Great Western Coffee Shop

I have heard from a reliable source, an EWS driver, that FGW managers have been rewarded for the successful integration of the three franchises into one with a 7% bonus.

Never mind the louse up they made of it, the massive adverse publicity they've generated and the hostility towards the company from the customer passengers.

Happy Christmas Managers.

As for all other employees, my contact didnt say but I expect they will as usual receive the proverbial 'kick in the teeth' having had to face the wroth of the travellers first hand.

In fact, those at the very top of FGW received a full years salary as a 'thank you bonus' for winning the Greater Western franchise.

Not a lot of people know that...   

THEY WILL NOW

Gentlemen,  let's at times be GENTLE Men.  ;)

It's very rarely that I step in and comment in my role as a moderator of this forum ... but this isone case where I'm going to express an unease that we may be moving from a business / commercial / operational type approach to a much more personal one.   This site is designed as being a centre for informed discussion and sharing of information and ideas, and the "Acceptable User Policy" which everyone signs up to as they join specifically includes emotional personal attacks.    We've not reached that point but please bear in mind
a) A salary package paid out by a company is business, but to the recipient is personal - so that salary package discussions are of necessity somewhat personal
b) The every subject line of this thread indicates an emotion.

There are several suggestions as to what the First business paid various people in the first posts of this thread, and I have no confirmation of them.  It's up to the individual posters to ensure (and be reponsible) for what they have said;  the use of the term "I have heard" is good and valid and clearly indicates something that is short on full fact.

(moderator hat now off). 

I'm going to add a personal comment too. When an employee performs over and above the norm in exceptional circumstances, they deserve appropriate recompense and it's in the interest of the employer to do that - to retain them or (if the bonus prospect was announced ahead of time) to encourage them through an exceptional period to a successful outcome. I'll bet the Wessex Trains / National Express people in Exeter, and the Stagecoach team bidding for the GW franchise didn't get any bonus .... even though they worked very hard indeed on the bids and may have know about such a dfeal for them which - most likely - would have been on the table.

I have spent more time that I would care to admit in the last two years working to get a single train - a single coach would do (but 2 much more practical) to provide an appropriate regional service from Swindon, across Wiltshire to the County town of Trowbridge and on to Salisbury / Frome. The cost shortfall is around 300k per annum.  The ladies and gents who won the FGW franchise are clearly much more effective that I am - in a process that took a comparable time, they bid for an won the right to run around 200 trains (?figure right?) for 10 years, paying in a special tax to the Government 1.1 billion pounds. We may not like it, but it's the system that's out there and they do deserve to be rewarded for that job.

(moderator hat now on). 

I have thought whether or not to "lock" this thread or to alter any previous posts.   My moderator's mantra, though, is "if in doubt, don't meddle" so I'm leaveing it open.  However, I will revisit from time to time and I may change my mind in the light of developments.   (moderator hat now off). Curiously, I do hope we can also persuade the people we're talking about above, and the others with influence, to also change their mind with regards to the TransWilts service in the light of developments such as ... rapid growth to last December that was not predicted by the report on which the franchise spec was drawn ... huge current and short term future growth in Melksham, Trowbridge, Westbury and Warminster concurrent with job growth in Chippenham and Swindon ... delays on road improvements on this corridor ... increased environmental concerns and general railway growth ... and so on.

Indeed.

I have only reproduced fact (as stated above) and nothing more.

If others choose to repeat mere ^hearsay^, then a certain suspicion would be more than valid.  

The bonus wasn't 'announced ahead of time', and sadly smacks of 'snouts in the trough'.

And one needs to remember something about that 'successful outcome'...  FGW won the franchise by default and NOT on merit.

It would seem (at least to me) there are a lot of facts (re. FGW) you guys are only half aware of...

As I said in my introduction, I work within FGW and will only state the facts as they are on a given topic. If they prove to be a little 'too spicy' for the site, simply let me know and I'll withdraw to allow others to continue with fact-poor speculation.

I don't think there are a lot of facts that we're only partly aware of - I'm darned sure of it  ;) - I learn something new on the subject every day, and I'm delighted to do so. Sometimes these facts are no surprise, and some times they are. In the current case ... no huge surprise; it's how this society's business world works, and such bonuses are always a cause for heated debate and perhaps some jealousy.

It's the duty of the moderator of any forum to alert his members to any limitations that are placed at forums, and to the implications on the members of anything they post which may have negative repercussions on the moderator or on the member.   And it's very much incumbent on the moderator to err on the side of caution with regard to alerting his members to posts which could get them into distinctly hot water, and to shut threads down and/or delete them as appropriate where they could get the board owner into hot water.

You have assured me, Thomas, of the validity of the facts posted, and you're now aware (though I suspect you were aware before, judging by your post I'm answering) of what does and does not lie within the bounds. Good - my job is done on this thread, and I can let discussions carry along the vein we're on. Actually, I've probably done you a favour by raising the issue in this way - for I have raised its profile further and made a challenge with has lead to an emphasis on the quality of your information.

Firstly can I just say a big WOW. I've been away since Friday 24th August and am staggered by the HUGE amount of posts that have taken place these past eight days which says a great deal about the FGW coffee shop and how far its come. This is a great place to discuss and inform all things related to our region's rail network, and thanks to Lee and others sourcing out rail news from around the country, other parts of the rail network too.

Secondly, as I don't work in the rail industry, Im very grateful for those who do and who post on this site and more often than not state Fact about something we are discussing as they are 'in the know'. Long may it continue that people who work for FGW feel free to continue to contribute to this site.

As for other sites I either post to or view from time to time, this is by far the best and most friendly of sites and thanks to Graham and Lee who keep a watchful eye on things and very rarely have to step in as we are such a friendly lot!  :)

It's my pleasure, Timmer. We're really starting to provide the sort of informed discussion that I had hoped for ... and there's plenty more room on the server / forum for others.   I see references to activities on this server crop up in various unexpected places too - so I suspect that constructive suggestions and thoughts are picked up much more widely than just our postership (is that the right word for a forum's contributors?)

I can belive it though, is the problem!

Good point Graham. I wonder if FGW management actually drop by the coffee shop named after them to pick up some hints, tips and feedback from the postings on the site.

As if !

It's a bit naughty to say the least to start spreading rumours like this. If this is fact then from where did you hear it from. I wouldn't ( like most people) go around spouting off what my weekly bonus/overtime was to anyone, would you!

since when has information from someone working for another company ( EWS) been a reliable source?

I have been careful - very careful - to ask people about their sources on posts such as these, and you'll  find further detail earlier in this thread.  I would agree that if the only information source mentioned was a three-way step via another company, it would not be viable evidence.