First win Intercity West Coast franchise

[Alfie1014]

Not surprising really that First won considering that their press release offers such an amazing offer that it makes HS2 redundant!

Quote "Improved journey time of 15 minutes for trains between London and Glasgow"

 

[NSEFAN]

It's good to see Bob out with a predictable rant.

 

[Scooby]

I absolutely despise the things and what installing them implies - "we don't trust you, we don't trust any of you, you are all accountable to us". You can throw as many straw men at me as you like (a particular favourite of gating proponents is "well you wouldn't expect to be able to go airside without a ticket at the airport"), that's my opinion on the subject.

Thank you for sharing your opinion with me (us)..

I'm happy to see them appear at stations, if it means that fewer chancers get to use the services that I've paid for.

I also like self service tills in supermarkets

 

[Zoe]

I believe this leaves just Chiltern FGW and SWT out of the original franchises and even then Chiltern and FGW have had changes of owership mid-franchise so the only unchanged TOC is SWT.

 

[sonic2009]

I already see that Bob Crow is not in favour of First!

I think that it would be good to see the Government's decision about the new franchise.

 

[Lampshade]

I'm happy to see them appear at stations, if it means that fewer chancers get to use the services that I've paid for.

On the flip side, why should the majority suffer because of the few?

I also like self service tills in supermarkets

As do I

 

[island]

First will "improve connectivity with more stops at Nuneaton and Milton Keynes." Good.

First will also offer an "enhanced catering service, with increased at seat catering for customers." So, in contrast to all the speculation, catering won't be scrapped after all.

My money says the enhancement will be a cutback on what is free in first class, so you might get your tea and toast free but pay for the full English.

I absolutely despise the things and what installing them implies - "we don't trust you, we don't trust any of you, you are all accountable to us". You can throw as many straw men at me as you like (a particular favourite of gating proponents is "well you wouldn't expect to be able to go airside without a ticket at the airport"), that's my opinion on the subject.

Gating Euston is daft. Same with Manchester Piccadilly. And probably Glasgow Central.

 

[Aictos]

Afaik monopolies such as running both WCML and ECML are not allowed

Myth as not true at all!!!

 

[YorkshireBear]

Richard Branson on Twitter says that the last two times they rejected virgins bid the company went bust. He likes to exxagerate doesn't he :/

 

[Andy]

Virgin have done a very, very good job. A lot of people are upset to see them go, as Facebook comments should show you very clearly.

There are some very nice comments on facebook.

There is only one more things that you can really say about this.

Take a look at Cross Country!

When Virgin had control of Cross Country it was a great service to use. Arriva have murdered it! I can't remember the last time that I enjoyed a CC service in recent years.

If something works well, why not leave it. Service doesn't seem to matter to Cameron or Osborne, all that seems to matter is money.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Richard Branson on Twitter says that the last two times they rejected virgins bid the company went bust. He likes to exxagerate doesn't he :/

I think he is referring to EC, they rejected them over National Express and they went bust. I can't remember if they were around for the bidding when GNER ran.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I fear First taking on West Coast will be like a new member of a music band or new player in a sports team - no matter how good they are and what they do, everyone will want the original back (i.e. Virgin) no matter how good or better they are - the Virgin brand is exceptionally powerful.

 

[Scooby]

On the flip side, why should the majority suffer because of the few?

By having a machine check that you have a ticket (of some sort !) before you join the platform isn't much of a sufference, is it ?

Especially if it helps to root out the travel for free thieves.

 

[David10]

Richard Branson on Twitter says that the last two times they rejected virgins bid the company went bust. He likes to exxagerate doesn't he :/

GNER overbid and handed back the keys, NXEC overbid and handed back the keys, RB does have a point.

 

[Stats]

As long as the increased at seat catering is in addition to and not a replacement for a fixed buffet.

Sounds great, but it might just mean a trolley instead of a shop?

Tim O'Toole said on Radio 4 that they are going to increase catering staff, keep the buffet cars and introduce at seat dining on longer distance services.

 

[Zoe]

GNER overbid and handed back the keys, NXEC overbid and handed back the keys, RB does have a point.

It could be argued that First overbrid for Greater Western and Stagecoach overbid for South Western but neither have handed back the keys.

 

[David10]

Ticket gates will not be going in at Preston as long as I have a hole in my arse

I knew FirstGroup would do this, they've bid a completely unprecedented amount so gating is probably the first thing they thought of.

Gating was a DfT requirement in the ITT. Why do TOCs gate, maybe because it works?

 

[philjo]

First will "improve connectivity with more stops at Nuneaton and Milton Keynes." Good.

First will also offer an "enhanced catering service, with increased at seat catering for customers." So, in contrast to all the speculation, catering won't be scrapped after all.

Though National Express said something similar about catering when they took over from GNER but started to downgrade the service after a few months.

 

[Aictos]

Just have to hope now that our first group free travel will be expanded to WC!

I would have thought so plus existing travel arrangements are usually honored, when NX took over from GNER they continued to honor the long standing travel arrangement between GNER and FCC so fail to see why this wouldn't happen on the West Coast.

This now gives me more choice travelling to Scotland as I'm no longer restricted to weekends now

 

[Stats]

Not surprising really that First won considering that their press release offers such an amazing offer that it makes HS2 redundant!

Quote "Improved journey time of 15 minutes for trains between London and Glasgow"

And they keep on saying there is enormous unused capacity on the WCML, more than on any other intercity line. Wasn't that the whole point of HS2? That there is no capacity on the WCML?

 

[island]

Gating was a DfT requirement in the ITT. Why do TOCs gate, maybe because it works?

No, you've said it yourself. It's because the DaFT says so.

 

[chris89]

Massive shame that Virgin have lost the WCML. They shall be missed. At least have till the 9th of December with them though.

For with First group shall have to wait and see how well they do.

For ticket gates hopefully don't install them at Wolverhampton since it is a Virgin Ran station.

Chris

 

[ffm]

The 'new' 6 car electric trains............could they be e-voyagers? Add the pantograph motor car and the Virgin 5 car Voyagers are.........6 car. Then the rest get displaced as noted? Just a thought.

 

[All Line Rover]

Gating Euston is daft. Same with Manchester Piccadilly. And probably Glasgow Central.

I'm assuming there will have to be four separate manned gatelines (in addition to the current LO/LM gateline)? As to gate Euston in any other way would cause havoc to passengers.

Similar applies at Manchester Piccadilly. The only feasible way I can think of to install gatelines would be to replace the current glass façade with a single very long gateline.

 

[Clip]

Im very much of the view that as long as someone gets me from A to B and has something nice to eat and drink then I dont really care whose name is on the side of the train.

Though my last trip on Virgin I noticed a change in the beer on sale.. They used to sell Heineken but not any more!! gutted

 

[ex-railwayman]

Unsure about this monopoly business, Virgin Atlantic fly out of Glasgow Airport every summer season to Orlando, so, how come they were also allowed to run trains from London to Glasgow, isn't this a monopoly??

The First Group run passenger trains under the brand names of First Great Western, First Capital Connect, First TransPennine, First Hull Trains, First Scotrail, and now First West Coast Mainline, that's over a quarter of the UK rail network, as well as all of their bus companies nationwide that cover the same towns and cities, is this not also a monopoly, the DfT don't appear to think so.

I'm not a fan member of the Sir Dicky brigade either, having met the man personally he's an odious, entrepreneur who's also cried foul on many other occasions and as an ex-staff member of British Midland from the 1990's he ran more vendettas against us than any other Airline based at Heathrow (BA excepted) and took great delight in trampling over us at every opportunity.
He gained a lot of publicity after offering to run the National Lottery as a not for profit organisation that won him a lot of friends in Britain, but, of course ran out of luck when the Gov't denied his People's Lottery Consortium tender. So, now someone has taken his train-set away from him, sorry, but what goes around comes around, he should know that as a businessman, it won't stop him from flying his hot-air balloons, or, getting involved in some of other business venture though in the future, anything to stroke his ego.

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.

 

[PaxVobiscum]

Tim O'Toole said on Radio 4 that they are going to increase catering staff, keep the buffet cars and introduce at seat dining on longer distance services.

The two interviews with Tony Collins from Virgin and Tim O'Toole from First on the Today programme this morning are well worth listening to, setting out the two sides of the argument very clearly.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01lt45h/Today_15_08_2012/ at about 2:10:00 in.

 

[western Champion]

It could be argued that First overbrid for Greater Western and Stagecoach overbid for South Western but neither have handed back the keys.

But since Virgin didn't bid for either of those franchises it's irrelevant to this point.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Gating was a DfT requirement in the ITT. Why do TOCs gate, maybe because it works?

No, only at Birmingham New Street (previously agreed).
It reduces the ambience from long-distance to commuter for me.

 

[Wath Yard]

Can people please stop referring to NXEC and using that as an argument of why this bid is going to fail. There are differences, mainly that National Express bid when the economy was doing well and then fell off a cliff. Currently the economy isn't doing well, and will probably see a very slow, but steady improvement over time. There is no comparison between the economic circumstances as far as the two are concerned.

Finally, FirstGroup don't have a history of reckless overbidding. Nobody knows if it will succeed or not but I would have thought all level headed people would hope it does, and it certainly potentially offers passengers quite a few benefits.

 

[Zoe]

But since Virgin didn't bid for either of those franchises it's irrelevant to this point.

No it isn't. If a company overbids and company can't afford the payments, the DfT will not renegociate. It makes no difference if Virgin were bidding for the franchise or not. The point here is that even though it may seem there is an overbid, this does not mean First are are not going to be able to afford the payments and end up handing back the keys and the involvement of Virgin in the contest is not going to change that. First Group bid high for Greater Western but didn't end up handing back the keys and I don't think Virgin bidding would have changed anything. Arriva bid against Virgin to win Cross Country and I don't see any suggestion of them handing the keys back.