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Scotrail Franchise - Abellio

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route101

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najaB said:
So, does that mean it isn't possible to buy a ticket for a journey entirely in England and Wales?
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Yeah i, i have bought Preston to Manchester return when splitting at Preston. Can be awkward asking for a ticket getting it then asking for another. Same with ' return to edinburgh with railcard and plusbus , last time i got a single without plusbus , such a mouthful .
Plusbus , daytripper and roundabout should be on TVMS. Daytripper is outdated
 
DuncanS

DuncanS

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route101 said:
Yeah theres 3 but the Scottish Destinations one on the main concourse is inadequate when its busy , like today when i wanted to buy a roundabout . The TVMs should sell plusbus and roundabout tickets .
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They did announce that Saturday at Central would be busy and queuing on some routes would be in place owing to the National and the St Mirren title winning party against Morton.
 
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mde

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najaB said:
I thought so, but the TSA seems to suggest it is not.
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That document does appear to be rather outdated though, maybe it has changed since then (albeit, it was perhaps simply so that they didn't need to dispense local fares!)

The ScotRail exemptions on it are quite bizarre though - Glasgow Central (High and Low) will only do bookings for Scottish routes (and Carlisle), yet, apparently, Queen Street doesn't have that restriction…
 
marks87

marks87

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I noticed on some of the photos of the 385s they’ve been given “Express” branding, with the ‘x’ stylised as the ScotRail Saltire.

With the Inter(7)City branding for the HSTs, I wonder if there will be a third category along the lines of “Regional” or “Urban” for the former SPT network, Fife Circle etc.?

I also wonder if anything else will come under the “Express” branding. Edinburgh-Dundee/Perth semi-fasts? I suppose though that might reduce flexibility in diagramming if the brand were to be applied to the stock.
 
Highlandspring

Highlandspring

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I wouldn’t have thought they’d launch another brand or expand the “Express” brand beyond the E&G but you never know. The two brands “Intercity” and “Express” make up a fair chunk of what’s referred to internally as Network, while other areas are referred to as Spt Diesel and SPT Electric.
 
HH

HH

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mde said:
That document does appear to be rather outdated though, maybe it has changed since then (albeit, it was perhaps simply so that they didn't need to dispense local fares!)

The ScotRail exemptions on it are quite bizarre though - Glasgow Central (High and Low) will only do bookings for Scottish routes (and Carlisle), yet, apparently, Queen Street doesn't have that restriction…
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Basically the lead TOC for a station (not necessarily the SFO) has the obligation and right to sell all tickets. Other operators have the right to sell their own tickets. Anything outside that is by negotiation.
 
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IanXC

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HH said:
Basically the lead TOC for a station (not necessarily the SFO) has the obligation and right to sell all tickets. Other operators have the right to sell their own tickets. Anything outside that is by negotiation.
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Lets not think about Virgin Trains Only tickets to Carlisle or CrossCountry Only tickets to Edinburgh(!)
 
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mde

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Looks like sparks are flying between TSSA and Alex Hynes…

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/...intervene_in_sexist_bullying_allegations_row/

Transport minister offers to intervene in sexist bullying allegations row
Andrew Whitaker

TRANSPORT minister Humza Yousaf is poised to intervene in a bitter rail industry row over accusations of sexist bullying.

Scotland's rail company bosses and unions are locked in a ferocious dispute over the accusations that ScotRail Alliance's managing director, Alex Hynes, threatened to exclude a female union organiser from top level talks, the Sunday Herald has learned.

The TSSA says Hynes asked Claire Johnston to remain behind following a meeting about CCTV staffing, where was told she faced exclusion from executive level meetings unless TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes stopped publicly criticising Hynes.

TSSA officials claim Hynes behaved in an "inappropriate, intimidatory and bullying manner" towards Johnston.

The union said the ScotRail Alliance boss "isolated our female organiser" at her first meeting with the company and treated Johnston in an "inappropriate outdated manner of a naughty school girl", but the company disputes the claims.

Last night, the Transport Minister called on ScotRail and the TSSA to resolve the dispute.

Yousaf offered to meet both sides for talks about women's representation in the industry.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “This dispute is a matter for ScotRail and the TSSA, however, the Transport Minister would encourage them to continue dialogue to resolve this for the benefit of staff and passengers alike.

“More generally, the Scottish Government has strong policy around equality and have also made real efforts to encourage more females to consider a career in the traditionally male dominated rail sector.

“The Transport Minister would be happy to meet with any stakeholders who share the Government’s aim of increasing diversity within the transport industry.”

ScotRail Alliance – which is a partnership between Abellio ScotRail and Network Rail – said it and Hynes "absolutely refute the version of events and allegations of intimidation, misogyny, bullying and inappropriate behaviour".

The company added: "A short conversation between Alex Hynes and the TSSA’s organiser did take place following the meeting, with other colleagues present during the discussion.

"The conversation was open and honest and Mr Hynes talked about how we could work together in partnership to achieve better industrial relations."

The firm also issued a statement defending Hynes' record on gender equality.

A ScotRail Alliance spokeswoman said: “During Alex Hynes’ time at ScotRail and throughout his career he has rigorously committed to, and supported, equality and diversity in the workforce.

"He has a track record of encouraging a broad range of employees to the railway, including enabling women to have senior careers in the industry, to best reflect the diversity in the communities we serve.”

Meanwhile, the TSSA denied its general secretary, Manuel Cortes, had made any disparaging remarks about Hynes, and said it would complain to Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon about the situation.

TSSA's head of communications, Carmel Nolan, said: "Isolating the only woman union official in the room, then asking her to stay behind, then threatening her with exclusion from future professional talks at her very first meeting with the company is no longer acceptable practice.

“Women are still a rare breed in the Scottish transport industry.

“And leading from the front in machismo, seems to have made Mr Hynes think it was OK to treat our female organiser in the inappropriate outdated manner of a naughty school girl.

"It is not OK to have done so.

“She is not responsible for the words of her general secretary."
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[edit] Wrong union first time - idiot!
 
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theironroad

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mde said:
Looks like sparks are flying between TSSA and Alex Hynes…

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/...intervene_in_sexist_bullying_allegations_row/



[edit] Wrong union first time - idiot!
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I'm curious to know if she was the only TSSA official at the meeting . If she was the only TSSA official, and assuming Hynes would have taken the same course if the official had been male, then I can't really see how they claim sexism. If the TSSA believe that Hynes only took the course he did was because the official was female, then obviously wrong but I think the TsSA may struggle to prove it. Clearly Hynes's has a beef with Cortez which he should have probably taken up with him directly rather than trying to intimidate a more junior TsSA official.
 
DuncanS

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The front of todays Super Soaraway Sun indicates that Cal Mac are looking to take over from Abellio in 2020.
 
ScottDarg

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DuncanS said:
The front of todays Super Soaraway Sun indicates that Cal Mac are looking to take over from Abellio in 2020.
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Here's the link: https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/2614231/scotrail-calmac-ferry-train-humza-yousaf-passengers/
ScotRail passengers tipping ferry firm CalMac to take over embattled train franchise

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf has made clear his deep unhappiness with Scotrail’s beleaguered Dutch-owned operator Abellio

FED-UP passengers have tipped CalMac to make plain sailing of running our railways.

Their vote of confidence came as the ferry operator emerged as one of two options being considered by ministers to take over the ScotRail franchise.

Over the next couple of weeks, the Scottish Government will decide between the “Caledonian MacTrain” bid and an entirely new company set up to take control of the £2.5billion franchise.

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf has made clear his deep unhappiness with Scotrail’s beleaguered Dutch-owned operator Abellio.

The firm faces having its 10-year deal terminated early following another set of disastrous performance figures and record-breaking fines for failing to meet targets.

And train users welcomed news the west coast ferry firm may be chosen to get services on track.

Season ticket-holder Ryan Carmichael, 41, of Newlands, Glasgow, said: “We have a third-world service with nowhere to sit and sky-high prices.

“Its about time someone else was given a chance. I’m sure CalMac could make a good job of it.”

Robert Seggie, 60, of Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, said: “The service is a shambles. CalMac can’t be worse than the ones running it now.”

Advertising student Abby Park, 22, of Glasgow, added: “If switching to CalMac gets the trains running on time, I’m all for it.”

The SNP government recently changed the law to allow a not-for-profit Scots operator — such as nationalised CalMac — to make a bid.

And a highly-placed source said: “We have struggled to make the ScotRail franchise work for years, long before Abellio came along.

“So we’re not going to rush this and get it wrong.”

A major detail to be resolved is the question of EU “state aid” rules, which limit the government cash that can go into a business.

Abellio is meant to operate the franchise until 2025 but a break clause could be activated in 2020 if it fails to hit performance targets.

At the end of last year, Mr Yousaf said a move to bring ScotRail into public hands by 2020 would be “hugely ambitious”.

Last week, it was revealed Abellio faces fines of £1.6million after missing nearly two-thirds of its targets in the final quarter of 2017

That came after the firm was fined over £3million for its performance in the previous three quarters of 2017/18.

Its spokesman said: “We have no problem competing with a public bid, should that be what the Scottish Government decides to do.”

And a spokesman for Transport Scotland, which includes CalMac in its remit, said: “It is vital we take the time to think through the various scenarios.

“A decision is expected in the coming months.”

DUTCH firm Abellio took over the ScotRail franchise in 2015 from Aberdeen-based FirstGroup which previously ran the service.

The decision to give the £2.5billion contract to Abellio triggered a political row.

Their bid included plans for cut-price fares to jobseekers, free Wi-Fi and advance £5 fares between Scots cities along with a vow to put on more trains. But transport unions and Labour condemned the award of the 10-year deal to a company based overseas.
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cf111

cf111

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I suppose if they are going to "nationalise" ScotRail in a similar way to CalMac it would make sense to use some of the existing Scottish Ministers' corporate infrastructure if it would save costs. Like CalMac it could be operated as a subsidiary of David MacBrayne Limited.

I'm not even sure if that would be possible and I'm not passing comment on if it's a good idea, I really don't know! In my experience, Abellio haven't been that bad (or at least any worse) recently but that is probably because I am well away from the well-documented misery in the Central Belt.
 
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route:oxford

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ScottDarg said:
Here's the link: https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/2614231/scotrail-calmac-ferry-train-humza-yousaf-passengers/
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Loving the Livery:-

train1-e1525815851602.png


Even better is the "Caledonian MacTrain" idea.

Changing the name would help sever the link between the failing legacy privatised service and the new.
 
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mde

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route:oxford said:
Loving the Livery:-

train1-e1525815851602.png


Even better is the "Caledonian MacTrain" idea.

Changing the name would help sever the link between the failing legacy privatised service and the new.
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Oh god - next they'll be suggesting "Trainy McTrainface".
 
47271

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YorkshireBear said:
Grass is rarely greener... What qualifications have CalMac got over Abellio to run it!
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Plenty - they're experiencing unprecedented demand for their services and their Scottish Government funded high tech fleet replacement programme is massively behind so they're having to soldier on with a dwindling number of ageing assets causing serious service disruption, overcrowding and passenger discontent.

Sound familiar?
 
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380101

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It won't really matter who's name is on the stickers on the train doors as whether private, not for profit government owned subsidiary or taken in house by ScotGov the railway in Scotland will still face all the same issues it faces today. Also, a change of "ownership" will result in very little in the way of change as the new "operator" would inherit all the staff, infrastructure and issues that Abellio are currently faced with.

What I do know is that rail staff wont accept being treated like the way other public sector areas in scotland are treated by the ScotGov. Any member of staff in ScotRail that thinks being renationalised is a good idea needs to go away and have a word with themselves, especially as a 4% pay rise has just been negotiated - where in the public sector in Scotland does this happen?

ScotRail becoming publicly owned would, in my opinion, result in massive cutbacks to staffing and a reduction in staff terms and conditions which would ultimately result in a poorer service for passengers throughout Scotland.
 
najaB

najaB

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380101 said:
ScotRail becoming publicly owned would, in my opinion, result in massive cutbacks to staffing and a reduction in staff terms and conditions which would ultimately result in a poorer service for passengers throughout Scotland.
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I'd be careful there. Expressing anything other than full throated support for nationalisation is likely to bring down the ire of many a forum member.
 
HH

HH

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I suppose it's better than cows eating cables and mice on the line, as far as excuses go.

What's with all the electrical failures though?
 
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