E-mail from Virgin Trains

[Daniel]

As you may have been aware, Virgin Trains has recently been involved in bidding for the right to retain the operation of the CrossCountry rail franchise. Unfortunately, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that our bid has not been successful.

Obviously, we are extremely disappointed at this decision, having achieved so much in the 10 years that Virgin Trains has operated CrossCountry. We have almost doubled the number of passengers using CrossCountry; introduced a complete fleet of new high-speed trains; transformed timetables; promoted rail’s environmental credentials and challenged domestic air markets; and revolutionised passengers’ experience of rail travel and customer service.

Virgin Trains will continue to operate the existing Virgin CrossCountry franchise until 11th November, 2007 when we will hand over to the new operator, Arriva plc. As you would expect, we shall do everything we can to ensure our passengers are unaffected by this change in ownership. Arriva will inherit most of our superb staff, and I’m sure they will continue to provide a safe and reliable operation, with excellent customer service.

The DfTs decision has no effect on Virgin Trains’ other franchise, West Coast, which runs services from London Euston to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Preston, North Wales and Glasgow. The current Virgin CrossCountry tilting Voyager services between Birmingham, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle and Scotland will transfer to Virgin West Coast on 11th November, along with the traincrews and trains. The current Virgin CrossCountry tilting Voyager services between Manchester and Scotland will cease from 9th December and be replaced by services operated by First Trans Pennine Express.


I would like to thank you for travelling on Virgin’s CrossCountry trains over the last 10 years.

Yours sincerely

Chris Gibb
Managing Director
Virgin CrossCountry

 

[Techniquest]

How come they sent that to you?

*Goes to check e-mails*

 

[Turbostar]

Just this minute got mine.

Mart

 

[gordonthemoron]

Got one too, can't think how they got my e-mail address as it's almost brand new

 

[332 > 444]

If any of you are registered to VT for purchasing tickets, then thats how you got it, looks just like a job application rejection letter (it actually is - for them!)

 

[Techniquest]

Ahh, so it'll be in my Gmail inbox! Will have to check later.

 

[Nick W]

As you may have been aware, Virgin Trains has recently been involved in bidding for the right to retain the operation of the CrossCountry rail franchise. Fortunately, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that our bid has not been successful.

Obviously, we are extremely disappointed at this decision, having achieved so little in the 10 years that Virgin Trains has operated CrossCountry. The number of passengers using CrossCountry doubled; we introduced a complete fleet of unsuitable, undesirable, unpleasant, overcrowded and short high-speed trains; ran to DfT timetables; demoted rail’s environmental credentials by showing that our trains are less environmentally friendly then a family car filled with just 3 people and encouraged as many rail passengers to take longer trips via london. We unfairly challenged domestic air markets while receiving government subsidy; and ruined many passengers’ experience of rail travel and customer service. To this day we continue to run some of the least environmentally-friendly, noisy and uncomfortable trains over a network of railway we continue to damage excessively. Virgin Cross Country remains a service requiring government subsidy.

 

[Lewisham2221]

As you may have been aware, Virgin Trains has recently been involved in bidding for the right to retain the operation of the CrossCountry rail franchise. Fortunately, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that our bid has not been successful.

Obviously, we are extremely disappointed at this decision, having achieved so little in the 10 years that Virgin Trains has operated CrossCountry. The number of passengers using CrossCountry doubled; we introduced a complete fleet of unsuitable, undesirable, unpleasant, overcrowded and short high-speed trains; ran to DfT timetables; demoted rail’s environmental credentials by showing that our trains are less environmentally friendly then a family car filled with just 3 people and encouraged as many rail passengers to take longer trips via london. We unfairly challenged domestic air markets while receiving government subsidy; and ruined many passengers’ experience of rail travel and customer service. To this day we continue to run some of the least environmentally-friendly, noisy and uncomfortable trains over a network of railway we continue to damage excessively. Virgin Cross Country remains a service requiring government subsidy.

You can hardly call doubling passenger numbers 'so little' of an achievment.

Voyagers may work out to be more polluting than a family car, but I imagine they are much less polluting than the aircraft which they are 'unfairly challenging'.

As for travelling via London, I'd guess that's actually a very small minority when compared to the number of people that don't. If so many people really did travel NE to SW via London, Voyager overcrowding wouldn't be so much of a problem

As for ruining customer service, I can honestly say that I can't recall hearing of any major moans. In fact, most people I've spoken seem to agree that when it comes to customer service, Virgin (both XC and WC) are one of, if not the, best TOC.

 

[Nick W]

You can hardly call doubling passenger numbers 'so little' of an achievment.

I'm sure airlines and roads as well as other tocs have seen similar increase without effort.

Voyagers may work out to be more polluting than a family car, but I imagine they are much less polluting than the aircraft which they are 'unfairly challenging'.

Newer planes are getting more and more efficient. Can't say the same for trains.

As for travelling via London, I'd guess that's actually a very small minority when compared to the number of people that don't. If so many people really did travel NE to SW via London, Voyager overcrowding wouldn't be so much of a problem

Most people in the know do. Others probably live with it.

As for ruining customer service, I can honestly say that I can't recall hearing of any major moans. In fact, most people I've spoken seem to agree that when it comes to customer service, Virgin (both XC and WC) are one of, if not the, best TOC.

If they can get to the shop through the crowds.

 

[VTDan]

Virgin XC would have done so much better without Chris Gibb....He was just a tiny bit useless and a complete waste of space.

Thats what i think
Has anyone met him by theway??

 

[djw1981]

Chris Gibb has been there since 2003, which coincides with the improving reputation of XC following the Operation Princess debacle, and steadily improving reliability, He had to work with the Rolling Sock choices of his predecessor, and seems to have run the franchise well with increasing passenger numbers. however I think all bidders agreed than this was a crossroads for Xc - passenger numbers were nearing capacity on most routes, so more rolling stock would be needed, especially with the loss of superVoyagers to WC and the integration of aspects of the Central trains franchise.

 

[Ascot]

I think VXC have done a good job the last 10 years.

Yes there trains maybe a little short and rattly but they have done a good 10 years.

 

[VTDan]

They went downhill after they lost the 43s. Passenger numbers were rising and trains were getting smaller.....He never did anything, a woman did most of his work he was just there for the face!
I think Voaygers were a complete mistake Apart from driver comfort which i believe improved a great deal and some would say pollution i dont think Voyagers brought much credit to the XC franchise.

 

[tedted]

Chris Gibb has been there since 2003, which coincides with the improving reputation of XC following the Operation Princess debacle, and steadily improving reliability, He had to work with the Rolling Sock choices of his predecessor, and seems to have run the franchise well with increasing passenger numbers. however I think all bidders agreed than this was a crossroads for Xc - passenger numbers were nearing capacity on most routes, so more rolling stock would be needed, especially with the loss of superVoyagers to WC and the integration of aspects of the Central trains franchise.

Hmm... positive comments... Are you Chris Gibb?!

Failing that, Richard Branson maybe?

 

[VTDan]

haha yes i was wondering! I never liked Chris Gibb since he told me I shouldnt gel my hair....apparently it looked unprofessional

 

[djw1981]

No I'm not, but I think that it should be remembered that he was dealing with a situation not of his making!

Also, VTDan, why does the gender of his assistant / deputy, who you claim does 'most of the work' matter?

 

[VTDan]

It doesnt nobody said it did. I was simply saying a 'woman' because thats how I remember them.
You dont have a problem with that do you?

 

[djw1981]

No, but given the general tone of your comments about Chris Gibb, it did come across that way.

He never did anything, a woman did most of his work he was just there for the face!

Would you have said "he never did anything, a man did most of his work......?

If not, why not? Surely the gender is irrelevant and as such you were wrong to mention it in the first place.

 

[VTDan]

Yes i would, I would have said "a man did most of his work.."
If i didnt know better i'd think you were trying to be awkward, furthermore who are you to tell me im wrong?

 

[raildog]

DfT has so much of clout that they can stop any TOC.. decide what stock to buy..whether to buy.. Does DfT have solid rail experts.. ?? Just askin..

 

[VTDan]

God knows what goes on in their minds... But I imagine so.

 

[rebel]

So let me get this right....just because he criticised your hair, Chris is an unfit MD for CrossCountry? Ive never read such nonsense in my life.

If you knew anything at all about him, youd know just how passionate he is about XC, and about railways in general. You'd also have some idea of just how many knock-down-drag-out battles he's had with the DfT over the years.

As an aside, we dont have a Driver Dan Smith.

 

[First ScotRail]

haha yes i was wondering! I never liked Chris Gibb since he told me I shouldnt gel my hair....apparently it looked unprofessional

Is that why the picture which VXC used to advertise them having the franchise for 10 years had a picture of a driver with (what i would presume) his hair gel'ed!

I have always prefered charles belcher personally rather than chris gibb but he is still good at what he does.

 

[Markinch]

A note about "doubling passenger numbers". My impression is that this was achieved largely at the expense of other operators on route sections such as Edinburgh-Newcastle, Newcastle-York/Leeds, Sheffield-Derby, Derby-Birmingham, Birmingham-Leamington, Banbury-Reading and Bristol-Exeter/Plymouth. I doubt very much if there has been a significant increase (or otherwise) in passenger numbers between, say, Newcastle and Birmingham, Edinburgh and Preston or Aberdeen and Plymouth. In other words, most of the "doubling" comes from enticing passengers on relatively short routes, the entirety of which are also covered by other operators, onto Cross-Country services.

Let's face it, if you wanted to get from Edinburgh to Newcastle 15 years ago, the odds you'd end up on a Cross-Country train were pretty remote: there were only 2 or 3 a day. Now the odds are much higher: they are hourly. The strange fact is that there has been no significant increase in the level of service from Edinburgh down the WCML: I wonder why this might be...after all, it is a shorter (in time) route to Birmingham.

Indeed, one may even be tempted to suggest that the idea of halving train capacity and doubling frequency was a deliberate ploy to capture the "short hop" market, a market that long-distance cross-country services should not court.