Govia get Thameslink Franchise

[AM9]

Ooops. Should have read the link.

 

[Class377/5]

It wasn't the story that SWT will be getting 700s in the future, was it? You know, this story:
http://www.railexpress.co.uk/news/swt-orders-150-new-desiro-carriages

They are getting Desiro Cities, similar to Class 700 (at least the body and traction will be) no news on class yet.

The Thameslink/Great Northern 'news' includes this statement:

Hardly surprising some of the media have got confused, and used photos of Waterloo...

Oops!

 

[philjo]

The BBC Regional news last night seemed to announce a new Milton Keynes to Victoria service when Southern join the franchise

BBC Look East yesterday mentioned the "London Midland Route" as being included in the new franchise (instead of the MML !)

 

[swt_passenger]

Well here's the Bedford local paper using Waterloo to illustrate the change of franchise story:

http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/...ra-on-thameslink-and-great-northern-1-6293092

They probably just ask Google for 'trains' images, and that's what was currently top of the pops...

 

[Aictos]

There was unfortunately an incident at welwyn garden city. This closed the lines so may be due to the disruption

Tis a fatality there, some person got hit by a southbound East Coast resulting in diverting services via the Hertford Loop.

That said there are a few staff who use the roaming microphones to make manual announcements on the platforms where the equipment is usable such as Stevenage, indeed there is one fella at Stevenage who is renown for his manual announcements in a proactive way.

The roaming microphones are good as it means staff being more visible on platforms but it depends on having equipment fit for purpose, I'm hoping GN will encourage more use of the equipment where supplied.

 

[jon0844]

One of those in the picture is a local councillor, who isn't even mentioned in the article. I'm not sure if the woman is anyone important either. I think it might be a photo they took a couple of weeks ago after the Abbey line had all it's foliage cut down... Causing great outrage in the area...

That's even more dumb then! Oh well, that's local papers for you.

 

[387star]

Meridian news just made it sound like Southern will be rebranded as Thameslink

Why is it so hard for reporters to make things clear? First capital connect is no more the Southern brand will remain and thameslink and great northern will be the new brands for the respective routes simple
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Tis a fatality there, some person got hit by a southbound East Coast resulting in diverting services via the Hertford Loop.

That said there are a few staff who use the roaming microphones to make manual announcements on the platforms where the equipment is usable such as Stevenage, indeed there is one fella at Stevenage who is renown for his manual announcements in a proactive way.

The roaming microphones are good as it means staff being more visible on platforms but it depends on having equipment fit for purpose, I'm hoping GN will encourage more use of the equipment where supplied.

When I worked at Southern those hand held devices were a fantastic implementation
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

BBC Look East yesterday mentioned the "London Midland Route" as being included in the new franchise (instead of the MML !)

 

[southern442]

To be fair after so many years it becomes second nature!

Today I was on a Thameslink train (still no branding though) and two (rather friendly) ticket inspectors passed through, one with a TL rail badge and one still with her FCC one.

 

[Stats]

Someone at East Croydon announced a train as "First Capital Connect", but i'll let them off as i suppose it was just a slip.

Yesterday, the CIS at Gatwick Airport was displaying Thames-Link as the TOC. Today unless my eyes deceived me I'm sure it was saying FirstCapitalConnect.

 

[jon0844]

What's with the uniforms? Saw a guy with a Great Northern jacket today, yet I thought people weren't getting them until next year (April)?

 

[Class377/5]

What's with the uniforms? Saw a guy with a Great Northern jacket today, yet I thought people weren't getting them until next year (April)?

There's limited temporary uniform being handed out to front line staff.

 

[Bald Rick]

One of those in the picture is a local councillor, who isn't even mentioned in the article. I'm not sure if the woman is anyone important either. I think it might be a photo they took a couple of weeks ago after the Abbey line had all it's foliage cut down... Causing great outrage in the area...

It is Sandy Walkington, Lib Dem county councillor, prospective parliamentary candidate for St Albans (three times a loser), and serial local paper photo opportunist. Next to him is Baroness Kramer, Minister of State for Transport.

Not sure when the picture was, but Ms Kramer was in Hatfield last week to see the station redevelopment work and possibly give personal responses to the forum posts of jonmorris0844. So it could have been then.

Alternatively it might have been taken just after the Dft announcement about investigating the extension of Crossrail to the WCML, when Mr Walkington started lobbying for Crossrail trains to St Albans Abbey. And he wasn't joking. OTT and OT.

 

[387star]

The two names seems very confusing great northern has its own website yet redirects to the thameslink website which talks of great northern and thameslink (in that order) not helped by spoof accounts

There are separate twitter and facebook accounts but the website is the same with the thameslink logo more prominent with the great northern more of a sub brand

 

[Skimble19]

What's with the uniforms? Saw a guy with a Great Northern jacket today, yet I thought people weren't getting them until next year (April)?

Staff have been supplied with a jacket, tie, scarf, hat and hi vis until the full uniform is issued.. Temporary measure but it gives a slightly fresh look!

 

[Class 170101]

youve got to laugh at how rubbish the media is in this country....

There was a SWT trains livered 700 coming out of waterloo in a newspaper yesterday!

Wasn't that a photoshop job anyway?

 

[Class377/5]

Wasn't that a photoshop job anyway?

Yes. But the original photoshop job of that shot shows a 8 car 700 in Siemens Desiro City livery (red doors, black window stripe and Desiro City in big letters on the side).

 

[Aictos]

Staff have been supplied with a jacket, tie, scarf, hat and hi vis until the full uniform is issued.. Temporary measure but it gives a slightly fresh look!

Although pot luck if you get the right size

 

[Kite159]

Although pot luck if you get the right size

Although if it's anything like our work uniform even if you get the right size (by label) it will be pot luck if it actually fits.

 

[Aictos]

Although if it's anything like our work uniform even if you get the right size (by label) it will be pot luck if it actually fits.

I like the temporary uniform design but trying to get into a small size is gonna be a challenge for me and I'm not a big guy

Uniform is basic but smart

 

[Skimble19]

Although pot luck if you get the right size

tell me about it!! Same with the name badges though, so many people have the wrong version of their name.. mind you, the uniform sizes are apparently based on your first ever uniform order with FCC. Lets hope they actually ask us what we want in April!

 

[bussnapperwm]

To be fair after so many years it becomes second nature!

Tis a fatality there, some person got hit by a southbound East Coast resulting in diverting services via the Hertford Loop.

That said there are a few staff who use the roaming microphones to make manual announcements on the platforms where the equipment is usable such as Stevenage, indeed there is one fella at Stevenage who is renown for his manual announcements in a proactive way.

The roaming microphones are good as it means staff being more visible on platforms but it depends on having equipment fit for purpose, I'm hoping GN will encourage more use of the equipment where supplied.

Are those the ones that look like Electric Razors? I know FCC had some at Finsbury Park last time I went there about a year and half ago...

 

[jon0844]

tell me about it!! Same with the name badges though, so many people have the wrong version of their name.. mind you, the uniform sizes are apparently based on your first ever uniform order with FCC. Lets hope they actually ask us what we want in April!

How dare any of you guys and gals lose weight (or put it on)!

Are those the ones that look like Electric Razors? I know FCC had some at Finsbury Park last time I went there about a year and half ago...

Yup.

 

[grid56126]

The two names seems very confusing great northern has its own website yet redirects to the thameslink website which talks of great northern and thameslink (in that order) not helped by spoof accounts

There are separate twitter and facebook accounts but the website is the same with the thameslink logo more prominent with the great northern more of a sub brand

And only one on track app as well, named "Thameslink" and GN is not mentioned. I didn't realise this until some bloke tweeted and asked the question yesterday.

 

[GodAtum]

Ha ha, sounds like the BBC. Usual bad reporting.

Someone at East Croydon announced a train as "First Capital Connect", but i'll let them off as i suppose it was just a slip.

i did not notice that, i thought they are still saying "First Capital Connect".

 

[swt_passenger]

i did not notice that, i thought they are still saying "First Capital Connect".

The change might not have been signed off by his union rep yet? Or maybe some of them feel the re-training package offered was inadequate, etc etc...

 

[talldave]

I know this is going to sound like a really stupid question, and the UK might be about to get shorter, but why is the franchise called Great Northern, when it doesn't really go very far North at all?

 

[philjo]

The route is mainly that which was operated by the Great Northern Railway company, established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. it became part of LNER in 1923.
British Rail still referred to the route as Great Northern (e.g. I have a book called "Great Northern electrics" covering the Kings Cross/Moorgate-Royston electrification in the 1970s)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Northern_Railway_%28Great_Britain%29

 

[387star]

Part of the website reads 'Thameslink and Great Northern' and part reads 'Great Northern and Thameslink'

Anyway a few questions...

Are the Southern 'this station is operated by' signs being amended with the new logos replacing the FCC ones

On the Great Northern network are trains announced as Great Northern and are there any youtube clips of this

Do any trains sport the GN branding and are there any more being repainted

Has it been confirmed Govia will keep the neutral livery or make amendments to it... are the strange new stripes on the 387s a sign of things to come?

 

[swt_passenger]

Are the Southern 'this station is operated by' signs being amended with the new logos replacing the FCC ones

Southern is still Southern, why would they be affected?

 

[387star]

Southern is still Southern, why would they be affected?

Sorry I mean the signs which include other operators who serve the said stations