FCC MD leaves

[Aictos]

Jim Morgan, acting MD for First Capital Connect has been announced to staff of his impending leaving date from First Group which is the 13th November 2009.

Now that's three senior figures leaving FCC in just under a year:

Elaine Holt, FCC MD
Karen Boswell, Customer Services Director and Deputy MD
Jim Morgan, FCC Acting MD

Who's next? Certainly doesn't give me any confidence with all the top bosses leaving, it's giving off the impression of rats leaving a sinking ship.

 

[Greenback]

I understand that Forrest Gump is beng lined up as the new MD, along with Trigger from Only Fools and Horses, who will take over Employee Relations and Human Resources...

 

[Edvid]

Tom Hanks as MD?

Back to reality - Mary Grant is taking over in the interim.

 

[asylumxl]

They're all going to keep leaving IMO. Rather than sort out problems within the company it seems.

 

[O L Leigh]

Trigger from Only Fools and Horses will take over Employee Relations and Human Resources...

He's promised to bring a "new broom" to sweep out outmoded work practices.

[/coat]

I expect the MD will be leaving to go on to "better things". I just hope that isn't NXEA.

O L Leigh

 

[Pumbaa]

Who's next? Certainly doesn't give me any confidence with all the top bosses leaving, it's giving off the impression of rats leaving a sinking ship.

Nods He's not off to DOR is he?...

 

[paul1609]

The day after the general election expect to hear an announcement that rather undermines the purpose of the FCC franchise which will be broken up. I understand that the decision has already been made its just being hushed up.

 

[Aictos]

The day after the general election expect to hear an announcement that rather undermines the purpose of the FCC franchise which will be broken up. I understand that the decision has already been made its just being hushed up.

Don't see that happening for the simple reason being the Great Northern and Thameslink franchises were merged as a greater franchise as a committment for the Thameslink Project.
Not forgetting the TOC running direct trains from the Great Northern route to destinations in the Thameslink route ie Peterborough to Brighton via Gatwick...

However not that it would happen but if a split did happen, I would like to see the West Anglia and Great Northern routes reunited as they are perfect partners for each other.

 

[87015]

However not that it would happen but if a split did happen, I would like to see the West Anglia and Great Northern routes reunited as they are perfect partners for each other.

Why? It fits FAR better with IL as the main depot than HE.

 

[Tom C]

You also have Andy Cope who left as Engineering Director.

Certainly does look like a sinking ship at the moment

 

[Pumbaa]

Don't see that happening

All evidence points the other way I'm afraid - I have a feeling I've seen this "solution" floating around in documents on the DfT website, namely those relating to end member solution to the TP.

 

[Aictos]

All evidence points the other way I'm afraid - I have a feeling I've seen this "solution" floating around in documents on the DfT website, namely those relating to end member solution to the TP.

Any links to backup your text? If the GN and TL did split, what would happen to the GN? The TL would be okay on it's own though - Greater Thameslink anyone?

As to though trains, I would hazard a guess that North of Belle Isle on the ECML the though trains would come under Great Northern control and South of Belle Isle ie on Thameslink itself would come under the control of the Greater Thameslink franchise much like the agreement is between South Eastern and FCC on trains between Kent and Bedford.

 

[Pumbaa]

I'll head back to DfT - might take a while; I've been looked at thousands over the last few weeks. it was just a feeling - what Paul wrote got me thinking about some 'oddly-phrased' aspirations shall we say, that just seemed wrong.

 

[paul1609]

The former Great Northern part will be split up between London Overground And the East Coast franchise.

 

[73110]

Apparently he was summoned to a meeting and asked what was going on to which he replied "Well what do you expect when you offer the workers a derisory offer..." hock:

Clear your desk on the way out Jim!!!

I didn't know Andy Cope had gone, now that does surprise me.

 

[furryfeet]

So does this mean that the stupid ticket restrictions on Day Returns which were introduced by Holt will be scrapped when the franchise is changed ?

 

[First ScotRail]

I have heard rumours that Ms Grant is or was the cause of problems as she likes to have a deep overview of the franchises...

 

[Aictos]

Apparently he was summoned to a meeting and asked what was going on to which he replied "Well what do you expect when you offer the workers a derisory offer..." hock:
.

Wow, now that takes balls to say something like that - most management don't or can't take responsibility without referring anything to a 3rd or 4th party!

The former Great Northern part will be split up between London Overground And the East Coast franchise.

Might need to break up LOROL in a few years then as it's getting bigger and bigger!

I'll head back to DfT - might take a while; I've been looked at thousands over the last few weeks. it was just a feeling - what Paul wrote got me thinking about some 'oddly-phrased' aspirations shall we say, that just seemed wrong.

Cheers, just like to get a chance to read some of the ramblings that the DAFT write up, kudos if you can find the stuff though.

 

[t0ffeeman]

Looks like more 365s to Donny and more DOO for me then. Highbury depot looking very likely with NLL,ELL and GN.

 

[A60K]

ISTR a proposal some years back to run EMU services north of Peterborough - believe that was in WAGN. I would be quite happy with an hourly semi-fast service operated with Class 350/1 type stock, from KGX to Doncaster or York - calling Hitchin, Huntingdon, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark, Retford. It would be similar to a DB Regio Express service and make up for the limited and/or irregular service on the East Coast IC network between many of the stations.

 

[Pumbaa]

A bit like the Trent Valley services then by LM to replace Virgin. Makes sense to me, we seem to be moving more and more in that direction.

 

[Aictos]

Give the proposed Class 350/1 or Class 377 the above route but what about a stop at Stevenage instead of Hitchin, existing services can call at Hitchin.

The existing InterCity East Coast offers terrible connections between Stevenage and Peterborough, first southbound train Monday to Friday only gets to Stevenage from Peterborough about 10am, a service like A60K has proposed would more then make up for this, the existing FCCs take nearly a hour from Peterborough to Stevenage so something taking about 30 mins would be wonderful.

There was also a proposal from WAGN to open a parkway station at Hampton south of Fletton Junction and it was announced in various documents that the site for the proposed station was safeguarded and will have 4 tracks though the station, so either a layout like Stevenage or Huntingdon would be used.

 

[A60K]

Yes, Stevenage would actually make more sense - I was thinking of Cambridge connections at Hitchin, but Cambridge passengers from the north would of course be better changing at Peterborough.

 

[mackenzie_blu]

I don't get what the fuss is. He was a tempoary MD anyway, he was supposed to move on when a full time MD arrived.

 

[Fudgefrog]

...when a full time MD arrived.

And has one arrived?

 

[jon0844]

Delayed, presumably due to a lack of staff.

 

[Aictos]

Yes, Stevenage would actually make more sense - I was thinking of Cambridge connections at Hitchin, but Cambridge passengers from the north would of course be better changing at Peterborough.

The main concerns I have of any such plans though is the capacity at Stevenage ie all trains from Hertford have to use Platform 4, it would be nice for pointwork to be put in allowing diverted services to access the Down Fast before Stevenage,
What also could be done could be a relief line from Langley Junction to Stevenage which would take trains from Hertford before joining the existing Down Slow just north of Stevenage.

As well as this trackwork, two one sided platforms could be built to the existing lengths of the current platforms.

But back on topic, there's been no announcement of who the new directors will be or even who will be in charge when Karen Boswell goes as she's the Deputy MD so in theory she's in charge until the end of the month until she herself goes.

 

[mackenzie_blu]

And has one arrived?

Not to my knowledge but Im sure they have someone lined up.

As to stuff about future there has been a general theme of possible ways of reducing the budget including less trains. Seems general descoping is being planned as the project silps.

 

[jon0844]

Less trains will no doubt be a good way of moving things towards having the franchise taken away - or at best, not being given the short extension at the end of the TL project.

Wow; I did think it was going to be tough when Elaine left, but I never realised how quickly things would fall to pieces. Surely they made big profits because they managed to run things very well, and while the TL side needed a lot of work, they seemed to be getting things done pretty well.

Now look at it; we're at a turning point where things are rapidly approaching rock bottom and they're planning FURTHER cuts to services in the future.

 

[Roger That]

Not to my knowledge but Im sure they have someone lined up.

As to stuff about future there has been a general theme of possible ways of reducing the budget including less trains. Seems general descoping is being planned as the project silps.

Mary Grant is running the sinking ship in the interim.