Govia get Thameslink Franchise

[user15681]

The app will be available on iOS and Android.

As with all Govia apps they hope to get it on Windows or are looking into it...

Why isn’t there an app for other Smartphones such as Windows and Blackberry?

We are looking at the possibility of other versions, but for now please use our mobile site with these devices.

 

[jon0844]

I take that to mean they're NOT going to do anything. BlackBerry is for all intents and purposes dead, although Windows Phone is a growing market (slowly, mind).

 

[Class377/5]

I've just used the app to access the website using the train loadings link. Seem to have fill access to site including timetables.

Must admit I'm a little annoyed the Govia apps don't run on Windows Phone.. Quite a lot of front line staff use Windows Phone 8.1 now and the FCC app saves us a lot of time when dealing with pax vs using the blackberrys.. Guess we'll have to use the FGW app if Govia don't want to make one for us!

Make even more sense as they are using Office 365 internally.

Some pics

IMG_20140910_000511 by Sparkyscrum, on Flickr

Screenshot_2014-09-09-23-57-06 by Sparkyscrum, on Flickr

Screenshot_2014-09-09-23-57-54 by Sparkyscrum, on Flickr

 

[JaJaWa]

Last time I checked it was still entirely the same map from the Silverlink days.

Change?! London Midland scoff at such a thing!

Yes pretty sure it was a joke as the maps on these trains were last updated in 2001 (Wagn, First Great Eastern, GNER etc.)!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mackenzieblu/15006974728/sizes/h/

Harpendon?!?. Particularly amusing as the Siemens Class 700 mock-ups spelt us as Harpenthen... correct spelling is Harpenden for anyone wondering. Mind you they have fixed Wimeldon Chase from the FCC version.

Edit: Mordon South has been introduced too!

 

[Mike395]

They've now debranded (or at least started to debrand) the automated announcements on the 377s. 'This is the First Capital Connect service to...' now just states 'This train terminates at...'.

 

[Aictos]

Well they must have pulled it early yesterday morning as the only thing on the Google Store is a music file which you have to pay for which has nothing to do with GTR, pity the app is only available as branded TL as ought to be available branded both GN and TL.

 

[talldave]

They have removed it from google play
Must have released it before they were ready

Or they discovered it was as useless and crap as the Southern app ?

When I tried to use the Southern app to find platform numbers for departures, they were missing - but always present on realtimetrains; so I fail to see the point of wasting space on my phone with it!

 

[jon0844]

The FCC app was pretty awful too. Namely for reasons I posted in another thread, especially where selecting a date when at the end of a week resulted in it jumping forward a week (so if it was, say, Saturday and you wanted to buy a ticket for tomorrow, Sunday, it actually jumped ahead 7 days so if you didn't notice, you'd buy a ticket for 7 days later).

I hope the new one isn't just the same app skinned differently?

 

[tsr]

The FCC app was pretty awful too. Namely for reasons I posted in another thread, especially where selecting a date when at the end of a week resulted in it jumping forward a week (so if it was, say, Saturday and you wanted to buy a ticket for tomorrow, Sunday, it actually jumped ahead 7 days so if you didn't notice, you'd buy a ticket for 7 days later).

I hope the new one isn't just the same app skinned differently?

The new one will in effect be the Southern app, skinned differently!

On the subject of ticket buying, I have used the FGW app once or twice and found it fine. For train times in the immediate future (such as 1 hour from looking them up), I use the Chiltern app. I usually get other train times through the RTT website.

 

[Class377/5]

The new one will in effect be the Southern app, skinned differently!

On the subject of ticket buying, I have used the FGW app once or twice and found it fine. For train times in the immediate future (such as 1 hour from looking them up), I use the Chiltern app. I usually get other train times through the RTT website.

The new app is a purple version of the Southern app.

 

[physics34]

319426 in its new white vinyls

Copyright All rights reserved by Mark Bowerbank

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51738247@N03/15004893290/sizes/o/

 

[FOH]

Must admit I'm a little annoyed the Govia apps don't run on Windows Phone.. Quite a lot of front line staff use Windows Phone 8.1 now and the FCC app saves us a lot of time when dealing with pax vs using the blackberrys.. Guess we'll have to use the FGW app if Govia don't want to make one for us!

Yeah I use the FGW one on my Windows Phone and it's really good (and fast on 8.1). Must be galling though for FGW as I next to never use FGW being a Southern commuter

 

[Saint66]

319426 in its new white vinyls

Copyright All rights reserved by Mark Bowerbank

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51738247@N03/15004893290/sizes/o/

What colour are the doors? Red, Or a slightly off red colour?

Also, is it me or is the edging more orange than anything else?

 

[physics34]

What colour are the doors? Red, Or a slightly off red colour?

Also, is it me or is the edging more orange than anything else?

thinking they are still FCC pink

 

[radamfi]

I take that to mean they're NOT going to do anything. BlackBerry is for all intents and purposes dead, although Windows Phone is a growing market (slowly, mind).

What is the standard now for company phones? My company used to issue BlackBerry phones but now gives out Nokia Windows phones.

 

[jon0844]

Wow, just Tizen and a load of other OSes to go through before getting on to the more popular ones!

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

 

[b0b]

thinking they are still FCC pink

GTR Thameslink Purple

 

[The Box Photter]

thinking they are still FCC pink

The doors are FCC (Barbie) pink and the window surrounds are FCC purple. They've just slapped white vinyl over the old livery. I've seen the unit close up.

 

[physics34]

The doors are FCC (Barbie) pink and the window surrounds are FCC purple. They've just slapped white vinyl over the old livery. I've seen the unit close up.

thats what i guessed... a bit cheap, but a quick way of getting rid of Firsts livery.

 

[westcoaster]

thats what i guessed... a bit cheap, but a quick way of getting rid of Firsts livery.

Just peeling of the dynamic lines vinyls would have been easier.

 

[21C101]

thats what i guessed... a bit cheap, but a quick way of getting rid of Firsts livery.

Presumably this is temporary as the 319s are going soon and the real livery will end up on the 700s. The door pink isnt a million miles off Midland red and didnt midland railway also use white?

 

[Aictos]

What is the standard now for company phones? My company used to issue BlackBerry phones but now gives out Nokia Windows phones.

For FCC it was BlackBerry OS but they've started to roll out Android OS Sony Z1s or Z2s to Revenue which I can only guess at if Govia will continue it.

 

[JaJaWa]

319426 in its new white vinyls

Copyright All rights reserved by Mark Bowerbank

https://www.flickr.com/photos/51738247@N03/15004893290/sizes/o/

The icons by the door are First ones so I'm thinking this is maybe an FCC debranding rather than a Govia rebranding.

For FCC it was BlackBerry OS but they've started to roll out Android OS Sony Z1s or Z2s to Revenue which I can only guess at if Govia will continue it.

From what I've heard, Govia will roll out "Sony Xperia Z phones" so yes it looks like this will continue.

 

[MK Tom]

The GTR presentation document says "Gatwick Express services to benefit from new dedicated rolling stock in 2015 specifically designed for the service and including free wi-fi" - anyone able to tell me anything about this?

Link here - http://assets.goaheadbus.com/media/cms_page_media/1254/GTR%20franchise%20presentation.pdf - contains a lot of info about GoVia's plans for Thameslink over the next five years.

 

[infobleep]

So are most trains still in the current FCC livery and how long will it take to change them all?

South West Trains haven't changed the livery of all the trains they got from Southern yet, although perhaps they might be getting refurbished in due course. Not 100% certain. These things take time.

 

[Class377/5]

The GTR presentation document says "Gatwick Express services to benefit from new dedicated rolling stock in 2015 specifically designed for the service and including free wi-fi" - anyone able to tell me anything about this?

Link here - http://assets.goaheadbus.com/media/cms_page_media/1254/GTR%20franchise%20presentation.pdf - contains a lot of info about GoVia's plans for Thameslink over the next five years.

29x 387 (not the 387/1 being built for Thameslink) with an interior that's been suggested may be more 379 than 377/6. Official announcement expected after franchise taken.

 

[user15681]

The only extra news I've seen about the Gatwick Express 387s is that they'll be 'easier to get on and off' - but that's not news given that we know the 387 doors will be much bigger and better positioned than the 442s.

 

[ModernRailways]

So are most trains still in the current FCC livery and how long will it take to change them all?

South West Trains haven't changed the livery of all the trains they got from Southern yet, although perhaps they might be getting refurbished in due course. Not 100% certain. These things take time.

A lot are being painted white I've noticed. Took a quick trip out today (well, yesterday now) and the vast majority of 319s I saw were now white or partially white. Bare in mind I only saw around 7 units, of which 5 or 6 where white.

SouthWest Trains (Stagecoach) don't seem to be as bothered about branding as Govia are, although they are still pretty similar. The 456s are due for refurb though so I imagine they are waiting till then to repaint them.

 

[Via Bank]

A lot are being painted white I've noticed. Took a quick trip out today (well, yesterday now) and the vast majority of 319s I saw were now white or partially white. Bare in mind I only saw around 7 units, of which 5 or 6 where white.

SouthWest Trains (Stagecoach) don't seem to be as bothered about branding as Govia are, although they are still pretty similar. The 456s are due for refurb though so I imagine they are waiting till then to repaint them.

SWT are usually considered one of the most image-conscious TOCs when it comes to liveries/branding. The cascaded 456s entering service before refurbishment and reprinting are the exception rather than the rule.

 

[Class377/5]

A lot are being painted white I've noticed. Took a quick trip out today (well, yesterday now) and the vast majority of 319s I saw were now white or partially white. Bare in mind I only saw around 7 units, of which 5 or 6 where white.

SouthWest Trains (Stagecoach) don't seem to be as bothered about branding as Govia are, although they are still pretty similar. The 456s are due for refurb though so I imagine they are waiting till then to repaint them.

There's only 8 white 319s out of a fleet of 83.