Merseyrail separate or run by Northern

[Bletchleyite]

There is also the issue that most of the city line services are now also “electrics”

Indeed. A lot of people won't see a huge difference between a 319 and a 507.

 

[507020]

Indeed. A lot of people won't see a huge difference between a 319 and a 507.

A 319 is much worse. Other than the inferior acceleration and Ashbourne seats, the difference is probably most noticeable when you try and take a bike on a 319.

 

[wobman]

Clearly people don't feel Merseyrail joining Northern would be a good idea, but on a broader perspective I feel Northern should have set up a traincrew depot at Crewe or Chester in their early years and that way they could have run Crewe-Chester, Crewe-Shrewsbury, Wrexham-Bidston and Chester-Runcorn-Liverpool which are local routes and, location-wise, more appropriate in the Northern franchise than the Welsh one. The Welsh franchise could then focus their resources more towards the longer distance services without having to serve these local routes.

Northern's most southerly depots (in the NW) are Piccadilly and Lime Street which are a bit far away from the southern outposts of the region and network around Crewe, Nantwich and Stoke.

The tfw franchise is the Wales & Borders franchise, that's why tfw serve them routes. The Northern franchise is huge as it is and they can't cope with anymore work, they struggle covering the work/ routes they cover now.

Northern stable units at Chester every night and leave a 195 in the pcls all weekend unused, which seems quite baffling when they have services full and standing at weekends!

 

[wobman]

I'm intrigued what would be the benefit from Northern running the merseyrail franchise?

Northern are struggling to run what they have, they still have very different T&Cs within the franchise for traincrew.

Even if northen took over the franchise the 777s into service problems would still be the same, I think merseyrail run a decent self contained franchise to be honest. It's just the poor rolling stock provision process & the DOO decision by the management.

 

[MattRat]

The tfw franchise is the Wales & Borders franchise, that's why tfw serve them routes. The Northern franchise is huge as it is and they can't cope with anymore work, they struggle covering the work/ routes they cover now.

Northern stable units at Chester every night and leave a 195 in the pcls all weekend unused, which seems quite baffling when they have services full and standing at weekends!

I'm intrigued what would be the benefit from Northern running the merseyrail franchise?

Northern are struggling to run what they have, they still have very different T&Cs within the franchise for traincrew.

Even if northen took over the franchise the 777s into service problems would still be the same, I think merseyrail run a decent self contained franchise to be honest. It's just the poor rolling stock provision process & the DOO decision by the management.

Sounds like it would actually be better if Merseyrail took some services from Northern, lol.

 

[daveo]

Indeed. A lot of people won't see a huge difference between a 319 and a 507.

Except the coathanger on the roof

 

[Philip]

This isn't the Arriva Northern anymore - and even the Arriva problems were brought on to a large extent by Network Rail and unrealistic DfT targets.

I'd say the current Northern have been doing a pretty good job considering the resources they have and I don't see why they would do a worse job than Merseyrail. The ticketing side of Merseyrail would be much simpler if Northern ran the service.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

This isn't the Arriva Northern anymore - and even the Arriva problems were brought on to a large extent by Network Rail and unrealistic DfT targets.

I'd say the current Northern have been doing a pretty good job considering the resources they have and I don't see why they would do a worse job than Merseyrail. The ticketing side of Merseyrail would be much simpler if Northern ran the service.

It is something of a coincidence that both TOCs have had the same ownership on multiple occasions, though disregarding the original RRNW franchise: both RRNE (half of what is now Northern) and Merseyrail Electrics were originally awarded to the Merseyside based MTL bus company who were later rescued from financial meltdown by Arriva. Several years later both the Merseyrail concession and the united Northern franchise were awarded to consortia of Serco and Nederlandse Spoorwegen.

 

[Djgr]

This isn't the Arriva Northern anymore - and even the Arriva problems were brought on to a large extent by Network Rail and unrealistic DfT targets.

I'd say the current Northern have been doing a pretty good job considering the resources they have and I don't see why they would do a worse job than Merseyrail. The ticketing side of Merseyrail would be much simpler if Northern ran the service.

Well I hope you can now appreciate that the overwhelming majority of people don't share your views!