MTLS Call On Kelly To Remove Franchise From FGW

[whole diary]

[Lee]

Quote from the link below :
http://www.moretrainlessstrain.co.uk/node/49

We have a short message for Ruth Kelly at the Department of Transport. "It's time for First Great Western to go."

Figures from a national passenger survey released today by Passenger Focus indicate that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) has the lowest satisfaction ratings of any train company in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom). Less than half those questioned where satisfied with the fares, reliability and cleanliness of the toilets. FGW can blame the fares on their need to pay the government for the franchise, and to return a profit to their shareholders. They can blame their reliability on National Rail and anybody but themselves. But the deplorable stae of the toilets confirms what everyone who uses their trains knows: they have given up. They no longer care. They are resigned to losing their franchise and they are now seeking an exit strategy.

First Great Western have made many public apologies over the past 18 months, each time promising to improve the service. Buit the news just gets worse and worse. On top of the Passenger Focus survey, FGW punctuallity dropped to an all time low on 64% of some of their routes in December.

And a recent survey by the Bristol Evening Post that compared fares into London from similar distances as Bristol found FGW fares to be between two and three times those of comparable companies.

FGW is a disaster story for the West country. FGW are bringing Britain's railways into disrepute

It is time for FGW to go.

[Shazz]

I still think mr ambrose should try running a TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) for a week, to see how hard it really is

[Lee]

More article links on the Passenger Focus survey.
http://thisisplymouth.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=181429&command=displayContent&sourceNode=229968&home=yes&more_nodeId1=133174&contentPK=19651418

http://thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231190&home=yes&more_nodeId1=144922&contentPK=19655305

http://oxfordmail.net/display.var.1991577.0.mixed_marks_for_train_firms.php

[vacman]

Since when did National rail run the network??

[dog box]

deplorable state of toilets??........isnt it the passengers who make the things dirty

[vacman]

deplorable state of toilets??........isnt it the passengers who make the things dirty

Passengers are all perfect though.....

[TerminalJunkie]

isnt it the passengers who make the things dirty

Back in 2000-ish, when the Barnstaple line was closed for five months because of flooding, we had a long spell of trains terminating at Portsmouth Arms with long turnrounds.

One morning at about 0715, we boarded the first train to Exeter (which had been sat at Portsmouth Arms for about 45 minutes), and found a neat pile of freshly-steaming tea bags on the floor in front of our seats. Guess who left them there? Clue: there were no passengers on the train when it left Exeter...
gaf71: Extra points if you can get the guard's name. He left when it was still Wessex, amid rumours of dealing in dodgy DVDs

[Chris from Nailsea]

Is the answer http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=619.msg2935#msg2935, perhaps? 

[Lee]

Here is the view from Campaign For Better Transport (see "The Great Rail Rip-Off", link below.)
http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/campaigns/public_transport/rail/blog

FOSBR^▸ (Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways) have also commented (link below.)
http://www.fosbr.org.uk/news.php?newsid=0000000146

Apparently, Severn Tunnel Junction and Patchway will now be represented in the Fare Strike (link below.)
http://moretrainlessstrain.co.uk/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=b0f33cc9bec4546a0c09e5f09a69cfef&topic=158.msg406#msg406

[TerminalJunkie]

Is the answer http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=619.msg2935#msg2935, perhaps? 

Nope. The one I'm thinking of was extremely keen when it came to catching fare-dodgers!

[Lee]

Further Passenger Focus survey article (link below.)
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144125&command=displayContent&sourceNode=232450&contentPK=19662026&folderPk=108202&pNodeId=251466

It is significant in that Ben Bradshaw, Exeter MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) and the government's "Champion Of The South West" is quoted. He has been keen to keep his distance up until now :

Ben Bradshaw, Minister for the South West, said FGW^▸ (First Great Western) had "no excuse".

He said: "The findings of this survey do not surprise me in the slightest. While other train operators have been improving, FGW has been falling and I have summonsed the managers to come and explain to me the situation."