New South Western franchise: Awarded to First/MTR

[infobleep]

A table in the recent released document shows for May 2018 0 services in the 16.00-16.59 evening peak for Guildford New Line / Woking stoppers. For Dec 2018 it lists 2 during 16.00-16.59.

What do they mean by that as there are trains running on those lines during that time at the moment?

Also if more trains are going to run in the evening peak, would they have to extend the period whereby trains don't stop at Clapham Junction?

 

[godfreycomplex]

The 2 Portsmouth stoppers are planned to both be semi fasts running a stop/skip pattern with no overtakes anymore.

Don't count on it
Very unpopular idea with pax

 

[pompeyfan]

Don't count on it
Very unpopular idea with pax

While I don't dispute what you're saying, that is their current proposal

How are you proposing to increase the number of services between Portsmouth and Waterloo?
We are proposing the stopping service off-peak will have skip stopping, this means overall the smaller stations will still receive 1tph but it will be faster to London. The service will now provide a usable journey option every half hour from Clapham Junction to Portsmouth and we are planning to increase the number of services at Liphook. This proposal is subject to consultation once the new franchise has started.

http://firstmtrswstaff.com/index.php/staff-roadshows/

 

[Pumbaa]

So how come there have been previous attempts in forums to explain why it cannot be done?

From what you are suggesting it could have been possible to remove the Brockenhurst wait at any time. Is it really that they just couldn't be bothered to do anything about it?

Of course it's possible in *that* slot. Just not in the regular xx39 slot.

You can do a recast around the XC with the rest of the SW timetable, and indeed, I would expect that the new franchisee will have done, because you can't get their much vaunted journey time savings without doing so!

 

[30909]

While I don't dispute what you're saying, that is their current proposal



http://firstmtrswstaff.com/index.php/staff-roadshows/

I agree, if as previous postings have suggested the plan is for genuine “skip stopping”. However if you know the passenger flows it probably means splitting the stopping pattern at Haslemere.
My example is all stops PMS to Haslemere, Godalming (peak) Guildford. Or PMS, Fratton, Havant, Petersfield, (Liphook for additional service??) Haslemere, Witley, Milford, Godalming, Farncombe, Guildford, Worplesdon.
This pattern should cover most of the to-from intermediate stations travel patterns that appear to be used in the current timetable.
Liphook and Godalming to cater for Bohunt school pax and Godalming for College pax

 

[pompeyfan]

I agree, if as previous postings have suggested the plan is for genuine “skip stopping”. However if you know the passenger flows it probably means splitting the stopping pattern at Haslemere.
My example is all stops PMS to Haslemere, Godalming (peak) Guildford. Or PMS, Fratton, Havant, Petersfield, (Liphook for additional service??) Haslemere, Witley, Milford, Godalming, Farncombe, Guildford, Worplesdon.
This pattern should cover most of the to-from intermediate stations travel patterns that appear to be used in the current timetable.
Liphook and Godalming to cater for Bohunt school pax and Godalming for College pax

But if you done that, Portsmouth would lose its faster services which is the opposite of what they're proposing. Journey times reduced by 5 minutes in each direction.

 

[30909]

I must have missed something, the proposal is for 4 trains an hour and this was my take on the two "stopping" services rather than the two "fast" services to/from PMH which could keep their current stopping pattern and gain the 5 minutes by not following a stopper to/from Haslemere in each direction?

 

[pompeyfan]

I must have missed something, the proposal is for 4 trains an hour and this was my take on the two "stopping" services rather than the two "fast" services to/from PMH which could keep their current stopping pattern and gain the 5 minutes by not following a stopper to/from Haslemere in each direction?

I see what you mean now, my misunderstanding!

 

[swt_passenger]

Of course it's possible in *that* slot. Just not in the regular xx39 slot.

I didn't want to be too critical of Matt Taylor's earlier post, but exactly that had occurred to me. The rear portions of the splitting peak trains leave Southampton reasonably earlier than the normal Poole stoppers, and AFAICS XC catch them up at Bournemouth.

No doubt it will all "come out in the wash" eventually...

 

[HarleyDavidson]

It would be quite easy to achieve.

You have your 2x 1Pxx services and 2x 2Pxx services.

1 does the hold back at Guildford and the other at Haslemere or you can do both at one or tother. As long as the fast has a clear run.

It used to be done in the past no reason not to return to it now.

 

[30909]

Thanks, that's added the dimension I failed to note and in that scenario I can see little objection coming from the regular users and happy Liphook pax even if SWR cannt easily tap into the Borden/Whitehill expanded market. aA the new residential development gains traction, Stagecoach buses and Hants CC see no reason to run/subsidise a better bus connection. So much for the diming vision of an "Eco Town"

 

[F Great Eastern]

New management team has been announced:
http://www.firstgroupplc.com/news-and-media/latest-news/2017/08-08-17a.aspx

Seems a new broom pretty much, First bringing their own people in.

 

[43096]

New management team has been announced:
http://www.firstgroupplc.com/news-and-media/latest-news/2017/08-08-17a.aspx

Seems a new broom pretty much, First bringing their own people in.

All the makings of a fiasco, then. Lots of people with no knowledge of the franchise - and chucking out people who have led a company that has generally been well run.

 

[Bletchleyite]

All the makings of a fiasco, then. Lots of people with no knowledge of the franchise - and chucking out people who have led a company that has generally been well run.

Oh, the irony that Northern needed a clean sweep of this kind (and didn't get one) and SWT doesn't (but did)...

 

[Clarence Yard]

I think you will find that a good proportion of the SWT top management team have transferred to Stagecoach Rail HQ, leaving quite a few holes for FG to fill.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Northern. I'm sorry, I don't think I will ever love them. Northern, London Midland and Scotrail I dislike.

I've always liked GWR, Hull Trains and TPEX. If SWT ends up like GWR I won't complain.

 

[F Great Eastern]

All the makings of a fiasco, then. Lots of people with no knowledge of the franchise - and chucking out people who have led a company that has generally been well run.

Lots of people with lots of experience of different parts of railway operations though, which is always a good thing even if they are new to the area (which of course can be, but is not always a bad thing)

One of the problems with Abellio in Greater Anglia is that they are introducing a whole new fleet with a senior leadership team who is pretty much full of ex bid directors and lacks anyone with any experience of introducing new stock, even the engineering director has only a couple of years rail experience.

The team looks far more balanced and experienced than the one at GA who I genuinely fear will be found wanting with a full fleet replacement given their lack of experience both in terms of the rail industry and engineering projects.

What First appear to have done, is tried to get a top team with balance based on skill set to cover all areas of the business rather than area knowledge, which this normally is how to build a successful leadership team, making sure that those people in their roles have the skills and experience to run their areas of the business well.

Like with all franchise handovers normally whilst the top management change the level underneath often do not and I'm sure there will be some senior, non director staff who will retain that knowledge, what is key to all of this is that they all work together and are listened to otherwise of course it can go very badly wrong.

 

[Clip]

I think you will find that a good proportion of the SWT top management team have transferred to Stagecoach Rail HQ, leaving quite a few holes for FG to fill.

Exactly. I was surprised that so many went this early if I'm honest

 

[DelW]

I agree, if as previous postings have suggested the plan is for genuine “skip stopping”. However if you know the passenger flows it probably means splitting the stopping pattern at Haslemere.
My example is all stops PMS to Haslemere, Godalming (peak) Guildford. Or PMS, Fratton, Havant, Petersfield, (Liphook for additional service??) Haslemere, Witley, Milford, Godalming, Farncombe, Guildford, Worplesdon.
This pattern should cover most of the to-from intermediate stations travel patterns that appear to be used in the current timetable.
Liphook and Godalming to cater for Bohunt school pax and Godalming for College pax

The section in (my) bold implies only 1tph at Godalming off-peak, and 1tph at Farncombe all day, both of which I think would be very unpopular, as both have 2tph all day at present. Godalming has twice the population of Haslemere but would end up with a quarter as many trains off-peak.

 

[infobleep]

The section in (my) bold implies only 1tph at Godalming off-peak, and 1tph at Farncombe all day, both of which I think would be very unpopular, as both have 2tph all day at present. Godalming has twice the population of Haslemere but would end up with a quarter as many trains off-peak.

Interesting as on Sundays Godalming gets half as many trains as Haslemere.

 

[bb21]

If SWT ends up like GWR I won't complain.

If SWT end up like GWR it would be a massive step backwards, in more ways than one.

 

[bb21]

All the makings of a fiasco, then. Lots of people with no knowledge of the franchise - and chucking out people who have led a company that has generally been well run.

Agreed.

In addition, uncertainty results in much reduced staff morale, especially amongst middle management who are essentially the life blood of the business.

I was genuinely surprised First did not retain any of the executive team.

Give it 12 months and we will see where the business gets to.

 

[Morgsie]

Surely since the Award was announced the incoming Team have been familiarising themselves with the Franchise and the Bid

 

[Goldfish62]

Agreed.

In addition, uncertainty results in much reduced staff morale, especially amongst middle management who are essentially the life blood of the business.

I was genuinely surprised First did not retain any of the executive team.

Give it 12 months and we will see where the business gets to.

Stripping out of top layer right at the start is also a classic Stagecoach ploy with acquisitions.

As for staff morale, you're assuming that there was actually any at SWT..

 

[pompeyfan]

Stripping out of top layer right at the start is also a classic Stagecoach ploy with acquisitions.

As for staff morale, you're assuming that there was actually any at SWT..

Front line staff morale is pretty decent from experience, not sure what it's like at Basingstoke ROC or Friars Bridge Court.

 

[30909]

The section in (my) bold implies only 1tph at Godalming off-peak, and 1tph at Farncombe all day, both of which I think would be very unpopular, as both have 2tph all day at present. Godalming has twice the population of Haslemere but would end up with a quarter as many trains off-peak.

You are correct in your assumption however I did suggest in brackets that there would be peak additional call at Godalming, which in an attempt at brevity, could be read as an option to call off peak.

 

[DelW]

Interesting as on Sundays Godalming gets half as many trains as Haslemere.

That's currently the case on weekdays and Saturdays as well. Godalming and Farncombe get 2tph (one Haslemere terminator and one Portsmouth stopper) while Haslemere gets those plus the two semi-fasts per hour.

Annoyingly on Sundays the 1tph from GOD and FNC just fails to connect at Guildford with the hourly GWR North Downs line trains, meaning around a 50-55 minute connection. The regular XC diversions via Guildford during Reading rebuilding improved the Sunday morning connections to beyond Reading considerably.

 

[pompeyfan]

It would appear Paul Clifton has picked up on what we we're discussing recently about Weymouth losing a London service.

https://twitter.com/paulcliftonbbc/status/895562150969835520

The new South Western Railway plans to halve direct Weymouth-Waterloo services. Instead, new Weymouth-Portsmouth route

 

[swt_passenger]

It would appear Paul Clifton has picked up on what we we're discussing recently about Weymouth losing a London service.

https://twitter.com/paulcliftonbbc/status/895562150969835520

I've always thought he picks up most of his 'news' from various rail forums. If he was any use he'd have worked it out himself from the spec a year ago.

If you are a passenger starting from Weymouth it would be a different matter if it was a clockface 2tph (i.e. 30 mins apart) and with similar times through to Waterloo, but they are clearly fast and slow services now, so I don't see much problem with what is intended.

 

[gwr4090]

If SWT end up like GWR it would be a massive step backwards, in more ways than one.

I beg to differ. Recent experience of SWT on the Weymouth line has been appauling. My last two journeys from London got me home over 90 mins late with two changes of train (instead a through service) and a severe lack of information. Weymouth has amongst the worst record of any station for train delays and cancellations.