Great Western Coffee Shop

First Trenitalia has today (14 August 2019) been announced as the successful bidder to operate the West Coast Partnership, set to provide passengers with new trains, more seats, simplified fares and more frequent services on the West Coast Main Line.

Both the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Keith Williams, chair of the Rail Review, have heralded the Partnership as vital to deliver the swift introduction of significant benefits for passengers. The new Partnership is also designed to fit with the direction of the Review and to facilitate the implementation of Williams’ recommendations in due course.

It also reflects a significant move away from the previous flawed franchising system to tackle issues already highlighted by the Williams Review, with the use of a forecast revenue mechanism (FRM) to avoid a repeat of the issues that affected the previous East Coast Main Line. This mechanism will be supported by a new annual review process, to ensure partnership working is effective, collaborative and continually improving.

The Transport Secretary has also confirmed that the government intends to produce a white paper in due course setting out the recommendations of Williams, to bring forward his vision for a truly passenger focused industry centred on clear, accountable leadership.

Our fleet of 56 Pendolino trains will be completely refurbished, incorporating 25,000 brand new comfortable seats and additional luggage space for passengers. Better and more reliable free Wi-Fi and at-seat power will be provided for all customers across the fleet, with wireless charging and onboard entertainment. Catering will be upgraded with at-seat service for all.

I noticed this in the statement from FirstGroup at https://otp.tools.investis.com/generic/regulatory-story.aspx?newsid=1321900&cid=858


I wonder if the two parts I have highlighted in bold will mean the end of the line for the buffet (shop) on this route.

I wonder if the two parts I have highlighted in bold will mean the end of the line for the buffet (shop) on this route.

I noticed this in the statement from FirstGroup at https://otp.tools.investis.com/generic/regulatory-story.aspx?newsid=1321900&cid=858


I wonder if the two parts I have highlighted in bold will mean the end of the line for the buffet (shop) on this route.

I noticed this in the statement from FirstGroup at https://otp.tools.investis.com/generic/regulatory-story.aspx?newsid=1321900&cid=858


I wonder if the two parts I have highlighted in bold will mean the end of the line for the buffet (shop) on this route.

Prepare for First to lose the Greater Western franchise when it comes up for proper renewal.

I don't know about First losing Greater Western, no one does yet. But I can foresee a brain drain to West Coast of the brighter management talents currently at GWR.

How about an open access service to the North West/Scotland using this new GWR/WCP synergy?

IEP's would compete well with CC Voyagers, being diesel only between Didcot/Oxford and Coventry.

I agree. I can foresee proper railway managers deserting GWR for the exciting new opportunities offered by the new West Coast operation.
Mark Hopwood for example. Whilst I disagree with some of the views of Mr Hopwood, he is IMO, to be commended for joining this forum and answering questions.
He also appears to understand railways, which is more than can be said for some managers, who believe that possession of an MBA* means that they can run ANY business, without knowing much about it.

*Master of Business Administration, a type of degree often held by young keen managers with little knowledge of the business that they are running.

Wouldn't the lack of tilt confine IEPs to lower speeds on the WCML?

Do Voyagers (still) tilt?

Other than that, it seems a bit of a shame that First have got another franchise when their current ones don't seem to be working properly and this seems to replicate the GWR/SWR overlap in the north west with only TPE (already First) competing with ICWC on some routes, which seems not great for customers.

I'm trying to reconcile "First" with "reliable wi-fi".

I don't know about First losing Greater Western, no one does yet. But I can foresee a brain drain to West Coast of the brighter management talents currently at GWR.

I feel that the potential impact of HS2 is of very little relevance to operation of the West Coast route for some years yet.

Wouldn't the lack of tilt confine IEPs to lower speeds on the WCML?

Any other benefits?

Better and more reliable free Wi-Fi is being promised on board, alongside at-seat wireless charging for electronic devices.

There's also a change in store in terms of food and drink.

A new on-board food offer is due to be launched - featuring produce by 'household names'. No further information has been revealed as yet.

The boss of Virgin Trains has defected to First Group to run the west coast
main line rail franchise when it takes over operation of the country’s most
lucrative network in 12 days’ time.
 
Phil Whittingham, a stalwart of Virgin Trains since it was handed the west
coast main line at privatisation 23 years ago, is to continue running the
London-Birmingham-Manchester-Glasgow line. Virgin had criticised the
Department for Transport’s decision to ditch it in favour of a First Group
joint venture with Trenitalia, the Italian state railway.
 
Mr Whittingham, 48, Virgin Trains’ managing director since 2013, will lead
a mass migration of his management team to First Group.
 
The appointments prompted bemusement among rival rail industry executives.
“Isn’t this the same Virgin management team that has spent the last two
year’s rubbishing First Group’s bid?” commented one.
 
Virgin Trains, which is a joint venture between the entrepreneur Sir
Richard Branson and Stagecoach, the passenger transport group, is still in
dispute with the DfT over the award of the west coast line.
Virgin/Stagecoach was barred from the bidding competition because of a row
over train workers’ future pension liabilities. Court hearings are due to
take place in the new year.
 
Criticisms of the franchise award to First Group/Trenitalia has come
against the background of the crisis at the heavily lossmaking First Group.
Its operation of South Western Railway has been in chaos and First is
currently fighting activist investors trying to break up the group.
Trenitalia, meanwhile, has limited experience in the UK and no experience
operating fast intercity services. Its only UK contract to date has been
the small London-Southend commuter route.
 
The London Euston-based franchise is likely to be in the political and
media spotlight for many years to come. The west coast main line has been
bundled into a super-franchise called the West Coast Partnership, which
also contains the rights to the future operation of the HS2 high-speed
line.
 
The final clearance for the massively over-budget and late-running £88
billion HS2 has yet to be passed by ministers. Trains were originally
supposed to be operational on the initial phase of the route between London
and Birmingham by 2026. Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, has
indicated that may not now happen until 2031.
 
First Group also announced that the director who led its bid to win the
West Coast Partnership, Caroline Donaldson, would be in charge of
overseeing preparations for the operation of trains on HS2. Ms Donaldson
has been at First Group since 2010 and previously worked for Network Rail
and London Underground.
 
“Phil and Caroline bring great experience, insight and drive,” said Steve
Montgomery, managing director of First Group’s rail operations, which also
extend to the other oft-criticised franchises Great Western Railway and the
Transpennine Express.

They're taking on the whole of the Virgin senior management team....

From theTimes (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/virgin-boss-defects-with-his-team-to-run-west-coast-line-fslbhdqk8?shareToken=84da4f74bf3758b588cdd82f486009a4)
Trenitalia, meanwhile, has limited experience in the UK and no experience
operating fast intercity services. Its only UK contract to date has been
the small London-Southend commuter route.

The trains, the staff and the entire management team may be staying the same, but passengers on intercity west coast mainline services will next month no longer be boarding a Virgin train but riding on a rebranded, “ready and fit for the future”, Avanti.

The name Avanti, according to new operators FirstGroup and Trenitalia, “embodies progress and forward movement”, and is Italian for “forward” and “let’s go”.

Avanti is already a popular company name in the UK, for firms including tax accountants, numerous Italian restaurants, a hazardous waste collection business and a purveyor of urinal floor mats and jumbo toilet rolls.

Avanti West Coast will also have a new logo: an orange triangle. According to the train operators, the triangle was designed by an independent creative team of more than 100 people working in two locations: an old pickle factory in London and a theatre in Amsterdam.

The triangle, First Trenitalia said, symbolised how their train service will bring communities across England, north Wales and Scotland closer together.

The trains will be painted green and white. The tilting Pendolino trains will be refurbished and and older Voyager models phased out from 2022 to be replaced by a new fleet.

First Trenitalia said there would also be 263 more trains a week, as well as new stops along the 400-mile route that takes in major cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow.

Steve Montgomery, the managing director of FirstGroup’s overall rail division, said the rebranding marked the start of “a new era in high-speed rail services – one that will generate national prosperity and pride”.

They're taking on the whole of the Virgin senior management team....

From theTimes (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/virgin-boss-defects-with-his-team-to-run-west-coast-line-fslbhdqk8?shareToken=84da4f74bf3758b588cdd82f486009a4)