Grand Union Trains bought by First Group?

[popeter45]

Most of the public won’t notice though as you may be sure they’d simply order 802s for that, and specify them to be identical to the 803s.

or 804's if going my the logic of every ordering being its own class at this point for the 80X's

 

[Class 170101]

I get the "Long-Distance" style of train.... but LUMO currently only operate pure EMUs.

Which is folly as LUMO can't currently offer a service when any part of the ECML north of Hitchin is closed. Hull Trains had the right idea ordering Bi-modes, though I would liked to have seen them electrify the ECML to Hull as well.

 

[JonathanH]

Which is folly as LUMO can't currently offer a service when any part of the ECML north of Hitchin is closed.

They wouldn't necessarily be able to get paths in the instance of a diversion even if they had trains that could use such a diversion. Moreover the extra journey time could add to a higher cost of providing the service, which isn't great for a 'low cost' operator.

It isn't obvious that Stirling to London trains will run when a diversionary route is necessary, just because the trains can go that way.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

or 804's if going my the logic of every ordering being its own class at this point for the 80X's

There have been small differences between each class so far, but I get what you mean.

 

[Class 170101]

They wouldn't necessarily be able to get paths in the instance of a diversion even if they had trains that could use such a diversion. Moreover the extra journey time could add to a higher cost of providing the service, which isn't great for a 'low cost' operator.

It isn't obvious that Stirling to London trains will run when a diversionary route is necessary, just because the trains can go that way.

Perhaps, but if you want to build a customer base not running trains at weekends hardly seems the right strategy.

 

[JonathanH]

Perhaps, but if you want to build a customer base not running trains at weekends hardly seems the right strategy.

That depends on whether the customer base will still want to travel when the journey times are massively extended.

 

[Class15]

That depends on whether the customer base will still want to travel when the journey times are massively extended.

In most cases they will.

 

[Fincra5]

Which is folly as LUMO can't currently offer a service when any part of the ECML north of Hitchin is closed. Hull Trains had the right idea ordering Bi-modes, though I would liked to have seen them electrify the ECML to Hull as well.

Well with that logic why don't LNER run Bi-Modes to St Pancras when the ECML south is shut but HT do? Pathing... Same issue would strike LUMO.

 

[Class 170101]

Well with that logic why don't LNER run Bi-Modes to St Pancras when the ECML south is shut but HT do? Pathing... Same issue would strike LUMO.

Don't GC, HT and Lumo share a standard hour path across the day though? So I would assume a diversionary standard hour path would have to be supplied if Lumo ran EMUs.

There could be ways and means of getting LNER into St Pancras but not for discussion on this thread.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Well with that logic why don't LNER run Bi-Modes to St Pancras when the ECML south is shut but HT do? Pathing... Same issue would strike LUMO.

I believe LNER can't because the paths are very limited and HT has the priority for it.

 

[Clarence Yard]

There is no priority for HT. If LNER wanted to work into St.Pancras and got the access sorted, they could.

 

[185]

Some talk of Heidi Alexander expressing a note of caution regarding Open Access operators, specifically related to revenue abstraction.

Woo she read my letter!

 

[800001]

Some talk of Heidi Alexander expressing a note of caution regarding Open Access operators, specifically related to revenue abstraction.

Woo she read my letter!

Yet there she was the other week celebrating first group for purchasing new trains, saving the Hitachi plant.

 

[Blackpool boy]

Perhaps, but if you want to build a customer base not running trains at weekends hardly seems the right strategy.

Possibly not but if you dont sell tickets for the weekends then there shouldnt be a problem should there?

 

[CapitalStar378]

Yet there she was the other week celebrating first group for purchasing new trains, saving the Hitachi plant.

I'm not sure they're mutually exclusive and she has a right to run the rule over these things, no? Especially as there are a lot of applications in at the moment.

 

[800001]

I'm not sure they're mutually exclusive and she has a right to run the rule over these things, no? Especially as there are a lot of applications in at the moment.

She’s fired warning shots about Open access , but goes to a factory to celebrate an order by a private company, purchasing from a private company, no involvement or input from government, can you not see the hypocrisy?

 

[CapitalStar378]

She’s fired warning shots about Open access , but goes to a factory to celebrate an order by a private company, purchasing from a private company, no involvement or input from government, can you not see the hypocrisy?

Not especially, but I guess it's subjective.

 

[JonathanH]

She’s fired warning shots about Open access , but goes to a factory to celebrate an order by a private company, purchasing from a private company, no involvement or input from government, can you not see the hypocrisy?

I questioned whether they went to the factory, but see they did, as shown in this news story - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgj67eg2809o

6 December 2024

Hundreds of jobs have been protected at a train factory following a £500m deal, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said.
A gap in orders at Hitachi's Newton Aycliffe site, in County Durham, had sparked fears over the future of the site and its roughly 700 employees.
Now the government has announced a contract has been struck to build 14 "state-of-the-art" trains at the factory.
Sir Keir said the deal had given "certainty and stability".
Speaking to BBC Look North at the factory, the prime minister described its workforce as "world class" and said the deal had eased the worry felt by employees in recent months.
"I stood before them last time I was here and said, if we win the election and form a government, I give you my word we will do everything we can to try to make sure there's a deal to fill that gap and take away that anxiety," he said.
"It's really good for train-building, it's really good for the country but, on a human level, it's so important for them, their families, the whole communities here that depend on those jobs."
Asked what part the government had played in the private sector agreement, he said it had helped "setting the strategy, by being clear about the orders we need, to ensure those deals take place".

A fairly pertinent bit at the end.

 

[ainsworth74]

Please see the existing thread here for discussion of Open Access Policy under Labour. This thread is more aimed at discussing Grand Union and their acquisition by First Group.

 

[vuzzeho]

Rail Magazine has details, apparently. I don't know what they are though, because I don't have an account.

More details of FirstGroup's Lumo plan for Paignton emerge

Operator wants to start running between London Paddington and Paignton, via Bristol, from 2028

www.railmagazine.com

Does anyone know what these are?

 

[brad465]

Rail Magazine has details, apparently. I don't know what they are though, because I don't have an account.

More details of FirstGroup's Lumo plan for Paignton emerge

Operator wants to start running between London Paddington and Paignton, via Bristol, from 2028

www.railmagazine.com

Does anyone know what these are?

Basically their service proposal in more detail: they want to do 5 trains a day each way, 4 via Bath and 1 via Bristol Parkway between London and Paignton. They also plan an additional service in the morning that starts from Highbridge & Burnham into London, and an additional return that goes as far as Exeter St Davids, a morning peak Paignton to Temple Meads service, and four Saturday Paddington-Plymouth services (unless they meant Paignton but this is an error on their part). On Sunday this drops to three.

My only criticism for now with the plan is the lack of Bridgwater appearing on it, this town has grown considerably and needs more than the hourly service it has most of the day. Given Cross Country don't stop, and GWR have limited London services that do, I cannot see calling there being anymore revenue abstractive.

 

[CapitalStar378]

Rail Magazine has details, apparently. I don't know what they are though, because I don't have an account.

More details of FirstGroup's Lumo plan for Paignton emerge

Operator wants to start running between London Paddington and Paignton, via Bristol, from 2028

www.railmagazine.com

Does anyone know what these are?

FYI, you only have to register on the Rail website and you can read articles, no need to subscribe.

 

[Efini92]

So Lumo are recruiting for trainees now, but it says they have access rights from June 2025. I don’t recall them recruiting for qualified’s, how do they plan on starting the service?

 

[Clarence Yard]

That’s only when the effective date of the Track Access Contract begins. The start date for passenger services will be well after that, probably sometime in 2026.

 

[Efini92]

That’s only when the effective date of the Track Access Contract begins. The start date for passenger services will be well after that, probably sometime in 2026.

Thanks, that makes more sense.