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East Midlands franchise won by Abellio

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samuelmorris

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I highly doubt it. Why would you go to the effort to relivery a train you are imminently going to replace? They'll get the branded text and nothing more I suspect.
 
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whhistle

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I'm surprised there's a lot of the logo around already.

I've seen covering up / stripping of logos before but I can't recall another franchise that has begun branding a week early.
 

mrmatt

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Given the franchise doesn't start until Sunday yesterday at Luton my train was announced as an EMR service, had the EMR Intercity branding and the guard thanked us for travelling with East Midland Railways on arrival. I don't remember much, if any, rebranding on other transfers a week before the franchise start date?
 

43096

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I'm surprised there's a lot of the logo around already.

I've seen covering up / stripping of logos before but I can't recall another franchise that has begun branding a week early.
Suggests to me that Stagecoach are being rather mature and professional about the handover. In the case of de-/re-branding if you have contractors in to remove the old and the new franchisee is going to get a contractor in to apply the new, then getting one contractor in to do both at the same time will probably save both companies money.
 

ag51ruk

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Suggests to me that Stagecoach are being rather mature and professional about the handover. In the case of de-/re-branding if you have contractors in to remove the old and the new franchisee is going to get a contractor in to apply the new, then getting one contractor in to do both at the same time will probably save both companies money.

I agree - can't remember any train operator putting a page on their website advertising the new franchise, and then making annoucements at stations about it (as they have with https://www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/EMR) - good for them.
 

The Nomad

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Whilst the name and typeface is a bit pastiche, harking back to the 1930s Big 4 I guess, I do like it. However, the EMR branding looks awful on the EMT livery.
 

mrmatt

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Interesting. Was this at the station via the auto P.A or on train?
Manual announcements both on platform and train. In some ways it makes sense given it now says EMR on the side.

Suggests to me that Stagecoach are being rather mature and professional about the handover.
Having met some of the EMR transition team it sounded like there was a fairly good relationship with the EMT management. I've also heard that Stagecoach have very much gone into letting EMT get on with it without too much interference mode. Possibly due to the fact they've decided to pull out of rail until the risk profile of franchises changes.
 

whhistle

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It's also worth noting that Abellio have said from the start that from day 1 of the franchise they wanted their logo on everything.
Some things will have EMT logo blanked off, but most will have been replaced.

I can't remember London Midland to West Mids / LNWR being like this?
Didn't internal posters still have London Midland on for a few weeks?
Perhaps this branch of Abellio care a little more / learnt lessons from West Mids / LNWR?
It also explains this week of changing everything over and pretty much calling it all EMR now instead of waiting for Sunday.
 

Jozhua

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Got an advance ticket for Sunday and it still specifies XC/EMT reservations...will this still be valid on EMR? ;)

Be interesting to see how it goes, doubt it'll be different to any other journeys though!
 

maire23

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When I was going to work the other day the staff at Nottingham station were busy putting up some information boards with the EMR branding. I spotted a re-branded train as early as last Friday.
 

clagmonster

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I have it on very good authority that the transfer of the Barton Line has been postponed at the last minute by the DfT. Now looking like December 2020.
 

Grimsby town

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I have it on very good authority that the transfer of the Barton Line has been postponed at the last minute by the DfT. Now looking like December 2020.

So people using the Barton Line have to put up with trains constantly cancelled for another year due to lack of staff...

I wonder, if it stays with Northern, what unit will operate it. The 153s are going. Perhaps a class 150. With the 185s becoming less intensively used in the coming months, I do wonder if from January the Barton Line will be fully operated by 185s. Completely overkill but would perhaps improve reliability and reduce stock movements. I suppose we await confirmation.
 

High Dyke

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Suggests to me that Stagecoach are being rather mature and professional about the handover. In the case of de-/re-branding if you have contractors in to remove the old and the new franchisee is going to get a contractor in to apply the new, then getting one contractor in to do both at the same time will probably save both companies money.
It's a shame that Stagecoach haven't been as mature regarding the on-going industrial action by the RMT. Instead of sitting and talking they've adopted the buried head syndrome, even asking Abellio if they're prepared to take over the dispute... However that gets us off topic.

Station posters at smaller local stations have already been changed for about a week. It amused me to see the EMR timetable showing a commencement date of 18th August, but no reference for anyone wishing to travel up to the week before. I know that times haven't altered, but those that don't travel so frequently may not realise. Then again many still think we are British Rail. Compared to other rebranding exercises, when a different TOC takes over, the EMR Regional name suits a blue 156 quite well. Remember the sub branding TransPennine Express banner with rolling stock painted in a base colour of maroon with a gold stylised italic N across the midsection, which was hurriedly overlaid with patches when TPE became an operator in its own right.
 

Robertj21a

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Suggests to me that Stagecoach are being rather mature and professional about the handover. In the case of de-/re-branding if you have contractors in to remove the old and the new franchisee is going to get a contractor in to apply the new, then getting one contractor in to do both at the same time will probably save both companies money.

Yes, professional through and through. We may come to miss those standards, I hope not.
 

43096

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Yes, professional through and through. We may come to miss those standards, I hope not.
Living in SWR land I’ve seen the change from a Stagecoach operator and it hasn’t gone well. That said, it is pleasing to see that Abellio have kept the vast majority of the EMT senior management team, which is grounds for optimism.
 

LTJ87

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I travelled from London St Pancras to Nottingham today. There are some EMR posters on the concourse at St Pancras. The First Class signs on the internal HST doors had EMR branding. The name of the on train WiFi has also changed to EMR. No mention from the train manager on the PAs that this was the last day of EMT.
 

LowLevel

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I travelled from London St Pancras to Nottingham today. There are some EMR posters on the concourse at St Pancras. The First Class signs on the internal HST doors had EMR branding. The name of the on train WiFi has also changed to EMR. No mention from the train manager on the PAs that this was the last day of EMT.

Doesn't really make any difference to the train manager who will be working the same trains on the same route for the same bosses tomorrow. It only tends to be cranks and the management that are particularly fussed!
 

Peter C

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Apologies if this is not relevant to the current topic of conversation, but is there any planned "special" events which will take place on/around the final EMT service tonight? On a similar note, is there any planned thing for tomorrow? I assume not for the latter but I would be interested if nothing happened for the former!

-Peter
 

talltim

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Wonder if EMR will get round to getting rid of the MML branding that is still around?
 

4-SUB 4732

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Looks like 1L20, 22:29 Manchester Picc - Nottingham will have the honours of being the last thing physically moving with passengers on.
 

Glenn1969

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Ironic that the last thing EMT leaving anywhere on Saturday is a replacement bus, namely the 2329 from Derby which arrives in NOT 18 minutes after the train mentioned above
 

thenorthern

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I have seen the last ever East Midlands Train from Uttoxeter and it was 3 coaches made up of a Class 158 and a Class 153, pity they couldn't use that that all the time when the Crewe to Derby Line is congested.
 

RealTrains07

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Given the franchise doesn't start until Sunday yesterday at Luton my train was announced as an EMR service, had the EMR Intercity branding and the guard thanked us for travelling with East Midland Railways on arrival. I don't remember much, if any, rebranding on other transfers a week before the franchise start date?
Abellio is obviously well prepared
 
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