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GNER to be sold.

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Guinness

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I'm not suprised. GNER/Sea Containers have been in money issues for quite some time.

First Group anyone?

*Trys and find Frank Cox's First British Rail logo* 8)
 

bunnahabhain

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It'll probably go to National Express Group, they have a habit of buying out franchises.
 

Guinness

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Jamie said:
It'll probably go to National Express Group, they have a habit of buying out franchises.

So do First Group.

North Western Trains ---> First North Western
Great Western Trains (Original!!) ---> First Great Western
 

bunnahabhain

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I didnt realise First Group were around in the 1800's! Spearheaded by Moir Kingdom Brunel perhaps?
 

bunnahabhain

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Ah stoopid me, spank my bum and call me Charlie!

Yep, misread the 'Trains' bit, still, cant help it, always been an Eastern Region man.
 
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Guys has anyone actually thought that GNER could be sold to the Bank in Australlia who has just recently bought Stagecoach in London for 260million! So if they can do that they can soon buy GNER!!! If GNER does finish for me the hobby will be finished!:sad: :sad: :sad:
 

theblackwatch

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Will any outfit wish to buy GNER, which has to make large payments to the government - a whacking £396 million in 2015!
 

AlexS

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With regards to First takeovers - First took over Great Western Trains - North Western Trains was a subsidiary of Great Western Trains, and came as part of the package, not a seperate deal!
 

TicketMan

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Suprised no-one's mentioned First's takeover of Anglia, (which they then lost to NEG hehe) which also netted them Hull Trains and GB Railfreight.
 

GreatEastern

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First also purchased GB Railways to Expand into the Rail Freight market, take on the ECML and to get back into the bid for Greater Anglia. Also picked up what pieces were left of Anglia Railways as well. But none of those had a promise to pay millions back to the Goverment.
 

The 158 Man

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PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE lets not have any more First Group! :x :angry3:

It's bad enough with them having the Transpennine Express, ScotRail, Capital Connect AND Great Western franchises, without them having GNER too! :!:
 

yorkie

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The 158 Man said:
PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE lets not have any more First Group! :x :angry3:

It's bad enough with them having the Transpennine Express, ScotRail, Capital Connect AND Great Western franchises, without them having GNER too! :!:
I agree. I fear that FarceGroup would introduce more ticket farces by banning Savers before 0900, just as they have done with most of their other franchises. This would effectively create a massive fare increase for many people.

Currently there are no restrictions on Savers north of Peterborough (inclusive).
 

GreatEastern

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yorkie said:
I agree. I fear that FarceGroup would introduce more ticket farces by banning Savers before 0900, just as they have done with most of their other franchises. This would effectively create a massive fare increase for many people.

I would think that its probably more to do with the current railway, for example on One there are now many more restrictions on cheaper tickets than under First Great Eastern or (First GB) Anglia
 

ChrisCooper

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The current franchises are so restricted by the DfT that I don't think it matters too much which TOC gets them, they are all pretty much the same. With this in mind, I'm very anti First, and quite anti Virgin and Arriva, since the livery an interior scheme is about the only thing to seperate the main companies. At least NX and others have different ones to other TOCs. Afterall, everyone moans about 'one' Rainbow, but at least you can get away from it when not in East Anglia, wheras there are few places in the country you can't see First livery. Virgin and Arriva are as bad as First, but at least arn't as common.
 

Coxster

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I'd be happy for Stagecoach to bid for it! ;) I think they've done great with South West Trains - well, I'm happy to have them as my local TOC! I really hope they get the SW franchise. Not had a delayed train for ages, great cleaners (some employed by SWT rather than on contract), great staff etc.

Also having the benifit of looking in on their staff meetings and training courses on work experience I can say they are very customer-orientated and really value their customers as humans and not as money-making machines. I also found more-or-less all the staff I met in Basingstoke mess-room, guards I was with etc to be very happy with thier jobs.
 

gingerheid

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I know it will never happen, but for sheer irony value I'd love to see Fraser Eagle take them over! :D
 

Nick

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Jamie said:
Ah stoopid me, spank my bum and call me Charlie!

Yep, misread the 'Trains' bit, still, cant help it, always been an Eastern Region man.

I seem to recall you being a MML ned actually. Indeed you did mock my interest in teh GCR before you started down there....
 

paul1609

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As i understand it First were one of the contenders for the ICEC franchise against GNER. They were very critical of the premium payments that GNER had bid. I cant see them paying a fortune to Sea Containers for GNER.
I reckon the buyers will be outside the current rail operators and that GNER will remain independant for the short term.
 

Dennis

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paul1609 said:
As i understand it First were one of the contenders for the ICEC franchise against GNER. They were very critical of the premium payments that GNER had bid. I cant see them paying a fortune to Sea Containers for GNER.
I reckon the buyers will be outside the current rail operators and that GNER will remain independant for the short term.

But no one will want to buy the franchise unless they can see profits being made - not likely given the premium payments required, unless the franchise can be renegotiated.

If renegotiation is an option and profitability can be assured (possibly through a cost plus regime) then the franchise would be a lot more attractive.

I suppose DfT could try it's hand at running the trains if no one else is willling to buy the franchse off SC. That could prove interesting....

BTW, do Sea Containers still own VSOE?
 

asopu10

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aww damn, GNER are good, its only 20 pound return from granthem with travle card for the tube. Yay for young persons discount, being young is good. Cept the whole pub thing. I do hope that first don't get it, looking at thier crasp trains and crap busses which are so expensive they should'nt be trust with anything with wheels.
 

theblackwatch

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asopu10 said:
aww damn, GNER are good, its only 20 pound return from granthem with travle card for the tube. Yay for young persons discount, being young is good. Cept the whole pub thing. I do hope that first don't get it, looking at thier crasp trains and crap busses which are so expensive they should'nt be trust with anything with wheels.

Yes GNER are great - so much that having boarded the 08.49 from York to Doncaster today, I arrived at Doncaster at 11.58, over 2 1/2 hours later than expected! Single line working on the ECML, and it seems the thought of diverting HSTs off the main line to avoid the trouble doesn't cross GNER's mind - surely their crews know a few basic diversionary routes? If they don't, they should!
 

Tom C

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Stagecoach - If you want a company which rewrites a timetable and makes journeys longer than they were 40 years ago just so they can save a few bob on the delays because the trains take much longer at stations despite Stagecoach saying that they would be much quicker than Mk1 stock then Stagecoach is your firm.

Virgin - if they promise not to introduce new trains unless they spend just 50p extra on the interior because I am sure that could make a difference to the crappy Voyagers and Pendolinos.

First - No thanks, enough of the bad joke already

National Express - Fine so long as the management comes from Gatwick Express or Midland Mainline, nobody from Central Trains or West Anglia please.

Arriva - Don't that that warrants a discussion really, they stuffed up Trains Northern, didn't do an especially good job at Merseyrail when they bought out MTL holding and the timetable in Wales is appauling. Of course no enthusiast would dare slag off Arriva because they introduced old trains again, although the guy responsible has now left Arriva "on mutual terms".

British Rail - Why not, it worked for South Eastern.
 

GreatEastern

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Tom C said:
Stagecoach - If you want a company which rewrites a timetable and makes journeys longer than they were 40 years ago just so they can save a few bob on the delays because the trains take much longer at stations despite Stagecoach saying that they would be much quicker than Mk1 stock then Stagecoach is your firm.

But most likely like the GEMLs timetable most of that would have been put together by the SRA/Network Rail.

Arriva - Don't that that warrants a discussion really, they stuffed up Trains Northern, didn't do an especially good job at Merseyrail when they bought out MTL holding and the timetable in Wales is appauling.

Northern Sprit was already "stuffed up" when Arriva purchased MTL, a company which was effectively broke, they managed to ride out the strikes and were able to piece something a little better back together.

I wouldn't be surprisd if it doesnt get sold, then the new owner instantly goes to the DfT and begs for a reduction in Premium, after all reducing that would cost less than taking it back in as per Connex/SET and refranchising the lot.
 

yorkie

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theblackwatch said:
Yes GNER are great - so much that having boarded the 08.49 from York to Doncaster today, I arrived at Doncaster at 11.58, over 2 1/2 hours later than expected! Single line working on the ECML, and it seems the thought of diverting HSTs off the main line to avoid the trouble doesn't cross GNER's mind - surely their crews know a few basic diversionary routes? If they don't, they should!
Yes, GNER do now operate over the line via Askern. But this is a Network Rail issue (although I can't say NR are to blame as I have no idea what the problem was), GNER would probably have no say in the matter over single line working & diversions.
 
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