Easiest/hardest franchises to manage?

[Horizon22]

What NSE did drive through was Thameslink which had been in the shadows developing slowly. It also instilled some pride in the "can do" attitude that was always there keeping services running.

It did make the politicans take notice how the London Suburban network was short of investment as was just about surviving.

NSE on a day to day basis functioned to a large degree in the old operating divisions. There was the overarching publicity, marketing and policies, but there was no more connection day to day connection than there had been before. Apart from the livery and publicity what was there in common between South Central and say WCML outer suburban??

There are still a lot of similarities between Kent and Sussex regions today in the way they operate, although these have obviously diverted over the past 30 years. Even if its just branding at some London terminals that has stubbornly remained in NSE colours!

 

[43074]

Operationally speaking, you don't get much harder than GTR, Southeastern or SWR just for the sheer number of trains on relatively compact networks. Most commuter TOCs aren't easy full stop as one wrong step puts you on the front pages, whether big or small - e.g. the likes of Southern/Thameslink and Northern have became household names over the last couple of years for the strikes and timetable difficulties, but equally on two occasions (Dec 2006 and Dec 2015) c2c have been forced to amend or revert major timetable changes.

LNER is probably a contender for easiest, a relatively small number of trains but spread over a long distance, mostly discretionary/leisure traffic so less likely to hit front page news, just ticks along.

The main things that have prevented the franchise from completely failing would be the management contract nature and the fairly standard fleet following the 387 and 700/717 standardisation.

Fleet standardisation is fine if that's the situation you inherit, but implementing that is difficult if, as in GTR's case, you have to train drivers on the new types whilst being chronically short of drivers inherited from FCC/old Southern anyway.

The thing that's probably saved GTR is that the timetable structure post May 18 was sound overall, so it was a a matter of sorting the traincrew situation to improve the performance (easier said than done). That's different to Northern where no-end of tinkering with the timetable since May 18 still hasn't produced a reliable timetable, the infrastructure required not being in place and industrial relations problems merely compounded that and ultimately led to the failure of the Arriva franchise.

 

[willgreen]

LNER is probably a contender for easiest, a relatively small number of trains but spread over a long distance, mostly discretionary/leisure traffic so less likely to hit front page news, just ticks along.

The East Coast franchise is, in my eyes, very difficult to operate, as evidenced by the repeated franchise failures over the last 15 or so years. There's a lack of alternative routes for much of the line, inadequate infrastructure at many points, and competition from several open access operators. It's also the main London-Edinburgh route so political factors also come into play. LNER are doing a great job but that doesn't mean that they've got an easy task on their hands.
That said, the rest of your post was certainly very valid - the LNER comment just irked me as a north-easterner!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

The East Coast franchise is, in my eyes, very difficult to operate, as evidenced by the repeated franchise failures over the last 15 or so years. There's a lack of alternative routes for much of the line, inadequate infrastructure at many points, and competition from several open access operators. It's also the main London-Edinburgh route so political factors also come into play. LNER are doing a great job but that doesn't mean that they've got an easy task on their hands.
That said, the rest of your post was certainly very valid - the LNER comment just irked me as a north-easterner!

Exactly -something like 120 trains a day - so 5 late runners on a route which is at best Edinburgh etc to London (but has Aberdeen and Inverness in the mix) means you have bust your PPM target for the day. Often not your fault either with random issues all over.

As a Northern bloke used to say - they had run 120 trains a day before 0730. True enough. Different operating scenario.

 

[HowardGWR]

I would imagine, from a manager's standpoint, the franchise that ends up most in negative news media reports and MP's questions to Parliament, etc.

On that basis, it's no contest - Northern.

 

[Metal_gee_man]

The current largest fleet is GTR with (approx Wikipedia calculated numbers) 515 multiple units
2nd is SWR with 413 multiple units
3nd is SE with 397 multiple units
4rd is Northern circa 379 units (a complete mixed bag though of 2 car, 3 car and 4 car EMUs / DMUs)

 

[London Trains]

The current largest fleet is GTR with (approx Wikipedia calculated numbers) 515 multiple units
2nd is SWR with 413 multiple units
3nd is SE with 397 multiple units
4rd is Northern circa 379 units (a complete mixed bag though of 2 car, 3 car and 4 car EMUs / DMUs)

I have counted it differently, I got:

GWR 253
Scotrail 371
Southeastern 392
Northern 400
SWR 417
GTR 516

Also bear in mind most of these units are 2 to 4 car which join together - whereas the Thameslink Class 700s are fixed 8 or 12 cars and the GN 717s fixed 6 cars, so GTR have an even higher amount of carriages.

 

[DarloRich]

Surely it isnt a competition. Do all franchises not face individual challenges to overcome? C2C might have a "simple" network but they shifts vast numbers of people everyday. LNWR have a relatively fixed fleet but have to run on the busiest railway line. Virgin have a standard fleet but long distance runs easily impacted by knock on delays. Northern is geographically complicated but doesn't move as many people etc etc

 

[BeHereNow]

I would imagine the hardest franchises to manage are those where hopelessly optimistic revenue and cost lines are bid, which are then are impossible to meet.

 

[willgreen]

Surely it isnt a competition.

It's not imo - the disagreements about what challenges are harder / easier for TOCs to deal with are what make this conversation interesting (I probably should've put trivia in the title though).

 

[cnjb8]

EMR has to contend with Thameslink near London and Northern at the north parts of the route, but other then that, their network is simple.
CrossCountry must be tough, they have inadequate stock and many operators to deal with.
SWR has taken a massive tumble compared to SWT.
Finally, I think GTR is the hardest franchise to operate due to the large scale of their fleet and network. But, I think they have improved a great deal.

 

[A0wen]

Surely the easiest is the Island Line - not withstanding ancient infrastructure and rolling stock ?

Self-contained, no freight or other operators to worry about.

 

[Alfie1014]

Surely it isnt a competition. Do all franchises not face individual challenges to overcome? C2C might have a "simple" network but they shifts vast numbers of people everyday.

Not quite as simple as some think, Fenchurch Street station (and Liverpool Street) are both operated by NR, Stratford by TfL, and there's massive consultation/working with TfL/LU not least on the section of line out to Upminster where matters such as co-ordinating engineering work, crowd control (especially at time of disruption) is needed, similarliy with GA on the approaches to Liverpool Street (especially so at weekends). Then there's the frieght interaction which not as numerous as it used to be is still significant. And as been also mentioned, the massive increase in usage in the Oyster area has caused them major problems with overcrowding which when they tried to remedy but managed to 'p' off their traditional commuters from further out in Essex.

 

[MotCO]

Surely the easiest is the Island Line - not withstanding ancient infrastructure and rolling stock ?

Self-contained, no freight or other operators to worry about.

But is it a franchise in its own right?

 

[MotCO]

Hardest: I'd say Southeastern. A busy mixed and intertwined commuter network that operates from more London Terminals than any other operator. Cannon Street, Charing Cross, London Bridge, St Pancras, Victoria, as well as peak services and weekend diversions to Blackfriars, all juggling Metro and Mainline work.

Is it easier to say which terminals they do not call at? Paddington, Marylebone, Kings Cross, Liverpool Street, Fenchurch Street and Waterloo, or have I missed any?

 

[Class195]

100% it has one of the largest train fleets and most complex termini in the UK, equally, it has some of the most universal fleet in the UK (375,377,465,466s) can run to all stations barring HS1, but could you say that about the other largest rolling stock operator Northern?

Northern would be a yes.

See 150s, 153s, 155s, 156s, 158s, 170s and 195s all used on the vast majority of services.

 

[si404]

Fenchurch Street is managed by c2c.

As are West Ham, Barking and Upminster - that has to be harder for c2c than if TfL managed it.

How many TOCs have to manage 4 stations with more than 10 million passengers? Many of which aren't theirs...

 

[London Trains]

Is it easier to say which terminals they do not call at? Paddington, Marylebone, Kings Cross, Liverpool Street, Fenchurch Street and Waterloo, or have I missed any?

Euston, Vauxhall, City Thameslink, Farringdon, Moorgate.

In the past they have run to Waterloo one summer during major engineering works.

Also they used to technically run to City Thameslink and Farringdon (but these were joint with Thameslink)

 

[Inthewest]

In terms of services LNER is pretty easy.
It's practically express passenger on all routes.

 

[Eloise]

In terms of services LNER is pretty easy.
It's practically express passenger on all routes.

Express passenger isn't easy. "Get to where we need to get to as quick as we can" is very difficult on a multi-user mixed traffic railway over 400+ miles.

 

[thenorthern]

South Western Railway I am told is the most complex so most likely to hardest.

Easiest probably Merseyrail or Chiltern. Generally franchises which are basic within a small area with few shared lines are easiest so Island Line would have been very easy another one would be Midland Mainline.

 

[Stigy]

The worst performing TOCs I’d imagine are pretty are to manage...

 

[Mikey C]

The East Coast franchise is, in my eyes, very difficult to operate, as evidenced by the repeated franchise failures over the last 15 or so years. There's a lack of alternative routes for much of the line, inadequate infrastructure at many points, and competition from several open access operators. It's also the main London-Edinburgh route so political factors also come into play. LNER are doing a great job but that doesn't mean that they've got an easy task on their hands.
That said, the rest of your post was certainly very valid - the LNER comment just irked me as a north-easterner!

To me though a lot of the franchise problems have been due to over optimistic bids by the operators, rather than because the franchise itself is especially difficult, when compared to many others

 

[HowardGWR]

I probably should've put trivia in the title though.

Your question is hardly trivial, given the ups and downs we have witnessed over these decades. GWR has a very large eclectic mix of service types and does also have to contend with other TOC and FOC 'interference'.

 

[Parallel]

The easiest, I'd probably go for C2C. Despite the freight workings as others have said, it is largely self contained, and appears a relatively simple network compared to other TOCs.

The hardest I'd say was Southeastern. A complex network running into 4 London terminals.

I think Northern, Scotrail and GTR are also difficult franchises, due to what the network covers, the volume of services operated and for Northern and GTR, how congested some of the lines they operate on are.

GWR is my local TOC. Some of their network is probably easy to run, but other parts, difficult. I actually think some of the regional services are the most difficult to run, especially services from Brighton/Portsmouth/Weymouth to Cardiff/Gloucester/Worcester/Malvern via Bristol. The issue is when there are minor delays, the regional services rarely take priority and the express services by Southern, SWR, GWR InterCity and XC get pathed in front, which eventually means the regional services end up more delayed, and could contribute to mass disruption at Bristol, especially at peak time. Fortunately this has improved slightly since the quad tracking of the line from Bristol to Filton.

 

[si404]

it is largely self contained

For trains, sure, but - as I pointed out - c2c have 3 stations they manage where LU/Overground/DLR services also serve (providing significant passenger flows for c2c to deal with, many of which aren't going on c2c trains). It's not a unique issue - Wimbledon, for instance - but it does complicate things.

And the high-levels of passengers generally at those stations can't be easy. 39 stations have over 10 million NR passengers: c2c manage 3 - the same as SWR. GTR manage 4, London Underground manage 4, Network Rail manage 18, everyone else manages 1 at most.

This isn't to say that c2c is relatively difficult to run, but that its not as easy as being made out.

 

[Trainfan344]

Controversial but.

Easiest to manage: Cross Country with no stations to manage they just focus on running their trains

Hardest to manage: East Coast, lots of busy routes with flimsy overhead, lots of track miles and run to capacity.

 

[willgreen]

Easiest to manage: Cross Country... they just focus on running their trains

Not exactly an easy task on the Cross Country Route!
I think they are that for eight stations, they are the only operator that calls there, e.g. Burton - so whilst they don't manage these stations, they do effectively have all responsibility for trains calling there. Not exactly managing but not a huge step down.

 

[London Trains]

Easiest to manage: Cross Country with no stations to manage they just focus on running their trains

Definitely not. They may not operate any stations but there are a good amount where they are the only operator.

Crosscountry is one of the hardest (not the hardest but close) because of its large network serving everywhere from Aberdeen to Penzance. A delayed Scotrail train could easily cause problems in Cornwall. Additionally the Voyagers are very short so overcrowding is standard. Furthermore they have had the regional routes just stuck on onto their network - adding more pressure.

 

[Bald Rick]

I’ve watched this thread with interest, to see which franchises were chosen, and for what reasons. Of course, some haven’t given reasons.

For me, you have to break it down into what, exactly, does a TOC manage? In simple terms it is people*, contracts, stakeholders, and of course passengers. It follows that the more people, more contracts, more stakeholders, and more passengers you have, the harder it becomes. Taken further, the more different types of people, contracts, stakeholders and passengers, you have, and their geographical spread, adds to the complexity and therefor difficulty.

Using this model, I would say that the easiest operations to manage, excluding the open access guys, are:

c2c
Merseyrail
Chiltern
Southeastern

All have relatively compact operations, with relatively few contracts, few stakeholders, and (southeastern aside) few passengers. Notably all have remained almost identical in terms of routes and geography operated since privatisation, indeed the history of their organisation can be traced back at least a decade prior to that.

Why is Southeatsern on the list? It’s almost completely self contained, with little interference from other operators (a bit of freight, a brush with GTR, LO and Eurostar), close alignment to major stakeholders (NR Kent, Kent CC), and the vast majority of the operation is London focussed. Although there’s a lot of people in the franchise they are within a small geography which means that many of the activities are interchangeable. For example, most drivers sign the routes into at least 3 of the London termini. (Oh and there’s not many guards to worry about).

The hardest:

Northern
GTR
Cross Country
GWR

All with huge geography, lots of people (spread thinly), multiple contracts and hundreds of stakeholders. All have had their networks changed over the last 2 decades.

*Of course, you don’t manage people. You lead them. However a key part of managing a TOC is industrial relations with the unions, and this varies widely across the country. But that’s for another thread.