Harlesden
Member
I just wondered. The First group registered the web domain firsteastcoast.co.uk back in February 2007 and it is registered until 2013
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Have First got their eyes on East Coast?
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F Great Eastern
Established Member
They seem to always register domains for franchises they are bidding for or at least thinking of bidding for, they did the same with Greater Anglia in the past and other franchises.
Schnellzug
Established Member
maybe it's a little like how Pete Waterman bought the rights to the name London & North Western Railway.
HYPODERMIC
Member
Aren't new franchises supposed to be run without corporate branding, ie. just "East Coast", "West Coast", "Great Western", etc.?
Or am I imagining that?
I put my money on DB, they didn't buy GC for nothing
DaveNewcastle
Established Member
That's what I've been hearing, from (unreliable rumours in) East Coast.
Wasn't that around the time NXEC took over?
Fincra5
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But...
Virgin base paint job? Anyone :P
Virgin base paint job? Anyone :P
sprinterguy
Veteran Member
I would assume that First set up the domain with an eye to winning the previous East Coast franchise that ended up being awarded to National Express, which started in December 2007. That was before the new policy for maintaining a standard brand throughout franchise changes was decided upon.
I would think that First probably do have their eye on what was BRs' premier Intercity route prior to privatisation, but I don't think that the discovery of this web domain name is directly indicative of a renewed interest from them, more a legacy from the previous round of franchise bidding.
Is this actually an official policy now?
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sprinterguy
Veteran Member
I don't actually know. It's mainly just been hearsay I've been going on up 'til now admittedly.
Sapphire Blue
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markydh
Member
There is no policy regarding franchise names. Seems to be to be something a few over zealous enthusiasts have come up with. Nowhere in any of the ITT documents for either Great Western or West Coast does it say there will be a generic name.
cj_1985
Member
to be fair though...
most of the franchise operators tend to name their operating companies with a relevant name for the franchise route...
in the case of First (and the more recent NX operated franchises) the group name is just "there" before the route title... ie. Great/Greater Western, Scotrail, Transpenine Express etc... Obviously thats me choosing to ignore the "FCC" name...
NX being the same with East Coast, and East Anglia... Again im choosing to ignore c2c.
and Arriva doing the same... although only with the Welsh operation. not with XC, or any of its other operations.
meaning you can have a continual route/franchise name but with each operator simply having added their "group" name in the title to point out that it that group that is operating the service/route. ie. BRs ScotRail, NXs ScotRail, and First Scotrail....
obviously that hasnt happened with each new franchisee... but its something that can happen with operators who choose to incorperate their group name in the franchise operating company name...
Also the likes of NX, Arriva and First doing this allows the average man on the street to view the service that they use, as being part of a much larger network... where as Go-Via who operate Southern, SouthEastern, and LondonMidland don't do this...
Fair enough there are arguments for and against including the Group name in a franchise operating company name... especially as if one section/company is involved in some bad PR or whatever...
most of the franchise operators tend to name their operating companies with a relevant name for the franchise route...
in the case of First (and the more recent NX operated franchises) the group name is just "there" before the route title... ie. Great/Greater Western, Scotrail, Transpenine Express etc... Obviously thats me choosing to ignore the "FCC" name...
NX being the same with East Coast, and East Anglia... Again im choosing to ignore c2c.
and Arriva doing the same... although only with the Welsh operation. not with XC, or any of its other operations.
meaning you can have a continual route/franchise name but with each operator simply having added their "group" name in the title to point out that it that group that is operating the service/route. ie. BRs ScotRail, NXs ScotRail, and First Scotrail....
obviously that hasnt happened with each new franchisee... but its something that can happen with operators who choose to incorperate their group name in the franchise operating company name...
Also the likes of NX, Arriva and First doing this allows the average man on the street to view the service that they use, as being part of a much larger network... where as Go-Via who operate Southern, SouthEastern, and LondonMidland don't do this...
Fair enough there are arguments for and against including the Group name in a franchise operating company name... especially as if one section/company is involved in some bad PR or whatever...
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starrymarkb
Established Member
route:oxford
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By that logic, they're definitely not interested in operating Crossrail.
www.firstcrossrail.co.uk hasn't been registered.
starrymarkb
Established Member
That would have cost them about £60 - small change compared to buying out a cybersquatter if they had won...
Harlesden
Member
Crossrail is a TfL gig - First won't get a sniff of that action.
MidnightFlyer
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Is it entirely? Would TfL operate as far as Maidenhead (or Reading) and Shenfield?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Especially when you bear in mind TfL travelcards won't be valid beyond current boundaries...
Eagle
Established Member
London Overground is a "TfL gig", but that doesn't stop it being run by Arriva and MTR.
MidnightFlyer
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Why? First Capital Connect is quite poor, but they have done well on Hull Trains and ScotRail. FGW and TPE are also very good TOCs if you ignore the overcrowding (which is beyond their control in many respects).
amcluesent
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Reckon I'll register worsteastcoast.org and set-up a forum for distressed pax.
LO is run by DB - Arriva no longer exists as a company
I put a lot of preverbial money on DB for WC. Usually impeccable sources which this time turned out to be very wrong.
But I agree. I expect DB to go for pretty much everything.
Schnellzug
Established Member
Why don't they hurry up and rebrand all the buses and the trains in Wales, then. No one seems to have told them.
markydh
Member
Because Arriva is still very much a company, it is merely owned by DB. Arriva remains the DB arm for public transport in the UK.
Eagle
Established Member
Other way round. DB Regio UK was merged into Arriva Rail. (Both owned overall by DB.)
LO was run 50% by DB Regio UKformerly known as Laing.
Aictos
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I'm sorry but I have to disagree, First Capital Connect is/was in the same position as First Great Western was back a few years ago however it is getting better.
As a example whereas most franchises do little to no investment in the last 18 months of their franchise and prefer to just keep the franchise ticking over, First Capital Connect is actively looking at ways to improve the business such as inviting passengers to offers ideas which are then voted on and eventually used.
There's a link on the First Capital Connect website with further details.
DaveNewcastle
Established Member
You're not alone.
I took a punt on Nat Ex when I thought they might win the ECML franchise. The graph says it all : (click to enlarge)
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