This is just another nail in the coffin for franchising - lets renationalise!
Fundamentally, the problem is not that the DfT are giving in to Greater Anglia, it's that they lack the capability to manage the highly compelx and often weirdly 'inputs-based' commercial contracts they've let.
It's thought by many that the CrossCountry competition was cancelled because there was only one serious bidder. If that does not set the alarm bells ringing, nothing will.
You are quite correct. Whether it covers GA fully or not is impossible to say, but CP6 is lowering compensation slightly, so in general it has more than covered TOC's bus costs. Of course, it doesn't cover other costs (e.g. staff, publicity), but I doubt whether TOCs are going to get into trouble over costs associated with RoUs (possessions).I thought that bus costs had been covered by Schedule 4 of the track access agreement since the start of Control Period 4 (almost ten years ago now). I appreciate that the calculation is formulaic (rather than a negotiation or ‘emerging costs’ in most cases) but engineering works on the Great Eastern are not exactly a new thing. Presumably all bidders had a pretty fair idea of what they were likely to get?
I now don't expect any more contracts to be let under the current process. Between the Williams Report, Brexit and other issues I expect everything to be put on hold for a couple of years. Look for an announcement around 29 March...That's been quite obvious since they made an utter farce of the 2012 InterCity West Coast franchise. And it's just become more and more obvious that fundamentally the DfT lacks the capability to manage and deliver these insanely complex contracts (which are, of course, complex by the Department's own making).
My alarm bells have been ringing since the SWT franchise competition only attracted two bidders. SWT at the time being one of the only franchises that was turning a profit and needed no subsidy...
If the GA franchise fails then it continues to show that franchising as it is now and has been for the last decade or so is fundamentally flawed. We've probably already had one "competition" that ended up with one bidder (XC) and it can only be a matter of time before we end up with a "competition" with no bidders. And then what does the DfT do?
That's been quite obvious since they made an utter farce of the 2012 InterCity West Coast franchise. And it's just become more and more obvious that fundamentally the DfT lacks the capability to manage and deliver these insanely complex contracts (which are, of course, complex by the Department's own making).
My alarm bells have been ringing since the SWT franchise competition only attracted two bidders. SWT at the time being one of the only franchises that was turning a profit and needed no subsidy...
If the GA franchise fails then it continues to show that franchising as it is now and has been for the last decade or so is fundamentally flawed. We've probably already had one "competition" that ended up with one bidder (XC) and it can only be a matter of time before we end up with a "competition" with no bidders. And then what does the DfT do?
Including SE and EM that are currently in the works?I now don't expect any more contracts to be let under the current process. Between the Williams Report, Brexit and other issues I expect everything to be put on hold for a couple of years. Look for an announcement around 29 March...
The problem with derogations is they will erode trust in the rule of law. We are becoming very flimsy in this regard in the UK at the moment and that is a set of floodgates we really do not want to open.
If derogations are to be used they need to be:
- strictly time limited;
- not without penalty for the party/parties that has failed to achieve the legal requirement;
- paired with a measures to provide a level of recompense and restitution to the injured party. The most logical measures might be free travel for those with a Disabled Persons Railcard plus additional personnel to help those passengers during the period of the derogation.
There is a Carnet, it is 'Smart' to Liverpool Street only. Don't know anything else about it, as it's no use to me.
I can only assume the WA services will become 5-car only excluding Stansted Express, eventually perhaps extending to 10 in 2021/2022 when the NR works have taken place. The full 720 fleet is unlikely to be in service until well into 2021 so that would help availability on the GE side.
Yes, that's my guess, based on the noises not coming from GMH.Including SE and EM that are currently in the works?
I put lack of noise on other matters that I deal with GMH on from being down to anyone they could find being rounded up and shipped off to deal with Brexit with no sense to be had until at least 8 weeks after...Yes, that's my guess, based on the noises not coming from GMH.
latest ORR stats here https://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/39983/passenger-rail-usage-2018-19-q2.pdf
this is for July to Sept 18 as compared with July to Sept 17
latest update to this series due 14 March 2019
This shows 3.8% passenger kilometer increase in London and South East. But season tic journeys fell to lowest level since 2010/11
- TSR2 May 19 - extra TPH off peak to Hert East and Southend Vic, extra TPH Liv St to Norwich (extension of Ipswich semi fast), Norwich Camb extended to Stansted Airport all day. Nope, Nope, Nope and Nope
- TSR3 May 20 - extra 1144 services a week. No chance. I would be surprised if it was half that number.
It's thought by many that the CrossCountry competition was cancelled because there was only one serious bidder. If that does not set the alarm bells ringing, nothing will.
If the Tories really want private sector involvement (and God knows they do) then concession schemes are the only sensible way forward.
I don't see how that works. The operator of the concession only gets a fee for operating it. No private sector innovation?
The operator of the concession only gets a fee for operating it. No private sector innovation?
In the context of this thread the concept of a total fleet renewal, bi-modes and new service patterns, etc. came out of inviting private sector ideas.What private sector innovation do we honestly get in the current system?
In the context of this thread the concept of a total fleet renewal, bi-modes and new service patterns, etc. came out of inviting private sector ideas.
delays to schemes like Ely North Junction upgrade, delays to platform re-modelling at Liverpool Street, endless engineering works driving away a lot of weekend business,
And tri-mode?Total fleet renewal and new service patterns have been very successfully achieved by London Overground using a concession system. And bi-mode trains are hardly a new idea.
It was the incumbent. And they were the only bidder.It'd be interesting to know who that final bidder was, then. I agree that it is clear that the current model of franchising is unsustainable. I've never understood why it wasn't simply agreed that the franchisee couldn't just be let to have all of the first £xm profit, and then the DfT a set percentage of the rest.
And tri-mode?
In the context of this thread the concept of a total fleet renewal, bi-modes and new service patterns, etc. came out of inviting private sector ideas.
Until NR do more than one task in a possesion and the operators insist on this weekend travel will be disrupted.