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RMT reporting Abellio to default on Scotrail franchise

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Robertj21a

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Mitchell Hurd said:
I wouldn't like to be in Scotrail's shoes if passengers have missed a family or friends funerals or even the last opportunity to visit a friend or family member in hospital (if you get me) because of Scotrails reported mess ups!
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Surely, that's the same issue whether it's Scotrail, Virgin, EMR, GWR etc etc. They all have problems at times.
 
47271

47271

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Kite159 said:
Like the RMT website is a trustworthy source
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Well exactly, and all the quote is evidence of is that the RMT believes that there's an OLR in place. I'd be very surprised if this contingency hasn't been lined up in some way since at least devolution.

That aside, local (Highland Main Line) gossip I've heard regarding imminent abandonment of HST conversions would fit with this speculation.

I have no idea what's going on, but in the absence of any firm evidence I'm assuming that nothing's going on.
 
GusB

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47271 said:
Well exactly, and all the quote is evidence of is that the RMT believes that there's an OLR in place. I'd be very surprised if this contingency hasn't been lined up in some way since at least devolution.

That aside, local (Highland Main Line) gossip I've heard regarding imminent abandonment of HST conversions would fit with this speculation.

I have no idea what's going on, but in the absence of any firm evidence I'm assuming that nothing's going on.
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https://stv.tv/news/scotland/1440685-government-ready-to-take-over-scotrail-if-failings-continue/

The Scottish Government has put plans in place to run the railways as an "operator of last resort" if ScotRail's performance fails to improve, the transport secretary has confirmed.

Michael Matheson said the current Abellio ScotRail franchise could be terminated if it fails to deliver on the remedial plan it was issued with earlier this year.

He said ministers had "ongoing plans in place" in case the Scottish Government needs to step in.


Mr Matheson said: "We have ongoing plans for putting in place the provision for operator of last resort, we've got various contracts with consultants and agencies who would support us in delivering that if that was necessary.

"We have arrangements and contracts in place that if we had to employ an operator of last resort we would be in a position to be able to do so."
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Radio Scotland has been reporting this today as well. No specific dates were mentioned, though.
 
Deltic1961

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"Lessons learned" and "sorry" get a bit boring when they're trotted out every week.
 
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snookertam

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We will see whether this rumour is correct. Would it be the Scottish Government stripping them of the franchise, or would it be Abellio handing the keys back? I wonder if it might be the latter.
 
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Clip

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Mitchell Hurd said:
I wouldn't like to be in Scotrail's shoes if passengers have missed a family or friends funerals or even the last opportunity to visit a friend or family member in hospital (if you get me) because of Scotrails reported mess ups!
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This is an odd thing to say because surely it is the same for taking the car or the bus or the plane if they live far away and is the same all over the world.

Plus for such a small minority of people is not even reaching to any sort of percentage point of those actually travelling by any mode of transport
 
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Steve childs

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My mate is a driver. Something is up with HSTs . He says poor WSP for autumn. Another bloke says they are pulling the plug due to cash. Any feedback on more Rail rumours?
 
47271

47271

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Steve childs said:
My mate is a driver. Something is up with HSTs . He says poor WSP for autumn. Another bloke says they are pulling the plug due to cash. Any feedback on more Rail rumours?
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I might be 'another bloke' in that I posted it on the Scotrail HST thread at the start of this month. The story that I heard was that they'd run out of money and they would be ending refurbs very soon. Today on the same thread we're getting a story that fuel costs will spell the end of the project, and it occurs to me that I might've got a garbled version of that in what I heard.

In the event that any or all of it is true then I suppose that it could be the tipping point, or one of the tipping points, for Abellio to be given the chop. Still wild speculation though.

Just one other thing to add to the fever around this - has anyone else noticed that all of the Scotrail Alliance regulars who used to post on this forum have disappeared over the past couple of months? I won't name names, but a lot of us know who they are, and I wonder why they might have been silenced from, say, mid July onwards?
 
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adrock1976

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47271 said:
I might be 'another bloke' in that I posted it on the Scotrail HST thread at the start of this month. The story that I heard was that they'd run out of money and they would be ending refurbs very soon. Today on the same thread we're getting a story that fuel costs will spell the end of the project, and it occurs to me that I might've got a garbled version of that in what I heard.

In the event that any or all of it is true then I suppose that it could be the tipping point, or one of the tipping points, for Abellio to be given the chop. Still wild speculation though.

Just one other thing to add to the fever around this - has anyone else noticed that all of the Scotrail Alliance regulars who used to post on this forum have disappeared over the past couple of months? I won't name names, but a lot of us know who they are, and I wonder why they might have been silenced from, say, mid July onwards?
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I would like to seek clarification if the bit I have bolded refers to Abellio or Wabtec at Doncaster that may have ran out of money?

Or both?
 
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alangla

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Failed Unit said:
But we have had an HST on the route for years. Is it the wheel slip that bad?
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Is it not more likely to be wheel slide rather than wheel slip? The LNER sets have twice as many trailers and twice as many disc braked wheels than the ScotRail ones
 
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Failed Unit

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alangla said:
Is it not more likely to be wheel slide rather than wheel slip? The LNER sets have twice as many trailers and twice as many disc braked wheels than the ScotRail ones
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Very possible. The existing hst hasn’t done badly and is often better then the DMUs in the snow. We will see. Do they have enough DMUs not to do it? Be interesting to see how Azuma gets on. Trying not to wander off topic. The hst was a franchise commitment. So if they fail it is at least another nail in the coffin.
 
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theironroad

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I'd fully expect Transport Scotland to have a plan in case an OLR was ever needed for any reason. It shouldn't be a surprise if one exists.

If the intercity HST programme doesn't come to full fruition it would be a disaster as the current capacity and comfort provison , especially in summer, is woeful and in dire need of updating.
 
Deltic1961

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I know it's covered in another topic but the HST refurb programme was never going to be a success. Not Abellio's fault but another issue to deal with on top of all the others.
 
GrimShady

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Cal Mac have long been lined up to take over the franchise. Yet to be seen if they become the OLR or will be the next franchise holders.
 
47271

47271

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GrimShady said:
Cal Mac have long been lined up to take over the franchise. Yet to be seen if they become the OLR or will be the next franchise holders.
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I suppose that their would be a certain beauty to that. Macbraynes has plenty of experience of running a service with less than not enough resource and have become prisoner of a poorly thought through stock building project. Those two ferries stuck unfinished at Fergusons in Port Glasgow remind me of the HSTs in a funny back to front sort of way.

Or do they remind me more of the new Caledonian Sleeper stock with its over ambitious technology? That's it - they're going reintegrate the Scotrail franchise and get Serco to run it. Brilliant!

None of the above to be taken seriously before anyone gets the wrong end of the stick by the way...
 
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Failed Unit

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47271 said:
I suppose that their would be a certain beauty to that. Macbraynes has plenty of experience of running a service with less than not enough resource and have become prisoner of a poorly thought through stock building project. Those two ferries stuck unfinished at Fergusons in Port Glasgow remind me of the HSTs in a funny back to front sort of way.

Or do they remind me more of the new Caledonian Sleeper stock with its over ambitious technology? That's it - they're going reintegrate the Scotrail franchise and get Serco to run it. Brilliant!

None of the above to be taken seriously before anyone gets the wrong end of the stick by the way...
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If any of them happen. We read it here first. ;)
 
bb21

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As this thread has gradually evolved into a mishmash of all sorts of problems ScotRail seem to be facing, and proliferation of Chinese whispers, the core topic is lost so is locked until further credible evidence is available regarding claims about the future of the current Abellio ScotRail franchise.
 
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