Arriva win new London Overground contract

[317 forever]

And nobody will notice.

What is the point?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

This is a Modern Railways gag. The point is that ARL will know not to rest on their LOROLs.

 

[anti-pacer]

Arriva were crap when they ran Merseyrail. I seem to think their record in Wales isn't much better. Are people generally hopeful about this?

Well IMHO they ain't doing so good up here on their much trumpeted Northern franchise.

 

[swt class 450]

I notice that there is nothing on the London Overground section of the TFL website to tell passengers about the new Arriva franchise taking over from the current Arriva and MTR one. I am surprised as most TOCs normally have some mention when a new operator takes over the franchise.

 

[Carlisle]

I notice that there is nothing on the London Overground section of the TFL website to tell passengers about the new Arriva franchise taking over from the current Arriva and MTR one. I am surprised as most TOCs normally have some mention when a new operator takes over the franchise.

Maybe on an inter city franchises yes but the Metrolink concession for example was Stagecoach one day and RATP the next

 

[Mikey C]

I notice that there is nothing on the London Overground section of the TFL website to tell passengers about the new Arriva franchise taking over from the current Arriva and MTR one. I am surprised as most TOCs normally have some mention when a new operator takes over the franchise.

It's not a franchise like the ones that operate on NR though.

If anything it's more akin to the bus routes operating in London. If Arriva lose route 38 to Stagecoach there are no announcements, and apart from enthusiasts the change is fairly seamless other than (slightly) different buses.

In this case, the trains themselves stay the same, and in the same livery, so it has no impact on the public whatsoever!

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's a completely pointless layer of profit which exists only for political reasons. It should have been directly operated by TfL from day one. As should Tramlink etc.

 

[LLivery]

It's not a franchise like the ones that operate on NR though.

It is part of NR, they've even dropped the TfL roundel from the tickets. (Sorry, I had to say it).

 

[swt class 450]

It is part of NR, they've even dropped the TfL roundel from the tickets. (Sorry, I had to say it).

When did they get rid of the TFL roundel from the tickets? That must have been very recently?

 

[96tommy]

Having been on the Overground today I spotted....... 0 differences. WHat difference is the normal passenger most likely to see, stickers like Cross Country saying it is operated by DB/Arriva on the side of the trains

 

[Mikey C]

It is part of NR, they've even dropped the TfL roundel from the tickets. (Sorry, I had to say it).

Who buys separate tickets these days in London...

 

[Sprinter153]

When did they get rid of the TFL roundel from the tickets? That must have been very recently?

I saw a number of tickets issued at New Cross Gate with roundels on as recently as yesterday when doing a ticket check.

 

[KashmireHawker]

They have very quietly launched this site... Only sort of publicity they have out there at the moment from looking around.

http://arrivaraillondon.co.uk/

 

[HH]

Having been on the Overground today I spotted....... 0 differences. WHat difference is the normal passenger most likely to see, stickers like Cross Country saying it is operated by DB/Arriva on the side of the trains

I don't know about the passenger, but the staff will see a few differences, e.g. I believe most ticket offices are slated for closure.

IMNSHO it would have been better for everyone if MTR would have won it, but I believe Arriva promised the world in a basket. Delivery will be another matter.

 

[urpert]

That's true, Metroline have too much of a stranglehold on the London bus market (most of it gifted to them when First London threw in the towel), and of late Arriva were losing out in the bus tenders, but they are beginning to win routes whilst also dealing with a restructure of their London business.

It will still be the same Overground branded trains, uniforms, stations etc so Joe Public won't see any sort of real change. I'd like to see how things go when the new trains out of Liverpool Street replace the 315's and 317's there at the moment

Funny, from this side of the Thames it feels like Go-Ahead who have the stranglehold on the bus market!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Having been on the Overground today I spotted....... 0 differences. WHat difference is the normal passenger most likely to see, stickers like Cross Country saying it is operated by DB/Arriva on the side of the trains

Given that Overground is actually a proper franchise, unlike the TOCs which aren't really franchises at all, there should be no externally visible change at all.

 

[387star]

Sainsbury's new christmas advert takes two jibes at the railways with the cartoon clearly depicting a LOROL train twice did they have to ask permission for that or will most people not notice?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/sainsburys-christmas-ad-sees-james-9252465

 

[matt_world2004]

Is the contract framed like the crossrail ones where full payment is only available for full operational reliability and other QSI indicators or is it a benchmark target with bonuses for going over those targets.

 

[flappy8]

I gather that TFL have stopped any publicity due to the Tramlink accident.

 

[LLivery]

When did they get rid of the TFL roundel from the tickets? That must have been very recently?

I bought several tickets over the summer at Sydenham without the roundel. Didn't have it on as recently as last month. Bought one two days ago and it seems its re-appeared. Sydenham must of been as special case.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Who buys separate tickets these days in London...

I don't know... anyone who travels to outside London perhaps?

 

[Mikey C]

I don't know... anyone who travels to outside London perhaps?

I meant on the Overground! Doesn't Oyster (and prepay) cover the entire Overground network?

 

[swt_passenger]

I meant on the Overground! Doesn't Oyster (and prepay) cover the entire Overground network?

It does, but they still have to cater for occasional travellers without Oyster or contactless, just like the underground still does.

 

[edwin_m]

I meant on the Overground! Doesn't Oyster (and prepay) cover the entire Overground network?

There are card tickets for journeys to/from outside London that are also valid on the Overground - for example returns that include a Travelcard or singles/returns/seasons between an Overground station and anywhere outside the Oyster area. So unless these through tickets become some kind of hybrid of smart and magnetic or are abolished entirely, the Overground will probably have to handle card tickets until the distant date when they are fully eliminated from the national network.

 

[ooo]

When I've been travelling with the family on the Overground we've just bought singles as paper tickets so we can use the railcard discount.

 

[Mikey C]

There are card tickets for journeys to/from outside London that are also valid on the Overground - for example returns that include a Travelcard or singles/returns/seasons between an Overground station and anywhere outside the Oyster area. So unless these through tickets become some kind of hybrid of smart and magnetic or are abolished entirely, the Overground will probably have to handle card tickets until the distant date when they are fully eliminated from the national network.

I originally wasn't trying to suggest that nobody used paper tickets, but that the number was so small that whether they had roundels on them or not was neither here or there in terms of Overground publicity.

Indeed the rapid take up of Oyster and prepay in London has been a great technological and social success.