Falling performance around franchise change?

[gazthomas]

Hi everyone

Ever since VT lost the West Coast franchise I've found performance to be terrible. Is this coincidence, with failures of infrastructure or just a lack of interest as a result of losing the franchise.

The last couple of weeks have been poor in my experience, cancelled trains on North Wales services and lots of delays.

So my question, is this a common and evidence based experience of a franchise change or just a random result?

 

[Bald Rick]

Clearly the infrastructure failures are not Virgin’s fault.

It is also the worst time of year for performance (Autumn), so any franchise change scheduled for October / November / early December is going to catch this.

However there have been numerous examples in the past where an outgoing franchise winds in on all non-essential activities that cost money now but only benefit the next franchise - staff training and non-essential rolling stock maintenance being two classic examples. This will affect performance at the margins. There are plenty of examples where new TOC will say about three months in “we inherited rolling stock (type x) in very poor condition, and had to spend extra money / take some out of service to get them up to standard”

 

[Dr Hoo]

There has been a lengthy thread about how West Midlands Teains' timetable and staffing problems has been causing severe problems on the WCML and around Birmingham recently, inevitably with a material effect on Virgin as well.

 

[Horizon22]

People on SWR's route would definitely say yes...