat my shirt.

Virgin winning the bid would never result in loosing the VT brand.

LNW-GW Joint · 21 Jun 2018

_MJP said:
Their livery has been stripped on a lot of their trains over the last few months. It's noticeably disappearing.

That's part of the brand adjustment for the last direct award, during the half-life repaint of the whole Pendolino fleet.
It essentially reduces the Virgin element to a minimal level (just the power cars I think), with the rest plain white.
The WCP winner therefore will have a largely blank canvas to rebrand as appropriate.
There's no rebranding/repainting of Voyagers going on.

SaveECRewards · 21 Jun 2018

DenmarkRail said:
If virgin trains win in 2019, and the brand disappears, I’ll get onto one of they’re trains and eat my shirt.

Virgin winning the bid would never result in loosing the VT brand.

I agree with you, if the Virgin brand goes by government insistence I see Virgin will pull out the partnership (it's not unheard of, Stagecoach was supposed to partner with Abellio for East Anglia but pulled out).

Although I like the idea of transferable brands I don't see the harm of keeping a well known brand if the incumbent wins. So if Stagecoach wins EM why not keep East Midlands Trains, with WCP maybe allow the WCML to keep the Virgin brand if they win, but the HS2 has to have a different brand, so doesn't get renamed through its lifetime.

Rail Blues · 21 Jun 2018

SaveECRewards said:
So if Stagecoach wins EM why not keep East Midlands Trains, with WCP maybe allow the WCML to keep the Virgin brand if they win, but the HS2 has to have a different brand, so doesn't get renamed through its lifetime.

Wouldn't that give the incumbent an unfair advantage, they don't have to rebrand rolling stock and stations or build brand awareness through adverts in the way a new operator would, thus allowing them to submit a lower bid.

SaveECRewards · 21 Jun 2018

Rail Blues said:
Wouldn't that give the incumbent an unfair advantage, they don't have to rebrand rolling stock and stations or build brand awareness through adverts in the way a new operator would, thus allowing them to submit a lower bid.

That's always been the case though. In the past when an incumbent has won they get to keep their brand.

westv · 21 Jun 2018

fireftrm said:
You made me doubt myself as I did it on my iPhone and without my glasses on, so just tried again from the email using my MacBook with Firefox - straight to the site and the Yes button worked immediatley and a response thanking me for allowing LNER my details.

So both Apple hardware then.
I just tried on my work PC with Chrome and whatever the default MS browser is and I still get the error message.

capital12 · 21 Jun 2018

91109 said:
As I stated in an earlier post, the transition team came up with these posters, nothing to do with VTEC.

I wouldn’t mind that excuse if the VTEC posters weren’t just as bad, but as it stands they’re equally as vomit inducing!

I had a faint hope when the news that VTEC were going that the new team would be a bit more professional - sadly that doesn’t seem to be the case and all that’s changing is the logo!

gsnedders · 21 Jun 2018

IanXC said:
Nope.

Its by way of a (typical franchise) transfer scheme to London North Eastern Railway Limited.

This is unsurprising, really, given it allows East Coast Mainline Company Ltd to enter bankruptcy proceedings. Transferring the company would mean LNER would inherit VTEC's negative balance sheet.

Giacomo · 21 Jun 2018

Rebranding on trains has started...

Also it says that CCTV is now managed by LNER

FQTV · 21 Jun 2018

Giacomo said:
Rebranding on trains has started...
View attachment 48627
Also it says that CCTV is now managed by LNER

Did the previous on-board maps show Edinburgh Waverley as well?

I have never understood the rationale behind the official dropping of the name, not just to differentiate from Haymarket but also with the opening of Edinburgh Park.

PaxVobiscum · 21 Jun 2018

westv said:
So both Apple hardware then.
I just tried on my work PC with Chrome and whatever the default MS browser is and I still get the error message.

Didn’t work for for me on an iMac, an iPad or an iPhone - all produced the same error message.

pt_mad · 21 Jun 2018

DanNCL said:
Unlikely considering the messup that VTEC made, but it can't be ruled out. Considering they got their numbers wrong last time, I think the DFT would be very silly to take the risk that exactly the same company will do exactly the same again...

If the DFT stipulate the LNER brand in the ITT for the new franchise, Virgin would almost certainly not bid, as they like plastering their name on as many things as possible. Stagecoach bidding on their own or with SNCF like on the West Coast is much more likely I think than a Stagecoach/Virgin bid.

But they are bidding for the WCP aren't they? (VT). And yet I understand that is to have a generic name (i.e. not Virgin Trains)?

DanNCL · 21 Jun 2018

pt_mad said:
But they are bidding for the WCP aren't they? (VT). And yet I understand that is to have a generic name (i.e. not Virgin Trains)?

They are part of a joint bid with Stagecoach and SNCF for the WCP, and whilst it has been rumored that a generic name is to be used, we won't know for certain until the ITT is released. If a generic name is specified in the ITT I wouldn't be surprised if Virgin pull out (either the entire bid dropping out, or Stagecoach and SNCF continuing without Virgin)

LNW-GW Joint · 21 Jun 2018

DanNCL said:
They are part of a joint bid with Stagecoach and SNCF for the WCP, and whilst it has been rumored that a generic name is to be used, we won't know for certain until the ITT is released. If a generic name is specified in the ITT I wouldn't be surprised if Virgin pull out (either the entire bid dropping out, or Stagecoach and SNCF continuing without Virgin)

The WCP ITT has been out for 3 months. Branding is covered on p108:

The Department requires a Franchisee who will implement a striking, high quality and modern intercity brand for the ICWC Services that:
a) Reflects the partnership nature of the Franchise and the collaboration with Network Rail, HS2 Ltd and other Stakeholders to deliver positive outcomes for passengers;
b) Reflects the communities and regions served by the Franchise, the importance of the route to passengers and Stakeholders, and the premium nature of the Franchise;
c) Reflects the values and culture of the Franchise;
d) Is applied consistently across the Franchise livery, rolling stock interiors, Stations, staff uniforms, website and other digital platforms, retail and marketing materials, internal and external communication materials from the Start Date or as soon as is reasonable practicable; and
e) Has regard to the overall costs and benefits of branding, including the return on investment and any potential future costs of de-branding.

There is no specific requirement for a generic name, nor that a DfT name must be used.
You might argue that (b) above would make a geographic brand like "LMS" more preferable than a company brand or something bland like Horizon Trains.
If West Midlands Trains had not bagged London Northwestern Railway I would have though it was front runner, especially as it matches the NR Route like LNER.
LMS was a much larger geographic area than the initial WCP will be, extending to Kyle/Wick, Swansea, Bristol, Goole and Shoeburyness.
How you reflect the future High Speed nature of the line I don't know.
The bids are due in in July, and Virgin/Stagecoach/SNCF are still in there with First/Trenitalia and MTR/Guangshen.

pt_mad · 21 Jun 2018

DanNCL said:
They are part of a joint bid with Stagecoach and SNCF for the WCP, and whilst it has been rumored that a generic name is to be used, we won't know for certain until the ITT is released. If a generic name is specified in the ITT I wouldn't be surprised if Virgin pull out (either the entire bid dropping out, or Stagecoach and SNCF continuing without Virgin)

And then Virgin would be looking like they're on their way out of the UK rail market. Would be quite a surprise.

pt_mad · 21 Jun 2018

LNW-GW Joint said:
How you reflect the future High Speed nature of the line I don't know

Could call it LMS Highspeed. Or whatever highspeed?

skyhigh · 21 Jun 2018

Giacomo said:
Rebranding on trains has started...
View attachment 48627
Also it says that CCTV is now managed by LNER

Good that they've got started, though the twitter and facebook pages listed still aren't active, and the phone number is the one currently used for Group Travel bookings. It's a little thing, but could lead to some confusion for the next couple of days!

LNW-GW Joint · 21 Jun 2018

pt_mad said:
Could call it LMS Highspeed. Or whatever highspeed?

Well the overall franchise won't be high speed till 2026 (or whenever HS2 starts).
Trenitalia have their "Freccia…" (Arrow) brand, with different colours for different high speed train types (Frecciarossa being the fastest).
Austria has its RailJjet express brand.
RENFE had a jumble of made-up names for its wide variety of fast services, not just AVE.
France has gone with OuiGo now instead of the bland TGV.
DB just has ICE, but the fastest ones (fewest stops) are called ICE Sprinters.
Way off topic for LNER, sorry...

transmanche · 21 Jun 2018

PaxVobiscum said:
Didn’t work for for me on an iMac, an iPad or an iPhone - all produced the same error message.

VTEC has tweeted to say there is an issue, but the 'Yes' will have been registered by the website.

https://twitter.com/Virgin_TrainsEC/status/1009731903161819136

If you have received this email and got an error message when having clicked 'Yes', please don't worry. Your 'Yes' has been noted and you'll still be opted in to receive marketing emails. Rest assured, we're still working on getting this error fixed with a nicer message.

transmanche · 21 Jun 2018

I've not seen this posted on the forum yet, but this arrived outside the Discovery Museum in Newcastle last night. Part of the Great Exhibition of the North.

Source: https://twitter.com/AneelaAwann/status/1009719294593241088

Source: https://twitter.com/AneelaAwann/status/1009563453353332738

DanNCL · 21 Jun 2018

transmanche said:
I've not seen this posted on the forum yet, but this arrived outside the Discovery Museum in Newcastle last night. Part of the Great Exhibition of the North.

Source: https://twitter.com/AneelaAwann/status/1009719294593241088

Source: https://twitter.com/AneelaAwann/status/1009563453353332738

I've put a few photos that I took earlier today in the class 800 thread.

It's only there for a couple of weeks, afterwards it's getting replaced by an LNER sponsored virtual reality experience for the remainder of the Great Exhibition Of The North iirc.

Virgin Trains East Coast franchise to end 24 June 2018 and is temporarily re-nationalised

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