First / MTR win South Western franchise 2017 - 2024, and CMA raises competition concerns (merged topic)

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

They may not have a choice. Required to do the government's bidding, implementing McNulty, and be the buffer for the inevitable conflict with the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers), and maybe ASLEF^» (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen - about) too.

What is franchising for? Shielding the government. Particularly when it is of a blue hue.

I find it perfectly believable that Stagecoach's bid including a promise to keep guards on all services. That being a reason their bid was unsuccessful.

[Timmer]

I find it perfectly believable that Stagecoach's bid including a promise to keep guards on all services. That being a reason their bid was unsuccessful.

Deliberately so?

[ChrisB]

It may be a requirement of the franchise?....Similar to Southern/GTR.

[paul7575]

It may be a requirement of the franchise?....Similar to Southern/GTR.

It isn't mentioned in the Southwestern ITT^▸ (Invitation to Tender), except in the context of a standard requirement for any new rolling stock to include the hardware capability (a bit like the IEPs^▸ (Intercity Express Program / Project.)).  The Southern (i.e. TSGN) ITT was completely different in regards to this subject, but even it did not explicitly ask for more DOO^▸ (Driver-Only Operation (that is, trains which operate without carrying a guard)) operation to be brought in, it just reads that existing DOO operation had to be maintained.

Paul

[ChrisB]

There will be confidential clauses agreed that don't appear in the public domain

[SandTEngineer]

SWT^▸ (South West Trains) have published a 'Goodbye' document: http://www.stagecoach.com/about/our-companies/src=/~/media/Files/S/Stagecoach-Group/Attachments/pdf/swt-supplement-mr-edition.pdf

[chrisr_75]

And so it begins:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-40965413

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

The new South Western rail franchise holder has been criticised by a union for allegedly refusing to guarantee a second staff member on board its forthcoming trains.

FirstGroup takes over on Sunday amid ongoing disputes over driver-operated doors and the role of train guards.

The company said it would be "retaining a second person" on board trains.

The RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) union said in talks the firm refused to provide a guarantee "despite what they have been telling the press".

cntd

[stuving]

SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) have been finger-pointing at SWT^▸ (South West Trains) in public about giving up on maintenance and cleaning after they found  they would lose the franchise - unless the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) invented that entirely.

This was on BBC South this morning. While the SWR suit only promised a new, cleaner, future for hie trains, Paul Clifton, the voice over, and the studio introduction all made that specific claim about SWT. They showed a "deep clean", though it didn't look so very deep to me, saying there hadn't been one for ages. But surely it takes more than six months to get a train that grubby? 

This is all rather unusual, and out of line with the agreement among bits of "the railway" (which may be unwritten) not to use blame and point-scoring against each other.

Oddly, the trains I've though looked a bit sad were the revised 458s - maybe because I knew they'd been rebuilt, and all the interiors altered, but then found must of the floors and seats unchanged.

[stuving]

This was on BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) South this morning. While the SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) suit only promised a new, cleaner, future for hie trains, Paul Clifton, the voice over, and the studio introduction all made that specific claim about SWT^▸ (South West Trains). They showed a "deep clean", though it didn't look so very deep to me, saying there hadn't been one for ages. But surely it takes more than six months to get a train that grubby? 

This evening's BBC South introduction quantified a "deep clean"; SWR say they do one every 30 days where SWT did them every 210 days. (That's longer than from franchise announcement to end, of course.) Sounds more like part of a routine cleaning schedule to me, but it's still rather childishly "cleanlier than thou".