FirstGroup win InterCity West Coast Franchise

[whole diary]

[Btline]

I am a fairly regular traveller on NXEC^▸ (National Express East Coast)/East Coast and I can tell you there is a world of difference now. It's much better - an excellently run railway. How is posting that "utter crap". How often do you travel EC?

Plus, in First Class you no longer have to pay for food & drink which has meant that First Class revenue is up, despite a couple of promotions.

I know train manager/guard and customer/passenger doesn't really matter, but it shows that EC know their who they are putting first. Less of the "management speech" and overblown titles, back to the core of running a railway.

[SapperPsmith]

Plus, in First Class you no longer have to pay for food & drink which has meant that First Class revenue is up, despite a couple of promotions.

Please give your source for this "fact".  EC have claimed increased passenger numbers but I have not seen any evidence that they have increased revenue.  Remember they spent millions setting up the new system and now dont get any income from sales in First Class.


Edited to fix quote. bignosemac

[Btline]

Can't remember, perhaps an email from East Coast.
But it definitely said REVENUE up (not just passenger numbers - which are up hugely). I remember noting that fact as so many people had said that it wouldn't go up due to the promotions. Of course, there have only been a handful of promotions!

As a semi regular user I can tell you that off peak carriages that were almost empty are now almost full etc - esp in First Class.

[Btline]

Currently watching the Virgin vs First group battle in the Transport Select Committee.

Now, I like Virgin but I also like First. But which is better? There's only one way to find out...

Tim O Toole currently putting the knife in!

[JayMac]

Match Report from the TSC Stadium:

Confident, asserted play from both sides, although Virgin Rangers were a little more exciting to watch, with their star player, the flamboyant Branson, commanding the midfield. Their loan player from Stagecoach City had a quiet game. Virgin were at times shooting blind, not knowing enough about their opponents, having to base their attack only on what they'd read of First Group Rover's presentation to it's club board. At times they were more concerned about their opponents game, when they should have been concentrating on their own. There were also too many appeals to the referee, and some mutterings about the neutrality of the game's governing body. 

O'Toole and Barker, seemingly able to play in any position for FG Rovers, from defence to attack, never appeared too flustered, despite some quite probing questions made of their playing style. The advantage of taking to the field after their opponents had already had a kick about was evident in the way they took the attack to Virgin Rangers. They broke down Virgin's defence on a couple of occasions and even nutmeg-ed Branson once. Sometimes though, their playing style was just a little too staid and indecisive and this raised a negative comment from one member of watching crowd, comparing their style to that of a politician.

Final score 1-1. Requiring a replay.

The replay will be held at High Courtsbury and will be an interesting contest, particularly as both teams have acquired expensive new signings from Barristers United and Lawyers AFC.

[bobm]

"if you don't want to know the score, look away now..."

I don't need to watch the highlights now.

Excellent post BNM - a sure contender for Post of the season.... 

[chuffed]

Can I second that BobM? I really look forward to BNM's contributions and feel he adds much to this forum that is really well considered, showing great insight and always laced with that irrepressible sense of humour. I would also like to thank him for his great picture quizzes, which must take a lot of thought time and trouble to set up. Bravo BNM  ! .. that could almost become a thread on its own !

[Rhydgaled]

<offtopic>I tried posting picture quiz once, I don't think it was a success</offtopic>

<ontopic>
Does Virgin's case include any mention of their planned replacement of Voyagers? One of my conspiracy therories is that First's bid not including replacment of Voyagers was a factor in the desicion, so DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about) would have a stronger case for ordering brand new bi-mode Intercity trains.
</ontopic>

[Phil]

Thirded. MBE for BNM!

[JayMac]

I don't need to watch the highlights now.

The whole 'game' is available to watch at your leisure on Parliament TV:

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=11378

Off topic, but I've just been watching again some of the matches featuring Dynamo RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) and their somewhat past it captain, Comrade B. Crow. Rarely lets anyone else have the ball despite his off pitch utterances, "that we're in this together". He is often found defending against imaginary attacks and threatening to take his ball and go home. But, when he does go on the offensive, he attacks everyone (using a decades old playing style); opponents, referees, commentators and the game's governing body, equally and ferociously. Puts this commentator in mind of Norman 'Bites Yer Legs' Hunter from that other beautiful game.

[Btline]

Good summary BNM.

I have to say, I believe the MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) were a lot harsher to First Group than Virgin. Does anyone agree?
If I were a normal member of Joe Public, I would probably think Virgin had "won".

Two issues:
*What are Virgin trying to achieve? - it's likely that the process was followed correctly, so nothing will happen apart from time & money wasted (apart from perhaps a FUTURE review of the system)
*The First Group risk and money factor - I still don't see why the First bid has all the payments at the end of the franchise, surely the businesses isn't going to suddenly balloon in the last 3 years?

I personally think it would have been better shown live on ITV1 with MP pressing buzzers when they didn't like what they heard!
Or perhaps get the Dragons to decide

[Southern Stag]

If Virgin are successful with their judicial review then the current decision will have to be remade. So the whole process started again, for the third time. We've already had one aborted attempt at re-franchising the West Coast, but the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) announcing it's new franchising policy midway through the process pushed back the start date from April to December. Letting a franchise is hardly a quick process either, so this could be a fairly substantial delay to the new franchise being started. It's possible other new franchises will be delayed as well if the TSC comes to the conclusion the process is broken, or a judicial review decides the wrong decision was made.

[TonyK]

I don't need to watch the highlights now.

The whole 'game' is available to watch at your leisure on Parliament TV:

I sat down to watch it, but was distracted by some drying paint, so returned to Helen Skelton's tribute to Marilyn Monroe, performed in front of a global audience at the Olympic / Paralympic post-match parade..

[JayMac]

If genuine and not photoshopped (anyone confirm this poster is/was there at Moor Street?) it's nice to see Chiltern getting in on the story and taking a poke at Branson:



 

[Btline]

Unless it was changed in the last couple of days, it's fake.
Last week it was a standard "Speed to London in 90 mins" one.