New South Western franchise: Awarded to First/MTR

[dctraindriver]

Seems Basingstoke might be about to get the grey, white and maroon treatment - bollards at the back of the station have gone from dark blue and white with red/orange stripes to grey and white!

As to the later start of the franchise, could the election have anything to do with this? Purdah can't be far off starting and I wonder if that has any impact on First/MTR getting things agreed with the DfT (i.e. if Ministerial sign-off is required)? Mind you, if there is going to be a later start date that would have to be signed off ASAP due to Purdah, which must be next week I'd have thought once Parliament is Prorogued.

Same happening at Egham

 

[greaterwest]

A couple of weeks ago we had a few posts about station paint schemes and the requirements at a change of franchisee, so I was re-assured that SWT intend to "get their money's worth" out of the existing contract, when today I noticed the current paint scheme was being renewed on the canopy support stanchions at Eastleigh...

Farnborough's have been grey/white for the last year or so now.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

As to the later start of the franchise, could the election have anything to do with this? Purdah can't be far off starting and I wonder if that has any impact on First/MTR getting things agreed with the DfT (i.e. if Ministerial sign-off is required)? Mind you, if there is going to be a later start date that would have to be signed off ASAP due to Purdah, which must be next week I'd have thought once Parliament is Prorogued.

Purdah has already started, you've got the local elections next week (don't know if all areas also have Police and Crime Comissioner elections as well). Will there be a break between the purdah for the local elections and the purdah for the General Election or will purdah now run through till after the General Election

 

[jopsuk]

Purdah has already started, you've got the local elections next week (don't know if all areas also have Police and Crime Comissioner elections as well). Will there be a break between the purdah for the local elections and the purdah for the General Election or will purdah now run through till after the General Election

There are no PCC elections, those were last year. The elections on 4th May are for:
All 27 Non-metropolitan County Councils in England

7 of the Unitary Authorities in England

The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster

assorted local council by-elections

The six Combined Authority Mayors*

Two directly elected local Mayors

All local authorities in Scotland

All local authorities in Wales

as far as I understand the Purdah rules relating to the General Election are already in effect.

*In Manchester only, the role of PCC is being included as part of the mayoralty and no PCC election was held last year

 

[infobleep]

A couple of weeks ago we had a few posts about station paint schemes and the requirements at a change of franchisee, so I was re-assured that SWT intend to "get their money's worth" out of the existing contract, when today I noticed the current paint scheme was being renewed on the canopy support stanchions at Eastleigh...

South West Trains were tweeting a survey the other day. How can we improve the evening service we provide?

Someone commented on the lines of your leaving soon so what can you do?


It seem, from reading communications at least, South West Trains are still trying to do well.

 

[infobleep]

Seems Basingstoke might be about to get the grey, white and maroon treatment - bollards at the back of the station have gone from dark blue and white with red/orange stripes to grey and white!

As to the later start of the franchise, could the election have anything to do with this? Purdah can't be far off starting and I wonder if that has any impact on First/MTR getting things agreed with the DfT (i.e. if Ministerial sign-off is required)? Mind you, if there is going to be a later start date that would have to be signed off ASAP due to Purdah, which must be next week I'd have thought once Parliament is Prorogued.

Purdah started on 22 April so we are already in that season of not being able to do anything that might be remotely controversial or even potentially controversial. The quoting of local MP probably wouldn't happen but I don't know about the quoting of a government minister in their capacity as a minister. Incidentally my text predicted minister as monster. Government monster might be true for some government MPs, mentioning no names.

 

[infobleep]

Purdah has already started, you've got the local elections next week (don't know if all areas also have Police and Crime Comissioner elections as well). Will there be a break between the purdah for the local elections and the purdah for the General Election or will purdah now run through till after the General Election

As far as I'm aware, no break in the purdah period. This extended period slows down decision making.

 

[janahan]

South West Trains were tweeting a survey the other day. How can we improve the evening service we provide?

Someone commented on the lines of your leaving soon so what can you do?


It seem, from reading communications at least, South West Trains are still trying to do well.

I run my own consultancy, and even if a contract is ending soon, I remain professional right until the last day. Contracts start and end. Its a fact of business.

My impression is that SWT intends to run the service in a professional manner until the end. Maybe they don't want to burn bridges, just in case First/MTR screws up.

 

[Robertj21a]

I run my own consultancy, and even if a contract is ending soon, I remain professional right until the last day. Contracts start and end. Its a fact of business.

My impression is that SWT intends to run the service in a professional manner until the end. Maybe they don't want to burn bridges, just in case First/MTR screws up.

It's probably also in the small print of the original franchise documents anyway.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Is it not the case that Stagecoach paid a bond in 2007 at the start of the franchise and they won't get it back unless the franchise is handed over in good shape.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The crucial things for the franchise contract are (a) whether Stagecoach has made a legal challenge, and (b) if DfT and First/MTR are still in agreement about contract terms.
Neither are really purdah items, as the government decision has already been made - it's a technical civil service thing now.
I agree that if the award hadn't been made, it would be delayed until after the election (and the DfT minister appointed/confirmed).
It might impact upcoming ITTs and the future franchise schedule.
It has already caused the previously announced South Eastern public consultation events to be scrapped.

 

[desk_wizard]

Seems Basingstoke might be about to get the grey, white and maroon treatment - bollards at the back of the station have gone from dark blue and white with red/orange stripes to grey and white!

.

See all the handrails on the stairs up to the platform have been repainted orange

 

[Goldfish62]

I run my own consultancy, and even if a contract is ending soon, I remain professional right until the last day. Contracts start and end. Its a fact of business.

My impression is that SWT intends to run the service in a professional manner until the end. Maybe they don't want to burn bridges, just in case First/MTR screws up.

More like because they're bidding for other franchises.

 

[Uzair]

At the end of March I wrote a post on here asking about how/if the new franchise would affect the announcements at WAT.

Travelling through WAT yesterday, I observed that the Phil Sayer announcements have been replaced with a the updated Celia ones! Maybe these are the ones to be used after SWR comes into existence.

 

[Suraggu]

At the end of March I wrote a post on here asking about how/if the new franchise would affect the announcements at WAT.

Travelling through WAT yesterday, I observed that the Phil Sayer announcements have been replaced with a the updated Celia ones! Maybe these are the ones to be used after SWR comes into existence.

Its got nothing to do with the franchise change. It is to do witj a study where they believe more people listen to a females voice compared to a mans.

 

[fairysdad]

Its got nothing to do with the franchise change. It is to do witj a study where they believe more people listen to a females voice compared to a mans.

They would have to be changed anyway as there'll be no recordings of Phil Sayer saying the new company name, whatever it will be (unless they still call themselves South West Trains, which I somehow very much doubt!).

 

[Uzair]

They would have to be changed anyway as there'll be no recordings of Phil Sayer saying the new company name, whatever it will be (unless they still call themselves South West Trains, which I somehow very much doubt!).

Suraggu - Did not know that. How peculiar.

Farysdad - Yes, I knew that Phil Sayer's voice could not be used for the new franchise. Upon hearing Celia's voice yesterday I thought that perhaps this was the new DVA being used in preparation for whenever First take over. However as Suraggu has said, it has nothing to do with that.

 

[Malcolmffc]

Its got nothing to do with the franchise change. It is to do witj a study where they believe more people listen to a females voice compared to a mans.

Hopefully the new announcements don't include the pointless "...this train will terminate here after a train has been replatformed. I'd be a bit worried if a train arriving at Waterloo wasn't terminating!

 

[bb21]

Someone commented on the lines of your leaving soon so what can you do?

Some people really are mind-numbingly stupid. :roll::roll:

There is a mobilisation/demobilisation process at franchise changeover for a reason.

 

[infobleep]

Some people really are mind-numbingly stupid. :roll::roll:

There is a mobilisation/demobilisation process at franchise changeover for a reason.

Indeed they can be. Would mobilisation / demobilisation being passenger service improvements though? That was after all the point of the survey that they commented on.

 

[southern442]

Suraggu - Did not know that. How peculiar.

Farysdad - Yes, I knew that Phil Sayer's voice could not be used for the new franchise. Upon hearing Celia's voice yesterday I thought that perhaps this was the new DVA being used in preparation for whenever First take over. However as Suraggu has said, it has nothing to do with that.

If they were really lazy they could just keep Phil and make him say '10:05 service to Basingstoke' instead of '10:05 South Western Railway service to Basingstoke'

 

[HowardGWR]

If they were really lazy they could just keep Phil and make him say '10:05 service to Basingstoke' instead of '10:05 South Western Railway service to Basingstoke'

How true! It used to drive me potty, waiting at Waterloo, where practically, every train was a SWT one. Do / did they still do this?

 

[Parallel]

If they were really lazy they could just keep Phil and make him say '10:05 service to Basingstoke' instead of '10:05 South Western Railway service to Basingstoke'

They might also be able to make the TOC name using other bits of recording. He has 'First', and 'Western' already recorded, depending which TOC name they go for. What I think is First will replace Phil when they take over, especially as they can't get any new recordings. Maybe they will find someone that sounds similar!

 

[pompeyfan]

How true! It used to drive me potty, waiting at Waterloo, where practically, every train was a SWT one. Do / did they still do this?

All SWT trains are announced as such. It'll be interesting if we hear SWT/SWR announcements alongside South Eastern announcements at Waterloo later in the year.

 

[Bletchleyite]

They might also be able to make the TOC name using other bits of recording. He has 'First', and 'Western' already recorded, depending which TOC name they go for. What I think is First will replace Phil when they take over, especially as they can't get any new recordings. Maybe they will find someone that sounds similar!

It would be nice to have a similarly "warm" voice, be it male or female (the VT "DJ banter" on board announcements have similarly warm tone). I find the standard Network Rail female voice to be very cold in tone, a bit like a computer in a dystopian future.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Will the PIS onboard the trains get a new voice or just the appropriate bits updated with new recordings by whoever done the voice?

 

[southern442]

All SWT trains are announced as such. It'll be interesting if we hear SWT/SWR announcements alongside South Eastern announcements at Waterloo later in the year.

Why would they announce South Eastern at Waterloo? Have I missed something?

 

[brtom]

Why would they announce South Eastern at Waterloo? Have I missed something?

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=146099

 

[greaterwest]

Will the PIS onboard the trains get a new voice or just the appropriate bits updated with new recordings by whoever done the voice?

I rather hope they stay with Celia Drummond (who has been re-recorded for station announcements too).

Phil could probably have his "Western Railway" from GWR and "South" from SWT merged into one recording and it'd sound alright.

 

[GW43125]

I rather hope they stay with Celia Drummond (who has been re-recorded for station announcements too).

Please no.