Goodbye National Express East Anglia.......

[Bellwater]

What does everybody expect. As soon as NX lost the franchise they didn't bother to do anything for the train side. Can't see them retaining C2C when that comes up for grabs again. The Government wouldn't even let them run a garden railway let alone a main line, not after the East Coast debacle. I don't really think they're interested in trains any more. IMHO they should stick to Buses & Coaches.

NX responsible for S and T round there? News to me...

 

[87015]

The West Anglia 317/7 diagram is replaced by 317/5 released by extra 315s on an all day Hertford diagram. Better hope Ilford have ordered a batch of 315 magic dust as well as that for 321s!

 

[transportphoto]

I shall be making my final NXEA journey on Saturday, the first time as far as I recall, I have travelled on a franchisee's service on the franchise's last day

Shall be a happy occasion!

 

[dk1]

What diagrams does 90024 do usually on Saturdays? Is it the 1130 Liverpool St - Norwich And 1400 return?

90024 has no set diagram. Can be booked out like any other loco in the pool.
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It is I think. 150280 is going back to ATW and all 317/7s are going off lease on Feb 5th. As hateful, miserable and uncomfortable as they are, the 321s are needed on the current 317/7 services due to their massive seating capacity. What did the leaflet say... :P

150280 is staying with Crown Point for the time being. 90024 however will end it's short term loan.

 

[WillPS]

Has the debranding process begun?

What will the final NXEA arrival/departure be?

 

[Skimble19]

The debranding process began a while ago.

 

[jopsuk]

Aye, there's a lot of (most?) units without NX branding on the outside.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Having one last run out on NXEA on Saturday, maybe Stansted Airport and a local out into NE London, probably Enfield Town or Chingford. I hope to pick up one of these fascinating achievement leaflets that NXEA have allegedly produced, as well as any timetables or other literature I can get. Will there be any new posters etc from Abellio on display, or must they wait 'til Sunday morning?

 

[TheJRB]

Aye, there's a lot of (most?) units without NX branding on the outside.

Indeed, most if not all now lack the NX logo. In fact not one did I see at Stratford a couple of weeks ago. I noticed 90008 still has the words "National Express" visible as it was covered up with a much brighter shade of white than the rest of the body!

 

[Eagle]

What will the final NXEA arrival/departure be?

A rail replacement bus between Ipswich and Norwich on Sunday morning. Departing 01.25, arriving 02.55.

The last actual train to be running will be the 01.58 arrival at Southend Victoria (although many ECS movements continue past 2am).



The first GA train will be the 04.40 Liverpool Street to Broxbourne, although again a replacement bus beats it, the 04.10 Stansted Express RRB.

 

[WillPS]

A rail replacement bus between Ipswich and Norwich on Sunday morning. Departing 01.25, arriving 02.55.

Seems somewhat fitting.

 

[Tomonthetrain]

Honestly I'm going to miss NXEA. Decent trains, Punctual, not bad really

 

[dk1]

Nice little going away special from NXEA was 47501 'Craftsman' working an additional Norwich-Cambridge Intercity service this morning. Wasn't so good for the passengers though as many where travelling this way as the Great Eastern main line was blocked all morning & most of this afternoon by a major fire at a recycling plant at Claydon. It was added at short notice to depart in front of & relieve the 08.40 & 08.57 departures as not enough buses could be recoursed to operate between Stowmarket-Ipswich.

 

[Bald Rick]

Nice little going away special from NXEA was 47501 'Craftsman' working an additional Norwich-Cambridge Intercity service this morning. Wasn't so good for the passengers though as many where travelling this way as the Great Eastern main line was blocked all morning & most of this afternoon by a major fire at a recycling plant at Claydon. It was added at short notice to depart in front of & relieve the 08.40 & 08.57 departures as not enough buses could be recoursed to operate between Stowmarket-Ipswich.

Funny how this can be done at a few hours notice, but not when suggested two years in advance for engineering works (with due deference to the NX train planners on this forum, I know it's not your fault)

 

[ginger]

Goodbye NXEA! Your final day..........welcome to a new era of managed decline.........thanks a lot to all those wonderful people at the Dft!!!!

 

[Tomonthetrain]

So far today I've only had 1 National Express train delayed, and that was due to getting a platform allocation at my destination! NXEA, I'm gonna miss ya!

 

[GB]

Do you really think things are going to change that much just because a piece of paper has a new name on it?

The timetable may change yes, but it will still be the same drivers, guards, platform staff, cleaners, signallers and controllers that operate the services.

 

[ACE1888]

Thought the N.E franchise 'One' livery was one of the better ones actually, but taking on too much led to the Company's downfall, not for the 'faint hearted' or over ambitious possibly??

 

[Ivo]

NXEA haven't been the worst of TOCs (we all know where to look for that kind of thing, don't we?), but they just haven't been good enough in my opinion. People used to complain about FGE, and then nine years ago they were complaining about the possiblity of Arriva getting the franchise (this isn't bias speaking, it's fact), but really all NXEA did was to introduce introduce some slightly obscure and potentially unreliable, if rather useful, new routes (Lowestoft and Peterborough to Liverpool Street), and then flag up a massive improvement when these routes were returned to how they were in Anglia Railways days. Ultimately, all they really brought to the franchise was better coordination with c2c, courtesy of them having the same parent company (and a mass of different liveries, some of which are older than NXEA themselves).

Roll on Abellio. And then roll off again when the "proper" franchise starts in 2014, to let Go-Ahead or Stagecoach in

NXEA, I'm gonna miss ya!

I won't.

 

[Zoe]

Roll on Abellio. And then roll off again when the "proper" franchise starts in 2014, to let Go-Ahead or Stagecoach

I don't think companies that were not shortlisted for the short term franchise will be prevented from bidding for the 2014 franchise so don't rule out First.

 

[WillPS]

Seems odd that there's not even a mention of the changeover on the website. Central Trains had a page celebrating their achievements towards the end and I'm sure GNER, NXEC, MML etc. were similar?

 

[Zoe]

Seems odd that there's not even a mention of the changeover on the website. Central Trains had a page celebrating their achievements towards the end and I'm sure GNER, NXEC, MML etc. were similar?

It's weekend so there may not be anyone in the office to authorize this.

 

[WillPS]

It's weekend so there may not be anyone in the office to authorize this.

We're talking months ahead of the end of the franchise, in the previous examples. Most if not all franchises are re-let at the weekend.

 

[Zoe]

Most if not all franchises are re-let at the weekend.

The current Greater Anglia franchise started on a Thursday in 2004. First Great Western Link started on the same day.

 

[ChristopherJ]

Do you really think things are going to change that much just because a piece of paper has a new name on it?

Yes - a new identity? NXEA is too associated with poor performance and service - when passengers hear of NXEA they think of negative views. GA is new blood and subsequently have nothing associated to the image, yet. Besides, I doubt Abellio will keep the trading name of "National Express". :roll:

The timetable may change yes, but it will still be the same drivers, guards, platform staff, cleaners, signallers and controllers that operate the services.

Did you never consider a change in management? That subsequently means a change in procedures, and therefore a change in operations and (hopefully) an overall change in performance.

The reason why NXEA was such a disliked company was due to the way it was managed - the decisions in how the company strategically performs have got nothing to do with the "drivers, guards, platform staff, cleaners" that you have mentioned - the blame was down to those in managerial seniority.

The executive team for GA have been announced on their website.
http://www.greateranglia.co.uk/news/2012/01/greater-anglia-directors-announced

Out with him..

In with him...

Only 7 hours to go until National Express Everything's Awful is history!!!

 

[Electrostar]

The current Greater Anglia franchise started on a Thursday in 2004. First Great Western Link started on the same day.

The day National Express famously launched one and soon realised that in communications with the outside world they'd have to spell the company 'one'.
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Having just watched the overnight weather forecast I feel for Abellio launching tomorrow. The local news media will jump on any cancellations, although I assume they'll keep the public/press launch until Monday. Let's see how they do. Must admit, I don't think much of their Greater Anglia logo (oooh an extended tail on the G) and think their internal design department could have done better at no extra cost.

 

[paulprentice]

Good riddance, National Distress East Anglia! Awful, awful train company.

 

[GB]

Yes - a new identity? NXEA is too associated with poor performance and service - when passengers hear of NXEA they think of negative views. GA is new blood and subsequently have nothing associated to the image, yet. Besides, I doubt Abellio will keep the trading name of "National Express". :roll:

...and it will take the average commuter all of 5 minutes on Monday morning to realize nothing has changed at all....specially when their normal 12 car train has been changed to an 8 car and the 8 cars changed to 4.

Oh, and no need to roll ones eyes as I never suggested Abellio would keep the trading name of NX.

 

[dk1]

Great day at work. Not seen my colleagues so happy in nearly 8 years. Been singing along to The Divine Comedy to the words 'Goodbye National Express' all day. Happy times

 

[Eagle]

Wonder if the website is going to go live at exactly 2am? And replace that annoying antigravity countdown clock...