Not so Greater Anglia

[jopsuk]

Tangentially related- just (1615ish) saw a 12 car 379 heading south past Duxford. This doesn't tally up with any service- is this an ECS? If so, is it a planned one, or an on-the-fly, get everything back to how it should be, one?

 

[Eagle]

If so, is it a planned one, or an on-the-fly, get everything back to how it should be, one?

It's not showing up in the timetable as an ECS so it's unplanned.

 

[jopsuk]

Cheers for the quick response! I did wonder. I obviously don't sepdn all day every day staring out the window, so couldn't be sure.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Mate, are "Greater Anglia" some sort of wet dream for you?

I've been on this poxy line for over 20 years. It doesn't matter who takes over - the line is a complete and utter joke of a service.

The point of the post was to say after all the noises of those Dutch clowns bleating on about customer service and communication. First major day live (Monday) and it was the usual pathetic organized chaos. Trains not turning up, other trains delayed, no communication, no information.

This line is a complete disgrace and will continue in the same vein like it has done for the last 25 years.

National Rail own the track mate. The whole set up cannot possibly work under the current status. The "franchise" leases everything off those cowboys, who I might add are supposed to be a non-profit making organization. Amazing how these lumpy bonuses appear for the bosses eh? (Even if they do claim to have "waived" them).

Gonna add to eagle here. You are listings off the same complaints. This is the short answer.
A COMPANY CAN NOT CHANGE OVERNIGHT, THERE IS NO MAGIC WAND.

In 4 months when things have bedded in there will be improvements. After the chaos that will be the olympics, things will have settled down further and then you can judge greater anglia, on there promises. If it is still bad then, then your current point stands but until then you cant really judge because they havent had time.

 

[Eagle]

Cheers for the quick response! I did wonder. I obviously don't sepdn all day every day staring out the window, so couldn't be sure.

Looking at Open Train Times, there's nothing at all booked via Duxford today...

 

[Schnellzug]

Mate, are "Greater Anglia" some sort of wet dream for you?

I've been on this poxy line for over 20 years. It doesn't matter who takes over - the line is a complete and utter joke of a service. .

So why rant about the Dutch Clowns in particular? Did you expect them to rectify 20, as you say, years of mismanagement and whatever in a day or two?
What do Dutch Clowns specialise in, by the way? Do they do funny things with Edam?

 

[87015]

What do Dutch Clowns specialise in, by the way??

More overcrowding, reduced formations and cutting back any contingency that was left by Anglian accounts.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

In 4 months when things have bedded in there will be improvements. After the chaos that will be the olympics, things will have settled down further and then you can judge greater anglia, on there promises. If it is still bad then, then your current point stands but until then you cant really judge because they havent had time.

How does the Olympic timetable work with units that are diagrammed out in service for the duration sitting around off-lease?

 

[WestCoast]

So why rant about the Dutch Clowns in particular? Did you expect them to rectify 20, as you say, years of mismanagement and whatever in a day or two?
What do Dutch Clowns specialise in, by the way? Do they do funny things with Edam?

Exactly. People just don't get it. The UK's system is fundamentally flawed by using net tendering with the DfT as the ringleader. The whole idea of the "caretaker" franchise was set down by the DfT.

Everything is so short-term, where is the long-term planning?

Yet ATOC think it's all wonderful and have been trying to persuade other EU countries to adopt it! Abellio's parent operator is an expert at tackling overcrowding, as it is a public body with high levels of funding to serve passenger needs.

Some people will accuse me of vilifying the DfT, but I think people need to examine why some of these things happen...

 

[Pumbaa]

Having sampled a whole week I'd strongly debate that they are doing well under the circumstances. Short formations into double figures everyday so far up to today. That's poor, and it's self inflicted to some extent. Giving out duff information to passengers, that's nothing new, but is avoidable.

More overcrowding, reduced formations and cutting back any contingency that was left by Anglian accounts.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


How does the Olympic timetable work with units that are diagrammed out in service for the duration sitting around off-lease?

Nail > Head.

Any trimming on the Anglian turkey and you can be sure they've squeezed it off. I am particularly looking forward to June. We can only hope the 317s have found a new home, and a suitable squeaky conversation happens afterwards between top bods.

 

[HH]

and I have just been whispered that despite the Dft including a funded "refresh" for the disgusting interiors of the ex 321/4s.............Abelio have gone in and said it doesnt need to be done.....therefore saving the Dft more cash and inflicting more lisery upon long suffering customers.......

watch this space if this one is true!

Sounds like bollox. If the DfT specified a refresh then you HAVE to include it in your main bid. And there would be zero point in changing it as an option.

Really, people are noising off when they don't have an effing clue.

 

[Bellwater]

I'll wait for someone to Translate DjDave's comments before I comment myself...

 

[jopsuk]

wires down just north of Stortford it seems this morning. I just had a look at National Rail's site, and found this oddity:

 

[Schnellzug]

Why does the Department for Transport insist on stipulating exactly what services operators should run, and exactly how many Carriages they can have, and so on, but they seem utterly powerless to get Not Work Rail to do anything about the shambolic state of the infrastructure that the operators have to use? It might be a more useful way to spend their time, perhaps.

 

[tunster]

While others are quick to criticise, I fear you might be equally quick to heap praise.

That could simply be because you had a different driver this morning. Some drivers are more customer-focused than others and will make more PA announcements. I certainly have had no new instructions with regard to use of the PA, especially in times of disruption, since the advent of the "one minute announcement" introduced by, um, NXEA.

I think we are all trying to find anything positive in comparison to the groggy NXEA days. Strange that most drivers this week (minus my way home on Thursday) used the PA to even call the stations (rather than letting the automated system do its work).

It's Abellio's job to keep banging on at DfT and National Rail to increase standards and give them the flexibility to invest.

I mean, one question could be, why spend millions on HS2 when crippling lines such as the anglia lines need urgent investment for thousands like us who just want to get to work on time and comfortably? I'm not against the high speed rail schemes, but at least the current network should be the governments number 1 priority?

 

[ginger]

Sounds like bollox. If the DfT specified a refresh then you HAVE to include it in your main bid. And there would be zero point in changing it as an option.

Really, people are noising off when they don't have an effing clue.

If abelio have come into the dft during the bid and said.....we think we cam save money by postponign the until the proper franchise......then I wouldn't put I'd past those wonderful people at daft to accept it......

Consider this......GA are currently telling everyone who asks that they have no plans to carry out any internal work on the fleet except a vague promise to deep clean the rolling flea boxes. Put these statements from them together with the facts they have sent the 9 317s off lease and cancelled the 90 cover contract, the only logical conclusion is that this desperately needed and overdue refresh has been canned by the greedy idiots at daft.....

I very very much hope even this small improvement has not been canned and we will wait and see........but given my logic above I think you might be talking bollox!

 

[Eagle]

If abelio have come into the dft during the bid and said.....we think we cam save money by postponign the until the proper franchise......then I wouldn't put I'd past those wonderful people at daft to accept it......

Not allowed. If you don't meet the specifications laid down by the DfT, your bid is thrown out. Simple as. No negotiation.

Therefore there must've been no refresh specified. So it's the DfT's fault for not specifying one.

 

[lord rathmore]

BR electrified to Norwich on-the-cheap using the flimsiest OH structures that were still legal. Nobody since then has ever done the major re-engineering work required. I am mildly hopeful of the latest NR announcement of OH replacement. Until then, I give the new franchisee a bit of slack to try and get things in order a bit more. Those of us with long memories will know it used to be even worse - superannuated class 101's catching fire at Beccles in late BR days - no info, no apology, no way home.

 

[GB]

BR electrified to Norwich on-the-cheap using the flimsiest OH structures that were still legal. Nobody since then has ever done the major re-engineering work required. I am mildly hopeful of the latest NR announcement of OH replacement. Until then, I give the new franchisee a bit of slack to try and get things in order a bit more. Those of us with long memories will know it used to be even worse - superannuated class 101's catching fire at Beccles in late BR days - no info, no apology, no way home.

The aren't many instances of the OLE coming down on the northern part of the GEML so the overheads cant be that bad.

 

[ginger]

Not allowed. If you don't meet the specifications laid down by the DfT, your bid is thrown out. Simple as. No negotiation.

Therefore there must've been no refresh specified. So it's the DfT's fault for not specifying one.

I truely hope they havent! this is the one small chink of light in this tax raising cynical exercise......

page 31!!! at the top.....

http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/greater-anglia-franchise/invitationtotender.pdf

 

[lord rathmore]

The aren't many instances of the OLE coming down on the northern part of the GEML so the overheads cant be that bad.

Only because there is relatively less traffic north of Ipswich. Compare the OH with even that on the wcml and you'll notice.

 

[ainsworth74]

I truely hope they havent! this is the one small chink of light in this tax raising cynical exercise.

Abellio have confirmed (somewhere or other) that their doing that work (which is unsurprising seeing as it's a requirement of the franchise specification) so don't worry about it it's going to happen at some juncture.

 

[ginger]

Abellio have confirmed (somewhere or other) that their doing that work (which is unsurprising seeing as it's a requirement of the franchise specification) so don't worry about it it's going to happen at some juncture.

where? they are telling everyone who asks that there will be NO refurbs!

 

[jon0844]

It says they must do some of the 321s, so I am sure they will (even if they leave it until near the end of their time). Does it say they'll do anything else?

 

[ainsworth74]

where? they are telling everyone who asks that there will be NO refurbs!

One of the first press releases after they won the franchise it stated that they were going to do that work on the 321s.

 

[dk1]

BR electrified to Norwich on-the-cheap using the flimsiest OH structures that were still legal. Nobody since then has ever done the major re-engineering work required. I am mildly hopeful of the latest NR announcement of OH replacement. Until then, I give the new franchisee a bit of slack to try and get things in order a bit more. Those of us with long memories will know it used to be even worse - superannuated class 101's catching fire at Beccles in late BR days - no info, no apology, no way home.

There are practically NO OHL problems N of Ipswich unless you include line side fires like that recently at Claydon & the type of these cannot ever be expected.

 

[ginger]

One of the first press releases after they won the franchise it stated that they were going to do that work on the 321s.

where????? I and many other people are struggling to find this??? certainly not on their website! or maybe another Goodrum slight of hand......aka Peter Mandleson!!!! SPIN!!!!!

 

[Bald Rick]

Only because there is relatively less traffic north of Ipswich. Compare the OH with even that on the wcml and you'll notice.

Sounds sensible, specifying the overhead line for the amount of traffic it would get.

 

[lord rathmore]

Sounds sensible, specifying the overhead line for the amount of traffic it would get.

Exactly my point - the level of traffic between L St and Ipswich requires a more robust OH structure than it's got. Anyhow, I wouldn't want to let National Express anywhere near another franchise after what they did to NXEA and NXEC - should stick to running buses - but I for one am prepared to let Abelio have a go at improving the service. You never know, they might do a bit for the branch lines as well.

 

[NLC1072]

One of the first press releases after they won the franchise it stated that they were going to do that work on the 321s.

as far as I know it was only for the LM cascaded 321's and a deep clean for the rest of the 321/315 fleet

 

[iphone76]

Just noticed a little note on the GA website tonight. Here's hoping for this week.

A Special Message to all our Customers

Firstly thank you for being patient during the first week of the new Greater Anglia franchise.

As you know the past week has presented its share of challenges with the snow and cold weather. Everyone at Greater Anglia, and our colleagues in Network Rail, has worked hard to provide you with the best possible service despite the difficult weather conditions, and where there have been service failures we have tried to do all we can to recover the full timetable as quickly as possible. We have also tried to keep you well informed about our plans for the service in order to give you the best advice possible.
We're very grateful for your patience over the past week and we're looking forward to continuing to work hard to provide you with excellent customer service at all times.

The Greater Anglia Team