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Title: Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry Post by: JayMac on August 19, 2010, 00:01:14 A franchise commitment that Arriva have consistently failed to deliver is the introduction of WiFi on the CrossCountry fleet. This should've been installed and operational two years into the franchise in November 2009. Arriva have dragged their heels and a Freedom of Information request has highlighted their obfuscation.
The exchange of emails and other communication between Arriva CrossCountry and the DfT has been reported on by The Fact Compiler on the Railway Eye (http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2010/08/wifi-on-arriva-crosscountry-coming-soon.html) blog. One hopes that Phillip Hammond is as tough as his predecessors Andrew Adonis and Ruth Kelly were with, respectively, NXEC and FGW, when they were attempting to wriggle out of franchise commitments. Title: Re: Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry Post by: IndustryInsider on August 19, 2010, 12:07:13 Wasn't there a similar agreement with the FGW HST fleet which was weaselled out of?
Title: Re: Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry Post by: smokey on August 19, 2010, 12:32:52 There should be a very simple clause in franchise agreements.
If the TOC Fail to honour installing promised systems, Fail to meet agreed proformance levels, ETC. That owning company such as First, Stagecoach etc will NOT be offered to retender for the franchise that they have failed to meet set Levels/Promises on. Title: Re: Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry Post by: super tm on August 19, 2010, 12:55:30 no
Title: Re: Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry Post by: JayMac on August 19, 2010, 13:07:50 eh?
"no" to IndustryInsider or smokey? Or both? Title: Re: Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry Post by: Ollie on August 19, 2010, 13:18:51 WiFi was mentioned during talks for the HST refresh - but it isn't a franchise commitment.
Title: Re: Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry Post by: Tim on August 19, 2010, 14:17:12 There should be a very simple clause in franchise agreements. If the TOC Fail to honour installing promised systems, Fail to meet agreed proformance levels, ETC. That owning company such as First, Stagecoach etc will NOT be offered to retender for the franchise that they have failed to meet set Levels/Promises on. I agree with you when it comes to major abuses (ie, not running trains). but things like failure to install WiFi is in a lesser catergory and the TOC should just pay a penalty for small failures like this. Title: Re: Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry Post by: JayMac on August 19, 2010, 19:23:27 Agreed, but the DfT shoud still take action, letting TOCs get away with the smaller abuses (XCs lack of WiFi, SWTs reduction of ticket office hours) just sends the message that they have no b***s and the TOCs can do as they please.
Title: Re: Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry Post by: JayMac on September 11, 2010, 00:41:05 It appears that the DfT have got some cojones after all!
From the Daily Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/7983047/CrossCountry-fined-for-lack-of-train-WiFi.html) (05/09/2010): Quote CrossCountry fined for lack of train WiFi CrossCountry, which runs trains from Cornwall to north-east Scotland, has been fined for failing to provide WiFi. Documents obtained under Freedom of Information act show the operator has already missed two deadlines set by the Department for Transport to fulfil its obligation under the franchise agreement to provide the service. The service was supposed to be in place by November 11 last year. The company was given until the end of January to install the service, but this date was missed as well. CrossCountry suggested that the growing use of dongles, devices which link computers to the mobile phone network, meant that WiFi was no longer necessary. But CrossCountry has now been set a final deadline of September 30 to install WiFi on its fleet of five HST and 57 Voyager trains or it will be fined once more. WiFi is offered by some other operators including Virgin Trains. A spokesman for the Department for Transport confirmed action had been taken against the company. "Cross Country has been charged for failing to introduce WiFi technology into its fleet by the agreed date. We are actively monitoring their progress in achieving a satisfactory solution." Aswhin Kumar, director of Passenger Focus, the consumer watchdog, voiced disappointment at the delay. He said: "Having WiFi on board is important to passengers. Our research has shown that business passengers value the ability to work on the train with over a third (37pc) saying that this was a key benefit of travelling by rail. Delivering WiFi was a specific commitment in their franchise, so we urge CrossCountry to deliver this service as soon as possible." A CrossCountry spokesman said the delay was due to technical difficulties especially on the Voyager trains where the signal needed for WiFi is weakened by the high metallic content in the windows. I find the excuse about the windows a little hard to believe. Virgin have fully functioning WiFi on their Voyagers. EDIT: It would only appear that XC have been fined. No real evidence of a fine being levied from the above story. Title: Re: Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry Post by: grahame on September 11, 2010, 03:47:07 I find it interesting that the operator of the train service from London to Leeds provides WiFi services, the operator from Birmingham to York is required to provide them (and is admittedly failing to do so), but there is no such requirement on the operator of trains from London to Plymouth, who merely provide WiFi at 9 of the 210 stations they operate:
http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/on-board-our-trains/In-your-coach/WiFi---Internet-Facilities/ http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=81 http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3984.0 Title: Re: Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry Post by: Worcester_Passenger on September 11, 2010, 05:13:06 Quote CrossCountry fined for lack of train WiFi ... CrossCountry suggested that the growing use of dongles, devices which link computers to the mobile phone network, meant that WiFi was no longer necessary. ... A CrossCountry spokesman said the delay was due to technical difficulties especially on the Voyager trains where the signal needed for WiFi is weakened by the high metallic content in the windows. My experience is that "the use of dongles" is adversely affected "by the high metallic content in the windows", to the extent that you can't use them. But the WiFi in the Virgin Voyagers works fine. Title: Re: Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry Post by: dog box on September 11, 2010, 09:26:50 slightly off topic..but does anyone know if XC have managed to get the computerised reservation thingys working in there HST Sets yet
Title: Re: Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry Post by: super tm on September 11, 2010, 09:59:37 I find it interesting that the operator of the train service from London to Leeds provides WiFi services, the operator from Birmingham to York is required to provide them (and is admittedly failing to do so), but there is no such requirement on the operator of trains from London to Plymouth, who merely provide WiFi at 9 of the 210 stations they operate: http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/on-board-our-trains/In-your-coach/WiFi---Internet-Facilities/ http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=81 http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3984.0 I had not realised that wifi was not available at all FGW stations. It should have been as per :- http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=135 As to why its not required that is due to the different time franchise are let. As each franchise is let at different times specifications are slightly different. I did speak to a manager a couple of years ago and he did say that there are large areas of the network where a decent signal cannot be obtained. such as Reading to Taunton and large parts of Cornwall. Things may have changed since then. Title: Re: Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry Post by: Worcester_Passenger on September 11, 2010, 11:51:43 I had not realised that wifi was not available at all FGW stations. It should have been as per :- http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=135 Glad to see that this list includes the halts between Oxford and Worcester. I can see the provision of WiFi at Ascott under Wychwood as being of a high priority. This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |