Northern - is the bad PR unfair?

[TUC]

You so very nearly had the right answer as to what the real problem is. And to help you I will give you a hint....

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport



That looked like a massive protest. I'm sure all protagonists are quaking in their boots....

Seriously though, who do they propose take over? Answers on a postcard to DfT, Whitehall, London.....



No. And this is because no matter who runs a TOC, they have to deal with the broken franchise system, and successive governments that refuse to see the railway as a public asset instead of a cash cow. That's not to say that there are not bad decisions made by TOCs, but even just a glance at these forums reveals that there are problems right across the network.

Things will only ever change for the better when the railways are run as a public service, for the public & with the necessary public funding. That doesn't necessarily mean nationalisation, but at the very least the system needs to be changed so that services & revenues are owned by the government & contracted out to the operators.

But the antiquated terms and conditions and working practices from when rail was state controlled is part of the core of this problem.

 

[js1000]

I suppose the upcoming spike (even compared to the current situation) in Northern cancellations & delays over Christmas & New Year which will no doubt be all over the news again is the DfT's fault too?

Yes but the DfT are playing the long game. The scope for passenger growth appears limited with continuing poor punctuality putting off existing and potential new passengers undoing any perceived boost from the new trains. The subsidy for Northern falls significantly next year and at some point over the next 12-18 months Arriva will have a decision to make whether to cut their losses. They'll have no option but to hand the franchise back (with a fine for reneging on it) rather than racking up probable losses until 2025.

 

[Bantamzen]

I suppose the upcoming spike (even compared to the current situation) in Northern cancellations & delays over Christmas & New Year which will no doubt be all over the news again is the DfT's fault too?

Without having the ability to see into the future I really can't say!

Arriva knowingly engaged in a fundamentally flawed system, made a series of over ambitious promises that they couldn’t deliver on due to their and others’ failings, made decisions which further eroded already limited staff goodwill, managed the PR poorly by painting themselves as being victims, and continue to offer poor customer service.

Sums it up for me

But the DfT made the decision to take them up. The bottom line is that the DfT should know & understand what is achievable, and form the franchise requirements around that. The companies that bid for them are hardly going to offer less than what is expected of them, and being a bidding system they will, as companies usually do, oversell themselves to get the contract.

But the antiquated terms and conditions and working practices from when rail was state controlled is part of the core of this problem.

They are, and the DfT are more than aware of this. Yet they just drop in requirements like DOO into franchise agreements without a second thought as to how these will be implemented, or the problems they will raise. In fact the more cynical among us might even suggest that these were designed with a political motive in mind.

Yes but the DfT are playing the long game. The scope for passenger growth appears limited with continuing poor punctuality putting off existing and potential new passengers undoing any perceived boost from the new trains. The subsidy for Northern falls significantly next year and at some point over the next 12-18 months Arriva will have a decision to make whether to cut their losses. They'll have no option but to hand the franchise back (with a fine for reneging on it) rather than racking up probable losses until 2025.

I've little doubt that Arriva will cut themselves loose before the end of the franchise. But before the banner waving protesters start to celebrate, this will not be good news for northern passengers. Because it really doesn't matter who runs the franchise, it will not become the money making cow the DfT & this barmy government wish it to be. The various franchises have been hamstrung for decades with low investment of both the operations and the infrastructure. Many of the problems seen today would have been encountered no matter which company would have won the franchise, and they will take many more years to resolve. There is no magic bullet, it needs a government committed to improving things through investment & yes also through subsidy. As I have said before, things will only improve when the railways are seen as an asset to the country, and get the kind of support from the government that they need instead of being seen as something to make money out of.

 

[Grumpy Git]

Well said.