I read on Twitter earlier - @FirstPlatform (FCCRailFail) - that Go Ahead had won it. It seems the tweet has been deleted now though.
Could be someone who has read this thread, or similar elsewhere, and jumped to conclusions? Thus, that Tweet doesn't actually confirm this rumour.
Sadly, most commuters will be expecting a sudden improvement in the service if another TOC wins the franchise, but in reality, it's not that attainable straight away.
There's not much a TOC can do when Network Rail's infrastructure lets them (Overhead wire problems being the concern of most TL commuters at the moment)
TL is going to be very tough for any new TOC, especially with the upgrade programme still underway.
Same problem for FCC throughout ALL of its franchise on the TL side, and the cause of most of the hatred towards First and FCC. On the GN side, I'd say they've done a great job since the Wagn days. Maybe others could have done more, but I can't imagine what. Admittedly, some of the changes of MD weren't great and communication with the public was disappointing at times but it seems to have got a lot better in the last year or so, mirroring the attention to detail from Elaine Holt at the outset.
Ultimately, when the franchise winner announces its grand plans it's going to sound quite impressive. And many will say 'Yeah, FCC never did any of that' but not appreciate that we're approaching the completion of the TL project, the DfT has specified new timetables, and we'll be getting some pretty impressive trains, and we'll get smartcard ticketing etc.
There's obviously SOME flexibility in the franchise for individual companies to decide on, but not that much. I do wonder if the winner will have saved money by keeping the 313s a bit longer and would love to know what the losers offered.
It seems to be a franchise where it might not pay to offer too much to the passenger, but rather keep the Government happy. Thus, the winner might actually not be the best deal.
Oh, and when things to tits up through the core as they invariably will and cause loads of problems on the BML, MML and ECML - the new operator is really going to get it in the neck. The honeymoon period will soon be over.
@Delayed_Again for Greater Anglia is hilariously bad! Whoever runs it seems to live in a completely different world to most of us!
And keeps hijacking any conversations I have with AGA too.
hock:
