Recent content by kkong

The Freedom of the North West Rover seems to be missing.

No, I am referring to the first and second instances of travel, as per my original post.

As I was seated near the second trolley, I can inform you that the most sold item was beer. No announcement was made about the unavailability of tea or coffee. On the first trolley at the other end of the carriage, tea and coffee was being dispensed as normal.

Except when the auto-announcer is wrong. e.g. I was on a ScotRail 4-car HST the other day which was approaching Broughty Ferry in the down direction. The auto-announcer said it would be single door operation, but the conductor came on the PA to say that all doors would be opened.

I managed to secure a cheese board, which I was happy with! Once those ran out, it seemed the bacon rolls were offered to other passengers.

Shortages in the first class food offer seem to be a continual issue. There seems to be little communication into what needs or gets loaded: listening to staff, it seems to come as a surprise what turns up at Carlisle, Preston etc along the way. No catering loaded at all in Edinburgh, so if...

Weekday First (CrossCountry)

I travelled twice with TransPennine Express on the west coast in the past week. On both occasions, the standard class catering host made an announcement stating that there is a "fault with the catering trolley" and they would therefore be operating a static "shop" in the first class carriage...

Does Delay Repay apply today? What is the "published timetable of the day" for XC? Did they just remove all the trains from the timetable?

The new TVMs haven't been deployed yet (as far as I can see). It would be surprising if they had been, given the contract was only signed 12 weeks ago and they need to be manufactured first! The current TVMs are S&B.

Anyone have any thoughts or ideas as to why only one tender was received by ScotRail? Unreasonable terms and conditions, unreasonable requirements, back-loaded milestone payments...? You'd like to think there would be at least some competition for a contract such this.

Sub-contracted work still counts as turnover. So - assuming the 4 years is correct - this will be >£20m per year turnover in addition to what they already do (which won't be insignificant). Perhaps they were classed as an SME before the ScotRail win, but won't be from then on... Edit: Your...

Also interesting that the contract award notice describes SilverRail as an SME (Small or Medium-sized Enterprise). I would not describe a company which tendered for - and won - an £83 million contract an SME.

ScotRail have belatedly published the official notice of the contract award to SilverRail. The total price (including the supply of new TVMs) is £83.7 million. Interesting to note that the Quality weighting in the procurement was 70% which raises even more questions about the shambolic first...

There's several pubs in Dundee and a handful in Aberdeen which still have these for the drink prices. These boards often end up with repurposed numbers and letters "standing in" for the original digits which have been lost over time, The two example below are from Halley's Bar on Hilltown and...