West Coast Partnership: Awarded to First Trenitalia

[driver_m]

They are doing a great job of keeping the new name and branding under wraps as it must be all decided by now, must be time for staff roadshows soon where they should be told?

The roadshows are imminent. Sure the first one is tomorrow.

 

[Class 170101]

You're right there's no need for another Birmingham - Crewe but there's a genuine need for another Crewe - Preston via Wigan/Warrington. The paths are there, because they've been heavily used for testing/training over the last few months. All that's needed is to use some of those for passenger services.

It doesn't, but it could be done by extending the Trent Valley service instead, which is not really a regional service, it's more a sort of IR.

I am going to say extend the Birmingham to Crewe service to Preston rather the Trent Valley services due to their length being 8 cars mainly where I think only 4 cars are needed or possibly all thats viable depending upon station calls.

 

[Elecman]

I am going to say extend the Birmingham to Crewe service to Preston rather the Trent Valley services due to their length being 8 cars mainly where I think only 4 cars are needed or possibly all thats viable depending upon station calls.

Route it via Earlestown as well

 

[Mathew S]

Route it via Earlestown as well

Yep. Hourly service each way. Would only require two extra units to do Crewe - Preston and, as I've said before, the paths exist.

 

[EE Andy b1]

They are doing a great job of keeping the new name and branding under wraps as it must be all decided by now, must be time for staff roadshows soon where they should be told?

FT staff Roadshows start today, Mon 28th October at Euston.

We will see.

 

[Pete_uk]

Hope the operational colours are not dark.

 

[KashmireHawker]

If anyone gets any info, we'd all very much love to see it

 

[Andrew*Debbie]

Only those trains have talking toilets. I wonder if the replacements will speak in suave Italian?

I hope so, especially if it a) funny and b) in Italian only.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If anyone gets any info, we'd all very much love to see it

I wonder if they're actually planning to launch the whole thing in a blaze of glory[1] on day one. It's only a month!

[1] Has any TOC had actual glory on day one?

 

[Andrew*Debbie]

We will be traveling to London a few days after the franchise changes hands.

If it is anything like our first ride on TfW, the only difference will be the de-branding.

 

[option]

Let's not get too ahead of ourselves just yet!

Yes, First Rail Holdings trademarked the Avanti name earlier this year. (Just as the DfT trademarked both LNER and Azuma.) But we don't know exactly who has registered the domain names avantitrains.co.uk and avantitrains.com, although the domain does use the same name servers as the westcoastrail.co.uk holding site. (The registrar for both domains is cscprotectsbrands.com, a company that helps organisations 'protect their brands' online.)

So the balance of probabilities is tipping towards Avanti as the franchise name. But it could still just be the name of their new trains.

The .com was registered by First Group Holdings

Registrant Organization: First Group Holdings
Registrant Street: 395 King Street
Registrant City: Aberdeen
Registrant State/Province: Aberdeenshire
Registrant Postal Code: AB24 5RP
Registrant Country: GB

 

[Mathew S]

Personally I'd prefer a name without "London" in it and I suspect there could be a few supporters of greater devolution for the Midlands and North who would prefer something less London-centric as well.

I'd love a less London-centric service, but the important part there is service. The name is, really, neither here nor there.

 

[newWCMLwatcher]

Has anyone got any analysis on how many Virgin customers are unhappy with the service and would welcome a new one?

On the other hand, what about customers who travel with Virgin and are happy with the service and would continue their relationship with the group?

I only ever travel with Virgin on business, so I can only give my review on that. It's smart, clean, but it's cramped. Better seats with better access points would be good, especially to those who are near the corridor - the access points should be convenient and near, not near the side of the carriage so you have to learn over your fellow passenger who may feel uncomfortable!

 

[transmanche]

Has anyone got any analysis on how many Virgin customers are unhappy with the service and would welcome a new one?

On the other hand, what about customers who travel with Virgin and are happy with the service and would continue their relationship with the group?

I think the most comprehensive survey is probably the National Rail Passengers Survey undertaken by Transport Focus.

In the most recent survey (Spring 2019), 91% of VT passengers were 'fairly satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with their journey. (50% of all passengers were 'very satisfied'.)

The full survey drills down on a number of features: the satisfaction levels are much lower when you ask about value-for-money, availability of seating or wifi!

 

[newWCMLwatcher]

Please do see the post before this for the results (I'm very sorry, the system wont let me post links with being so new).

I'm one of those people who are looking forward to the new name, but I do think it's going to be a (bad) surprise. It's going to be such a dead giveaway to begin with.

 

[MalaiseForever]

Some of the Virgin staff at Crewe are now wearing plain grey winter coats, instead of usual red affair. Debranding continues.

 

[Mag_seven]

Debranding continues.

I suppose they will have to de-name all those Class 390s with "Virgin" on the nameplate!

 

[newWCMLwatcher]

I suppose they will have to de-name all those Class 390s with "Virgin" on the nameplate!

I'm going to hazard a guess that all stock will those their names over the coming months. Perhaps they'll get new ones eventually - I do like the concept of giving train sets a name, so I hope FT give them something deserving. I know that Virgin have always said they're extremely proud of their relationship with both Alstom and Bombardier so I wonder if those sets will keep their cross-company branding.

 

[C J Snarzell]

It's five weeks today until the change over date.

My town has two stations on opposite sides of the street, one being run by Virgin and brandishing all the red paint and corporate posters. I kind of get the feeling Virgin will dominate their armchair until the bitter end before the painters and decorators turn up.

I have noticed that a few of their train carriages are looking a little bland which leads me to believe that the workshops are beginning stripping the Fleet of their branding.

C J

 

[Merle Haggard]

I think the most comprehensive survey is probably the National Rail Passengers Survey undertaken by Transport Focus.

In the most recent survey (Spring 2019), 91% of VT passengers were 'fairly satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with their journey. (50% of all passengers were 'very satisfied'.)

The full survey drills down on a number of features: the satisfaction levels are much lower when you ask about value-for-money, availability of seating or wifi!

The Transport Focus surveys are, presumably, the basis of the posters displayed by TOCs at stations. Similarly, on these, there's a list of different aspects with their ratings, and then there's an 'Overall Impression' rating. On the ones I've looked at (and I did take a photo of the last LM one) over time, and as you point out, in every case the 'Overall Impression' is better (higher %) than any of the individual ones - sometimes by 5 or 10 percentage points. Presumably, this is because the survey asks this as a separate question rather than trying to sum the component scores, but it does seem strange to me that all the individual factors - attitude of staff, cleanliness of trains, etc. - are rated lower than the 'Overall Impression'. How can something be rated better overall than the sum of the rating of all its components? Perhaps it's a good example of cognitative dissonance.

 

[FishUK]

Route it via Earlestown as well

It would take some pressure of the WCML intercity services from those travelling between Wigan and Warrington. Plus, Newton-le-Willows would certainly have a market for (regular) direct connections to Wigan & Presto, and if you're going through that curve at Earlestown station at that speed you might as well stop there (and, full disclousre, my local station).

Something like hourly each way, Crewe-WBQ-Earlestown-Newton-le-Willows-Wigan-Preston?

 

[Voyager lad]

It would take some pressure of the WCML intercity services from those travelling between Wigan and Warrington. Plus, Newton-le-Willows would certainly have a market for (regular) direct connections to Wigan & Presto, and if you're going through that curve at Earlestown station at that speed you might as well stop there (and, full disclousre, my local station).

Something like hourly each way, Crewe-WBQ-Earlestown-Newton-le-Willows-Wigan-Preston?

I’ve even thought depending who it was run by it could also call at Winsford, Hartford and Acton Bridge fo improve connections plus speed up LNWR services

 

[FishUK]

I’ve even thought depending who it was run by it could also call at Winsford, Hartford and Acton Bridge fo improve connections plus speed up LNWR services

That makes sense to me! To say Acton Bridge is not well connected to Warrington by train is being extremely generous. Sticking the two into Google Maps' train-only directions gives you something looking like a Tube map.

 

[Voyager lad]

That makes sense to me! To say Acton Bridge is not well connected to Warrington by train is being extremely generous. Sticking the two into Google Maps' train-only directions gives you something looking like a Tube map.

Quite right! You could keep LNWR services calling at Hartford hourly off peak with peak and evening extras. But transfer management of Hartford as well as Winsford and Acton Bridge to Northern (or whatever TOC would operate the Crewe - Preston stopper). That way the area still retains links to Liverpool but a much easier connection to places like Warrington, Preston and even on to Scotland. If the paths existed you could even run it Crewe - Carlisle and speed up Scotland - London services by removing their call at Penrith, albeit this could be controversial

 

[Nymanic]

If the paths existed you could even run it Crewe - Carlisle and speed up Scotland - London services by removing their call at Penrith, albeit this could be controversial

Had the electrification of the Windermere branch not been cancelled, perhaps a Crewe-NLW-Windermere stopper could have broadly replaced the Oxenholme shuttles? You'd cater for Acton Bridge and other small stations, and provide some capacity relief between Preston & Lancaster (southbound TPE trains are standing room only from here).

In this case, you'd possibly get away with removing some Oxenholme calls on West Coast services, but it might not be well accepted.

Admittedly we're approaching the realm of 'Speculative Ideas' here...

 

[Andrew*Debbie]

This just in - the new franchise will offer free water refills.

our new catering offer will include free water refills.

https://www.westcoastpartnership.co.uk/plan.html

 

[KashmireHawker]

I note that the CMA are expected to publish it's report, into the franchise on November 21st - which is possibly why we don't yet have a brand just a month and 2 days out.

 

[Clarence Yard]

No connection - the CMA process is mainly an administrative one.

The brand launch date has been fixed for some time.

 

[ashkeba]

This just in - the new franchise will offer free water refills.






https://www.westcoastpartnership.co.uk/plan.html

Do they mean on the trains or is this just station bottle-fillers like many other operators' stations already have?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Do they mean on the trains or is this just station bottle-fillers like many other operators' stations already have?

The latter would make more sense - I'd rather fresh tap water than something that's been sat around in a tank for hours.

Having said that, in 1st it would be better to have glasses at each seat and a dispenser of iced water in the service area than bottles.