ORR Pre-Cancellation Levels for TPE

[peter166]

Cancellation levels for TPE still nearly 25% of all its services last month

Pre-cancellation issues continue as new data shows almost a quarter of all TransPennine Express trains cancelled | Office of Rail and Road

Statistics published today by the Office of Rail and Road show that for the four weeks between 5 February and 4 March, TransPennine Express’ cancellation score worsened from 7.2% to 23.8% when adjusted to include pre-cancellations due to a shortage of available train crew.

www.orr.gov.uk

"A suitable plan has yet to be implemented and until the practice ceases, ORR will continue to publish this data to ensure full transparency."
Feras Alshaker, Director, Planning & Performance

Its all very well publishing the figures but why are they not insisting that TPE are given a fixed date to implement a plan to do something about it & why doesn't it ensure the practice ends immediately. Does it not have the powers to do so?

 

[Snow1964]

Latest figures just published

5.8% cancellations, or 17% with pre-cancels
still worst of all operators

TransPennine Express worst for train cancellations

The troubled rail operator cancelled around one in six of its trains last month, the regulator says.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[185]

I hope everyone is mega excited that as soon as today's local elections are done with Mr Harper will announce a 1-year extension of the hugely popular FirstGroup TPE contract. Politically it's on a par with eating children and invading Poland.

Harper 14 April.... "with TPE, all cards are still on the table" - they weren't, he lied to the Transport Select Committee, we reckon it was 31 March the deal was done.

 

[Some guy]

I hope everyone is mega excited that as soon as today's local elections are done with Mr Harper will announce a 1-year extension of the hugely popular FirstGroup TPE contract. Politically it's on a par with eating children and invading Poland.

Harper 14 April.... "with TPE, all cards are still on the table" - they weren't, he lied to the Transport Select Committee, we reckon it was 31 March the deal was done.

It’s an absolute farce how a company can be that useless and still get a 1 year extension. The best they could’ve done is shifted first group and put it under OLR

 

[HamworthyGoods]

It’s an absolute farce how a company can be that useless and still get a 1 year extension. The best they could’ve done is shifted first group and put it under OLR

OLR only want to take on franchises they absolutely have to (South Eastern due to the financial irregularities) or ones they can improve. TPE falls into neither of these categories so OLR don’t want to go near.

 

[Snow1964]

OLR only want to take on franchises they absolutely have to (South Eastern due to the financial irregularities) or ones they can improve. TPE falls into neither of these categories so OLR don’t want to go near.

Perhaps they should change their name them, doesn't LR stand for last resort, not have easiest life.

 

[Parjon]

OLR only want to take on franchises they absolutely have to (South Eastern due to the financial irregularities) or ones they can improve. TPE falls into neither of these categories so OLR don’t want to go near.

Given the level of cancellations (including those masked), the inability to run a normal service, the company's entitlement to the funds it has received needs to be independently verified...

 

[43066]

I hope everyone is mega excited that as soon as today's local elections are done with Mr Harper will announce a 1-year extension of the hugely popular FirstGroup TPE contract. Politically it's on a par with eating children and invading Poland.

Harper 14 April.... "with TPE, all cards are still on the table" - they weren't, he lied to the Transport Select Committee, we reckon it was 31 March the deal was done.

How much of it is really due to the TOC, as opposed to the DfT, though?

It does sound like the reduction of route knowledge/increase in crew changes was a historical mistake, but we are where we are, and it’s surely unlikely that a different operator would make a difference in the short term.

 

[185]

How much of it is really due to the TOC, as opposed to the DfT, though?

You've hit the nail right on the head in mentioning the playing around with route knowledge, traction, generally making a mess of it - that's precisely it. TPE's bad decisions were made before the pandemic - before TOCs moved onto emergency measures agreements. The solution is not necessarily to OLR the business, it is to remove the current middle and senior management who took those shortsighted decisions at the behest of their then finance director Elizabeth Collins who's since swanned off to (destroy) Avanti.

 

[VauxhallNova]

100% correct

 

[Some guy]

How much of it is really due to the TOC, as opposed to the DfT, though?

It does sound like the reduction of route knowledge/increase in crew changes was a historical mistake, but we are where we are, and it’s surely unlikely that a different operator would make a difference in the short term.

It was a massive problem. End to end journeys are much more enjoyable for crew and means it’s less likely to be cancelled. You don’t need to change staff up to 3 times on a Liverpool to Newcastle service. On the west coast Cross Country should take the service back as TPE are hopeless

 

[dunc695]

To top it all off TPE 397s aren't the most comfortable traction particularly over Shap. On my last trip on one I couldn't wait to get off at Lancaster after travelling down from Carlisle.