2018 in Rail - Your Hopes, Fears and Predictions

[GRALISTAIR]

Scotrail's HSTs will be a roaring success and other franchises will fight over the remaining off-lease sets.

I think this is a good one and I think you may well be correct.

 

[ooo]

,
I fear a fatal accident,

I fear a fatal accident

.

Why do you both fear a fatal accident? Is it specifically for next year or just generally in the future?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Why do you both fear a fatal accident? Is it specifically for next year or just generally in the future?

Railways are so safe and had a great run so I fear we are due an accident with a fatality - because we are due. Irrational I know but it is what I fear.

 

[mcmad]

Why do you both fear a fatal accident? Is it specifically for next year or just generally in the future?

If you look back at the number of lucky escapes the railway in general has had over the last few years where 1 minor difference in a small incident would have resulted in a major one then I'd agree that my No1 fear for 2018 is our luck runs out and we have the next fatal accident.

 

[Moonshot]

I predict 20% less posts on this forum next year.....along with the likes of facebook and twitter....as people start to realise there is a world outside of a PC or smartphone.

 

[AverageTD]

I hope that SWR can get a train running between Reading and Waterloo that is on time. I fear that this will not happen. I predict that the Tyne and Wear northern network will have another year of Pacers

 

[Bletchleyite]

Hope: Abellio et al will get into running the south WCML competently and won't have a massive fall-to-bits that happened when LM took over from Silverlink.

Fear: it'll be as bad as the first days of LM all over.

Hope: A sensible rail network for Wales will be defined in the new franchise, including new IC-quality stock and significant improvement to quality and capacity all round.

Fear: it'll be more of the same-old, and the Conwy Valley will have another bad year of weather damage.

 

[MG11]

Hopes
I hope that a decision is finally made on the barrier situation at Sheffield.
The Flex 319s are introduced on time.
CrossCountry up their game in terms of Revenue Protection, especially at Burton On Trent, perhaps they could arrange for EMT to have officers do checks there, as it is their station.
Northern introduce a refreshment trolley on their Nottingham-Leeds services.

Fears
The Derbyshire Wayfarer will be withdrawn.
The Flex trains progress will be delayed.
CrossCountry will reduce catering on their Turbostar services.

Predictions
The Poacher Line (Nottingham - Skegness) will be added to East Midlands Trains's Penalty Fare network.
Flex trains will be delayed on introduction in to service.
London Midland's Twitter will be manned 24 hours.
Virgin trains will invent a new catchphrase for their marketing, rivalling "Arrive awesome" and "Be bound for glory".

 

[yorkie]

Hopes
I hope that a decision is finally made on the barrier situation at Sheffield.

I find this comment to be a bit odd. What do you actually mean? The decision was made a long time ago: no barriers until an additional bridge is installed.

CrossCountry up their game in terms of Revenue Protection, especially at Burton On Trent, perhaps they could arrange for EMT to have officers do checks there, as it is their station.

I hope CrossCountry up their game in terms of ceasing to prosecute valid ticket holders.
Northern introduce a refreshment trolley on their Nottingham-Leeds services.

Virgin trains will invent a new catchphrase for their marketing, rivalling "Arrive awesome" and "Be bound for glory".

Rivalling it in terms of ludicrousness and being as detached from reality as possible?

 

[MG11]

I find this comment to be a bit odd. What do you actually mean? The decision was made a long time ago: no barriers until an additional bridge is installed.

Someone from EMT's Prosecutions office told me a while ago that they are "still trying" to have a barrier installed at Sheffield, make of that what you will.
I was also told that they had plans to introduce Revenue Protection Assistants, which made me wonder if that could mean regular human barriers at Sheffield, like Manchester Piccadilly has. These plans could have since been axed though.

 

[yorkie]

I think that means trying to get a second bridge installed. I've not heard anything on that recently. I predict it won't happen anytime soon!

 

[Starmill]

Installing the second bridge would be incredibly expensive and the benefits would be very limited, so I think you can probably forget it. I am not even sure if there is a problem that requires solving.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Hopes:

Stagecoach and SNCF win the bid for the West Coast Franchise and HS2 keeping the Virgin brand alive on the WCML and giving it the honour of being the first company to work on HS2.

SWR abolish the idea of 2x2 first class (Long shot, I know) and introduce reservations on the WofE line, making use of the reservation slip slots on the 158/9 seats.

GWR refurbish more interiors and retain their franchise. (Otherwise all my livery updates are for nothing ) plus introduce hot food in first class on weekdays, for the awful downgrade in first class seating and comfort with the transition from HSTs leather works of art to IETs hard things (albeit with very nice head cushions)

Virgin Trains Both Coast up their game on food offerings, increasing reliability of the weekday menus and improving weekend offerings, perhaps by changing the weekend upgrade to a seat only offer?

VTEC 800s get fitted with a better interior than those on GWR's patch (another long shot).

Tighten up the rules on quiet zones! Guards I'm talking to you.


Fears:

That current projects such as HS2, East West Rail Link and such don't get delayed!

 

[Wivenswold]

After an intense battle on these very pages, a breakaway Rail Seat UK Forum starts up. As a consequence it becomes possible to search forum threads for railway news and updates again.

 

[Confused147]

Looking into my crystal ball I see:

Blackpool to Preston going into delays and wont re-open for several more weeks and the May 2018 recast will again be pushed back to May 2019.

Virgin will get the WCML for another 15 years

An announcement will be made for pacers remaining in service until 2024

Phil Sayer will return to work at Birmingham New Street

 

[DanNCL]

Hopes:

New trains are finally ordered for the Tyne & Wear Metro

158s finally enter service in the North East

Govia loses the Southeastern franchise competition to Stagecoach

Stagecoach retain the East Midlands franchise

The Cross Country franchise changes hands (not particularly fussed who wins it as long as it isn't Arriva again)

Cross Country re-introduce quiet coaches on Voyagers


Fears:

HS2 will be delayed and go over budget

Transpennine electrification being further postponed, or cancelled altogether

Further ridiculous fare increases in VTEC standard class between Newcastle and London

A fatal accident occurring on the UK rail network (for no reason other than we've been lucky not to have had one since Grayrigg in 2007, therefore one is long overdue)


Predictions:

Crossrail core will open on time

Abellio will win the Wales & Borders franchise

Further strikes on Northern, Southern and Merseyrail

BR era EMUs start heading for scrap

Another snap general election; meaning the possibility of a Labour government beginning re-nationalisation

 

[superalbs]

I fear more trains will be fitted with godawful Fainsa ironing boards.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Hopes: shovels starting works on some of the proposed additions to the West Midlands station networked (Brierley Hill & Camp Hill I'm looking at you!)

The West Midlands Combined Authority scrap the plans to have the trams go through to brierley hill, instead terminating at Dudley Bus Station, but revised to connect with trains at a planned Dudley station near the planned VLR place

Abellio creating a permanent day ranger ticket similar to London Midlands Great Escape

Arriva adding a hourly daytime 168 operated service non stop from Birmingham to Galton Bridge and then skip stopping as far as Stourbridge

 

[SamYeager]

I predict TP electrification will get the go ahead with most of it actually scheduled to get wires because the consequences for the government otherwise would be too great.

Why would you think that? I believe the government's already taken the political flak from ruling it out so what would make it worse?

 

[yorksrob]

Hopes:

Stagecoach and SNCF win the bid for the West Coast Franchise and HS2 keeping the Virgin brand alive on the WCML and giving it the honour of being the first company to work on HS2.

SWR abolish the idea of 2x2 first class (Long shot, I know) and introduce reservations on the WofE line, making use of the reservation slip slots on the 158/9 seats.

GWR refurbish more interiors and retain their franchise. (Otherwise all my livery updates are for nothing ) plus introduce hot food in first class on weekdays, for the awful downgrade in first class seating and comfort with the transition from HSTs leather works of art to IETs hard things (albeit with very nice head cushions)

Virgin Trains Both Coast up their game on food offerings, increasing reliability of the weekday menus and improving weekend offerings, perhaps by changing the weekend upgrade to a seat only offer?

VTEC 800s get fitted with a better interior than those on GWR's patch (another long shot).

Tighten up the rules on quiet zones! Guards I'm talking to you.


Fears:

That current projects such as HS2, East West Rail Link and such don't get delayed!

Oh no, please no pointless reservations on the WoE line. If people request them, then fine, but don't churn them out for advance purchase tickets as seems to be the case elsewhere where reservations are available.

 

[DanTrain]

Hopes:

• MML electrification is restarted north of Kettering
  
• 2nd platform at Dore and Totley started and Hope Valley work begins (as mentioned before)
• TPE will run 6 car south TP services
• Blackpool-Preston actually opens on time
• A new government (and subsequent nationalisation)
• HS2 phase 2 is approved formally.
• TFL will take over more London suburban services

Fears:

• Grayling's going to can yet more projects in the north whilst pushing ahead with Crossrail 2!
  
• Strikes continue at their current rate or worse (more of a prediction really...)
• Cascades of 170s to Northern will be delayed
• Congestion and overcrowding will get worse whilst the government twiddle their brexit thumbs and send all our money off to the German and French nationalised railway companies

 

[Bletchleyite]

Hope: 230s enter service on the Marston Vale and are popular and reliable; the almost daily cancellations cease and passenger numbers grow.

Fear: Another one catches fire, Vivarail folds with all the used D78s going for scrap, and there's a long period of bustitution until someone finds something else they can use like a couple of 143s released by Northern with the bogs locked out.

 

[snowball]

(Transpennine electrification)

Why would you think that? I believe the government's already taken the political flak from ruling it out so what would make it worse?

It hasn't ruled it out. Grayling merely suggested in an interview that it might leave out the difficult bits.

 

[snowball]

Hopes:

• HS2 phase 2 is approved formally.

I think it has already received all the approvals to be got except for passage of two acts of parliament, one for phase 2a and one for phase 2b. A bill for 2a has been introduced but I don't think passge next year is likely. 2b is years off.

 

[snowball]

Looking into my crystal ball I see:

Blackpool to Preston going into delays and wont re-open for several more weeks and the May 2018 recast will again be pushed back to May 2019.

Delays to Preston-Manchester are perhaps more likely.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Hopes:

- New WM operator will eradicate small avoidable delays to achieve much better Right Time performance, by negotiating timings +/- a few mins with NR

- Earlier first trains and later last trains throughout the XC/VTWC/WM network, especially on weekends

- Peak time CrossCity trains are all timetabled to 6-car

- Renationalisation of several franchises

- Season ticket holders get 1% discount on renewing per minute of average delay, normal ticket holders get minute-by-minute automatic Delay Repay

- WM operator timetable change brought forward

- WM operator introduces refresh and repaint on EMU fleet (esp. 323), changes 3|2 seating on 3502xx to 2|2

- Faster WiFi on WM, free WiFi on VTWC/XC, improved mobile signal on WVH-BHM route!

Fears:

- New WM operator & VTWC increases minimum price of long-distance Advances and/or reduces availability

- (More) strikes on VTWC/XC

- WM operator timetable worsened

- WM operator introduces 3|2 seating on more trains

- WM strikes

Predictions:

- No franchises renationalised

- Crazy ticket price rises

- Lots more strikes on VTWC and XC

 

[Bantamzen]

I just want honesty from my Employer (not silence and DfT approved script) and the RMT (not 70s sounding rhetoric) and bang their heads together to get a resolution otherwise for everyone who uses and works on our railway network it will be a horrible year. Come to an agreement that benefits everyone and not just shareholders.

As a passenger I'd second finding an agreement, especially given what you have said about Connect services.

Beyond that my Northern wish list is somewhat uninspiring, better connectivity from my home station Baildon to Leeds, better facilities at Shipley, first sighting of the 195s / 331s. Beyond that I would like to see more effort made to integrate inter-modal systems making public transport more appealing and mode changing less fractured (massive hope, not holding breath though), the North TP electrification programme agreed and financed in full (no Grayling Gaps), HS2 work beginning on earnest and the Phase 2 legislation brought forward to be agreed in 2018.

 

[yorkie]

- Crazy ticket price risesS

I can already say this prediction is correct

 

[A0wen]

Abellio creating a permanent day ranger ticket similar to London Midlands Great Escape

Surely the existing West Midlands Day Ranger does most of that already?

 

[ABB125]

I hope that my local station gets an hourly service.
Meanwhile, I predict more strikes, some over trivial matters such as the brand of tea in the guard's mess room, and massive delays/cost overruns on just about everything the country does (not just on the railway).