FirstGroup win InterCity West Coast Franchise

[whole diary]

[mjones]

Maybe it came from the 'celebrities':
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport/celebrities-call-for-u-turn-on-west-coast-rail-decision.18662878

Can  Branson's campaign get any sillier, and less likely to get him taken seriously?

[EBrown]

I have now received an email from VT^▸ (Virgin Trains - former franchises) asking me to sign the petition.

It is not all over in the battle to make the Government see sense and reconsider the decision to award the West Coast Mainline franchise to FirstGroup.

An e-petition, set up completely independent of Virgin by a member of the public, is calling for the government to reconsider the decision.

Over 20,000 people have already signed the e-petition. Once we get 100,000 signatures from UK^▸ (United Kingdom) citizens the issue may be debated in the House of Commons. We urge you to sign the e-petition and let the Government know how passionately we all feel about keeping the West Coast Mainline as a Virgin Trains franchise.

The final decision has not been signed off and we want as much support as possible to force the Government to reassess this ill-judged decision. August 28th is the provisional date for the signing of the contract for the next franchise, so do sign the e-petition as soon as possible.




Richard Branson

[Btline]

They have 100,000.

What happens now?

[mjones]

Hopefully nothing. If rail franchising is to be decided by a popular vote like a 'reality' TV talent show then it will become even more farcical and discredited than it is now...

[EBrown]

That's 0.3% of their annual passenger numbers. Hardly an achievement given all the publicity they've thrown at it.

[Andy W]

That's 0.3% of their annual passenger numbers. Hardly an achievement given all the publicity they've thrown at it.

So they have circa 30,000,000 passengers a year? That's almost half the country

[Chris from Nailsea]

They have 100,000.

What happens now?

Richard Branson turns into a pumpkin? 

[Btline]

What needs to happen is that both bids, with bidder name redacted, are presented fully live on ITV1:

The programme should be called "The bids", hosted by Ant and Dec. With guest panellists: Alan Sugar, Gok Wan and Joanna Lumley.

The bids are scrutinised live on ITV, before Ant and Dec give out phone numbers "vote for the best bid", "remember, it's YOUR line".

Break for News at Ten

After the news, the phone lines close. Cheryl performs her latest single.

A button is pressed, and a chair swings round - either revealing Branson or Tim O Tool - the winner of the televote and hence the WC^▸ (Wiltshire Council (Unitary Authority)) franchise.

**Produced by Simon Cowell

[EBrown]

That's 0.3% of their annual passenger numbers. Hardly an achievement given all the publicity they've thrown at it.

So they have circa 28,000,000 passengers a year? That's almost half the country

Yes.

About 31 million passengers travel on the West Coast Mainline every year.

[Btline]

First launch an attack on Virgin and Richard Branson

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/transport/s/1587169_move-to-delay-west-coast-main-line-franchise-switch-from-virgin-to-firstgroup

A source from First said:

"We appreciate that Sir Richard Branson is a high-profile celebrity with millions following him personally on social media. However, our business is transport - first and foremost. We have a long and proven track record in running rail services and will be delivering better value for taxpayers.

"We look forward to welcoming all customers to their new and improved service from December."

[JayMac]

What needs to happen is that both bids, with bidder name redacted, are presented fully live on ITV1:

The programme should be called "The bids", hosted by Ant and Dec. With guest panellists: Alan Sugar, Gok Wan and Joanna Lumley.

The bids are scrutinised live on ITV, before Ant and Dec give out phone numbers "vote for the best bid", "remember, it's YOUR line".

Break for News at Ten

After the news, the phone lines close. Cheryl performs her latest single.

A button is pressed, and a chair swings round - either revealing Branson or Tim O Tool - the winner of the televote and hence the WC^▸ (Wiltshire Council (Unitary Authority)) franchise.

**Produced by Simon Cowell

This is the first time I've wished there was a 'Like' button on this forum. 

Although the panel should have at least one rail 'expert'. Perhaps Christian Wolmar or more likely, given his past involvement with shows like this - Pete Waterman.

Great post!

[Btline]

Why bother with an expert?

And thanks!

[Btline]

Virgin have hit back at First's attack:
A Virgin insider said: "Richard does have celebrity friends, but he doesn't have 100,000 celebrity friends."

Meanwhile, according to sources at the DFT^▸ (Department for Transport), the request to delay contract signing has been DENIED.
Looks as if all is going ahead - with a red face for Branson.

[Chris from Nailsea]

From Channel 4 News:

Campaign to delay west coast rail decision gathers steam

The head of the transport select committee urges the government to delay signing the deal which will see Virgin Trains lose its west coast mainline franchise.

Virgin Trains' owner Sir Richard Branson dubbed the franchise system "insane" after the Department for Transport (DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)) announced last week that his company had lost out to FirstGroup in the battle to operate a new 13-year west coast franchise from December 2012.

The final contract papers for the deal are expected to be signed by Transport Secretary Justine Greening on Tuesday.

But Louise Ellman, the chairman of the House of Commons Transport Committee, has written to Ms Greening asking her to hold off signing the final contract.

In the letter, Mrs Ellman said the west coast ruling raised "important issues about the basis on which decisions on major rail franchises are made".

She added that she wanted time to raise the matter with her committee colleagues and that she was proposing a possible public oral evidence session of the committee on the subject of west coast on 11 September.

Mrs Ellman also said in the letter that she expected committee members would want to ask about the west coast franchise when Ms Greening gives evidence to the committee on the work of the transport department on 12 September.

Another select committee chair has also expressed concern about the decision.

Margaret Hodge, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said she and her colleagues will want to make sure that the department has learnt the lessons from "past failures to secure value for money".

Mrs Hodge said the committee had expressed concerns before about the department's ability to predict accurate passenger numbers and in considering the impact of economic conditions on train operator^s revenue.

"Questions over their capability have now been raised again and whilst we welcome healthy competition it is essential that the Department has exercised proper due diligence in the letting of this franchise," he added.

Virgin, which has operated the west coast line since 1997 and has more than doubled annual passenger numbers over 15 years, has backed an e-petition calling on the government to reconsider the franchise award.

The campaign has attracted some celebrity names including double Olympic champion Mo Farah, The Apprentice presenter Lord Sugar and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. On Friday afternoon the number of signatories had passed the 100,000 mark which means the issue could now be debated in the parliament.

But the DfT has suggested that a rethink and a role for the committee in the decision are unlikely.

A DfT spokesman said: "Once a decision has been made it is in the public interest and the commercial interests of bidders for the identity of the winning bidder to be made known promptly.

"Our published processes and criteria do not provide for a role in a live procurement exercise for the transport committee, which has not requested any kind of dialogue on this issue before now.

"However, the secretary of state is due to appear in front of the select committee in early September and will be happy to talk about the business of her department."

FirstGroup has said that its plans for the west coast franchise include improved wifi and catering, as well as additional services and more seats and reducing standard walk-on fares by 15 per cent on average.

A spokesman said: "We have a long and proven track record in running rail services and will be delivering better value for taxpayers. We look forward to welcoming all customers to their new and improved service from December."

In May 2011, FirstGroup chose not to extend its First Great Western rail franchise three years early. At the time, analysts said that the company had been very astute in that of the ^1.13bn FirstGroup had undertaken to repay during the course of the franchise, ^828m was due in the final three years. The company CEO^▸ (Chief Executive Officer) Tim O'Toole said that the decision not to take up its option on the final years of the deal was to allow FirstGroup to negotiate a longer-term deal.

[phile]

Unfortunately, Parliament is what is to us, the normal worker, on an extended holiday so by the time they eventually return and in a position to debate it, the deal will be signed off so too late to debate.    Franchises are not awarded on efficiency and how they serve he passenger but on how the number of beans add up.