DenmarkRail
Member
- Joined
- 13 Jun 2016
- Messages
- 665
Moving focus for a better GW bid maybe?
Govia isnt as bad as ATW?
Stop the world, I and every other sane person wants to get off.
Ah, the living proof that #2 rises to the top. Good news for Wales I would say.A letter from Tom Joyner MD ATW.
A few things:
Everyone celebrating the demise of ATW are either wearing whatever the opposite of rose-tinted glasses are, have no knowledge of ATW, are lazily basing their opinion on Wales Online, or, given the forum this is less likely, have no knowledge of franchising/at least ATW.
Are they perfect? Nope. Would any company have been? Nope. Irrespective of who signed the franchise agreement in 2003, the situation would be the same/worse.
@craigybagel is right - less choice for the WG means less likelihood of any real change. It's lazy, easy, and frankly shows a lack of knowledge of the ATW franchise, to simply celebrate this news.
Dirty trains/buses, failure to complete repairs other than those required to make the train go etc. Very similar to Central Trains if anyone remembers them.
As an occasional user of ATW in Cheshire/North Wales, ATW trains are almost always late, don't have enough carriages and are horrendously overcrowded.
Did you ever use Arriva buses in MK? They are appallingly bad. They do seem to have got some new buses of late, but it won't be long before the complete lack of maintenance ("does it go? That'll do.") will result in bits hanging off those, too.
As I said, Stagecoach would never tolerate it.
When I've used ATW I've found it to be the same. Quality refurb jobs left to rack and ruin over time.
And that is the passenger's problem because?
I'll disagree with the lateness, and would point out it costs millions for just one new train - as for overcrowded, should trains leave more people behind?
I think Arriva have been fine, their hands have been tied with a non-growth franchise assumption and rubbish rolling stock.
As an occasional user of ATW in Cheshire/North Wales, ATW trains are almost always late, don't have enough carriages and are horrendously overcrowded.
And as a daily user in the same area I am telling you that you are wrong.
Very rarely late. And only ever overcrowded (in very loose terms considering trains in and out of manchester) in the peaks.
ATW is by a long way the best TOC in the north.
I'm not talking London Midland 'overcrowded' though. I mean dangerously overcrowded - it's like sardines in there, and you've got people with bikes as well. When I went on holiday in August to Llandudno I had to miss the train I was due to catch and wait an hour for the next one because it was absolutely full to bursting. And it's not the first time either.
Wow!!
One journey and you condemn the whole franchise across the whole Principality!!
Do you consider that a balanced viewpoint?
Central Trains were run into the ground by that well known coach company National Express, Arriva have never been involved with them.
It depends what you mean by 'in the north'. If you mean 'based in the north' then personally I prefer Northern. If you mean 'serving the north', then I don't think anyone is better than Virgin.
Ah, the living proof that #2 rises to the top. Good news for Wales I would say.
Merseyrail I must admit I very, very rarely use. I absolutely dread using TPX if I'm honest.
Hardly 'complete' ignorance. Of the four you listed, Merseyrail is the only one I don't use.
So in the last 12 mths how many services from Northern, TPE and ATW have you taken?
That might give your opinion some weight.
I'm not talking London Midland 'overcrowded' though. I mean dangerously overcrowded - it's like sardines in there, and you've got people with bikes as well. When I went on holiday in August to Llandudno I had to miss the train I was due to catch and wait an hour for the next one because it was absolutely full to bursting. And it's not the first time either.
I use the Marches Line frequently (and services from Gloucester and along the South Wales main line infrequently). They are pretty much the most unpleasant services I travel on, in terms of crowding, high prices, inconvenient timetabling and poor-quality stock. Maybe elsewhere they're better, but my real-world experience is that ATW - despite some excellent on-the-ground staff - has been run as a don't-give-a-**** operation comparable to the old Thames Trains or, guess what, today's CrossCountry.