I don't think it was, I suspect they never intended to honour the pledge that they gave in their bid. If they had introduced the Mk 3 trains we would have had 2 circuits of longer trains for several years now (and don't forget the disability access deadline hasn't really hit yet, derogations have been granted and one upgraded coach could have been put into each set to keep them going until the Mk 5s are finally de-bugged.) They would have allowed 2 more DMU circuits to be doubled up over the last couple of years too.
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TPE 'Abysmal' Performance
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Killingworth
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The Sheffield - Piccadilly Northern stopping service is usually timed at xx.14. The TPE Cleethorpes - Airport service should usually leave at xx. 11. Due to delays at Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Doncaster or Meadowhall it's late as often as not. The Northern service may depart on time, but can be held up to 15 minutes in the Heeley loop to allow the faster service to pass.
That situation won't change when the Hope Valley Capacity Improvement Scheme is completed. The option of bi-directional working through Dore Station has been dropped from the work now out to tender. If included it would have allowed the Northern service to proceed to Dore, clearing the northbound MML, and wait to be overtaken there, probably saving 3 minutes.
I could write a book about a sequence of delays on Hope Valley yesterday where every TOC and FOC will have been blaming another! TPE are as sinned against as sinning, and the same can usually be said for Northern.
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Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
It was a convenient red herrimg for TPE to hide behind. It was good of the RMT to bite so easily.
Especially as the accessibility issues were easily solved (there are plenty of accessible Mk3 carriages!) but TPE chose not to solve them.
Clarence Yard
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I am far from being a defender of TPE and their inept way of introducing stock but on the mk3 issue they have my sympathy. It became obvious that the ORR were not going to play ball as their local team were dead against the introduction of that stock. They had a real thing about slam doors.
Grumpy Git
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FWIW, I actually caught the 1P20 12.16 TPE at Manchester Oxford Rd today for the airport. It was on time (+1 is near enough to "on time" for me) and had spare seats. Can't remember the last time that happened!
It would've led to a law suit. It wasn't a red herring, the available carriages were not accessible. Not sure why this has to do the rounds yet again Those carriages were marked for Scarborough route - a disabled customer turns up and can't get on in a wheelchair then the TOC are culpable. The workaround was to wait an hour or put them in a taxi - should the customer refuse then they could've sued and porbably would've won. Thus, the decision was taken to not run them. Anyone saying people wouldn't have sued - there's plenty of ongoing issues withing the rail industry at the moment that contradicts that point.
Northern introduced slam door stock on unfamiliar routes including Carlisle -Barrow-Lancaster for a while without catastrophe because of DMU shortages, so it’s unlikely TPE couldn’t have done likewise for a limited period had the will on all sides been present
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Picking up half a dozen people at Sellafield, or even 50 at Barrow is rather different than a few hundred at Leeds
61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
My memory of the time was that it was "wait an hour and then be put in a taxi if the following service was also mk3s"... and as the plan was to run them on consecutive diagrams, that would happen a fair bit. I don't think there'd have been quite so much protest if a taxi was offered immediately.
Clarence Yard
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It was immaterial what the next scheme was that TPE came up with for their use as another hurdle was then just placed in the path of the Operator - the ORR just weren't going to countenance their use. Not even the DfT could shift them.
dave59
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So DfT/ORR/NR/TPX equally to blame for everything. Three bespoke fleets while Mk3's rot in sidings and passengers are crammed into noisy rail buses with about 60 unnecessary announcements on every trip - either inaudible or blowing your ears out.
And despite late introduction into service of LNER/TPX Class 80x units, the infrastructure north of Newcastle is still not ready to support them. Incompetence from public and private entities.
And despite late introduction into service of LNER/TPX Class 80x units, the infrastructure north of Newcastle is still not ready to support them. Incompetence from public and private entities.
BenW390Fan
Member
How would they be unnecessary?
Did you know Transpennine Express are now on WhatsApp?
theblackwatch
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The press release, at https://www.firstgroupplc.com/news-and-media/latest-news/2020/04-03-2020.aspx , reads:
BenW390Fan
Member
Interesting
C J Snarzell
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Who would like to put odds on former Northern boss David Brown getting the top job?
Plenty of internal candidates in First group before they even need to look outside.
The ones I know will want to keep their heads down and not have MD on the CV - this lack of volunteers might have caused some surprise but anyone worth their salt will know there isn't much ability to change things there.
I was going to suggest that there are plenty of hills in the pennines to run to!
It can't be far off MD chosen by short straw /dice etc.!
I wouldn't rule out First handing the franchise back. Lel Goodwin has been a big supporter in almost doubling the TPE fleet. Him leaving raises questions as to whether First Group believe this loss making franchise is worth the hassle and if it would be better cutting their losses now.
David Brown has moved over to the OLR. He inherited a raw deal with Arriva in fairness. Arriva were only interested in running the franchise into the ground and scrimping profit for shareholders every year by cost cutting measures.
warwickshire
On Moderation
You never know maybe another surprise might happen. Swr could well get another md in a few weeks. And its like turning back the clock to first north Western times. And mark hopwood could well make a comeback to his old part of the woods. At first transpennie Express .
Also wonder where the very first transpennie Express manager has gone these days . If I remember correctly ie Vernon Barker or Baker wasn't it. Ie around mid 2000s etc.
Also wonder where the very first transpennie Express manager has gone these days . If I remember correctly ie Vernon Barker or Baker wasn't it. Ie around mid 2000s etc.
C J Snarzell
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Wasn't Mr Goodwin on a annual salary of £344,000 according to an article in last year's Manchester Evening News?
Be interesting to know what kind of settlement figure he has got.
Be interesting to know what kind of settlement figure he has got.
typical reach plc guff wasn’t it. They decided to include pension contributions in the ‘salary’
But it is true (is it not) that he had just had a large pay rise, in acknowledgement of his achievements?
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