Scotrail preferred bidders

[Carlisle]

Cheers for the insight and information ,I get the impression First are investing in new busses and have refurbished many more trains that some other TOCs but the bus stations and depots in my area seem to have had virtually no investment from them for years compared to some the other major operating companies premises ,probably as you say due to their debt

 

[railwayworker]

Coming from a current FSR Employee, I want First to keep the franchise.

This is a view shared by many FSR employees.

From speaking with work colleagues who have been through the BR days and NX days, They say First are a far better employer.

So, I hope First keep it.

Also, How well First are doing with First Bus won't/shouldn't have an impact on their bid for ScotRail.

 

[transmanche]

Also, How well First are doing with First Bus won't/shouldn't have an impact on their bid for ScotRail.

GNER's franchise was terminated early due to concerns about its parent company's financial stability. If there are similar concerns about First Group's financial stability, I think it's only right that this is taken into account when awarding a new franchise.

 

[3141]

GNER's franchise was terminated early due to concerns about its parent company's financial stability. If there are similar concerns about First Group's financial stability, I think it's only right that this is taken into account when awarding a new franchise.

The way you've put that implies that the initiative came from the DfT. I thought it was the other way round. GNER was not making the income it had forecast, for various reasons, and Sea Containers could not afford to support it financially because of its own financial difficulties. Therefore it sought a new arrangement. There was first of all a switch to a management contract, leading to a retendering of the franchise. My recollection is that Sea Containers met some of the DfT's costs incurred in refranchising.

I agree that a parent group's financial stability should be a factor in deciding the award of a franchise, but a difficulty there is assessing how endangered a parent group is. A company may have some problems but it would be an exaggeration to assume they are going to be fatal.

 

[transmanche]

The way you've put that implies that the initiative came from the DfT. I thought it was the other way round. GNER was not making the income it had forecast, for various reasons, and Sea Containers could not afford to support it financially because of its own financial difficulties. Therefore it sought a new arrangement.

The way it was reported at the time was that SeaCo wanted to renegotiate the franchise payments, but the government refused and told SeaCo to surrender the franchise. See this contemporary BBC News article.

I agree that a parent group's financial stability should be a factor in deciding the award of a franchise, but a difficulty there is assessing how endangered a parent group is. A company may have some problems but it would be an exaggeration to assume they are going to be fatal.

Well yes, but it is right to question the group's ability/willingness to support the franchise if the growth profile is not maintained on schedule.

 

[3141]

I think the BBC News item says that it was GNER that was asked to surrender the franchise, because its revenues were down and it would not be able to meet its franchise commitments. It certainly doesn't say that the reason for terminating the franchise was because of concerns about Sea Containers' financial stability.

If GNER had been making more money and was able to meet its franchise obligations it's unlikely that either the DfT or Sea Containers would have wanted the franchise to be ended or altered.

In reality GNER could not meet its commitments and Sea Containers was not in a position to subsidize it.

 

[170401]

Coming from a current FSR Employee, I want First to keep the franchise.

This is a view shared by many FSR employees.

From speaking with work colleagues who have been through the BR days and NX days, They say First are a far better employer.

So, I hope First keep it.

Also, How well First are doing with First Bus won't/shouldn't have an impact on their bid for ScotRail.

You've obviously never been on the wrong side of them then. Their management style is absolutely horrific, I've seen many innocent staff hauled over the coals, interrogated police style, suspended for lengthy periods worrying about their jobs and even sacked when they have done nothing wrong. This is reflected throughout most of their operations countrywide.

They are a very paranoid company and utterly obsessed with image (even though it is shockingly poor in many areas) and profits. The reason for Scotrail's perceived success is more down to Transport Scotland and squire than it is anything First related and would have been pretty much the same regardless of who operated the franchise.

I for one will be very happy to see the back of these charlatans. I know there are many who agree with me.

 

[Steve childs]

This topic is a bit cold but I think its great. I would like first to keep hold of things. My management tell me that if Mary Grant gets in she will pay people off. I cant sleep at nights worrying about that. The old heads I work with tell me that nx had a no overtime policy. I love talking to the old heads about changeovers as I worry about my job too much. They tell me new uniform and pay slip is all you have to worry about regardless of who gets it. Saying that some work may be lost regarding the sleeper been separate don't know what happens there, maintenance wise

 

[scotraildriver]

This topic is a bit cold but I think its great. I would like first to keep hold of things. My management tell me that if Mary Grant gets in she will pay people off. I cant sleep at nights worrying about that. The old heads I work with tell me that nx had a no overtime policy. I love talking to the old heads about changeovers as I worry about my job too much. They tell me new uniform and pay slip is all you have to worry about regardless of who gets it. Saying that some work may be lost regarding the sleeper been separate don't know what happens there, maintenance wise

It is true that Mary Grant paid people off before. Middle managers who were of no real benefit to the company. She valued, respected and was very much admired by frontline staff. She often said things like "I can run the railway without managers, but not without drivers, guards, fitters etc." There are an awful lot of managers of this that and the next thing and yes, they may fear her. Maintenance staff need not worry. Scotrail drivers already have no overtime. Talking to old heads is not always a good thing!!!!!! You will get a new unifom and payslip and that is all! Been there, done it, will do it many more times!

 

[SkinnyDave]

It is true that Mary Grant paid people off before. Middle managers who were of no real benefit to the company. She valued, respected and was very much admired by frontline staff. She often said things like "I can run the railway without managers, but not without drivers, guards, fitters etc." There are an awful lot of managers of this that and the next thing and yes, they may fear her. Maintenance staff need not worry. Scotrail drivers already have no overtime. Talking to old heads is not always a good thing!!!!!! You will get a new unifom and payslip and that is all! Been there, done it, will do it many more times!

Dont want to go off topic too much but is ASLEF not getting a bit of stick from drivers not getting much overtime or is it Aslef that have stopped it?
Scotrail are not highest paid out of the TOCS as it is even with their recent deal.

 

[scotraildriver]

ASLEF policy is no overtime so the company recruits more drivers so more jobs (and more union members). However the company wanted it as well. But yes, lots of people think they deserve the choice of overtime or not and there have been cancellations due to sickness etc which can no longer be covered by overtime. I suspect overtime will retutn in the new franchise.

 

[ianthescot]

Yeah, that's a fair point that ScotRail is under a different administration. I still think that it's really rather soon after they abandoned NXEC though, and not sure that just a few years of doing ok with c2c really clears them. I quite strongly agree with what Lord Adonis said to the BBC at the time:



The NXEC fiasco should be familiar to Holyrood, I'd hope, and be remembered in evaluating any bids. The ECML does run right past their front door, visible from the front courtyard…

Well the G4S fiasco at the 2012 Olympics didn't deter the Scottish Government from using them for the Glasgow Commonwealth games so don't discount NX!