Well I never...!

[whole diary]

[SuperGlam]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s main man is from Merthyr Tydfil.  So he must be a nice guy. 

My home town local rag, the Merthyr Express (as if) last week ran a story on page 4 (must have been newsworthy then) about ...Andrew Haines. 

Pictured on what appears to be the Ginsters pasty saloons the headline of "We're on the right track" and being one of the "most complained men in Britain" he was stated to be responsible for running the train services between S Wales and London - whether they depart on time or not.  Is that all? I thought so I read on and gleaned these nuggets:

A key part of his role is ensuring that their service offering is improved.

FGW is the fastest growing railway in Europe.

Fares have risen 145% since 1995.

His "thick skin" has been easy to develop and he is one of FGW's youngest managers.  Graduting from London Uni, he worked as a staion manager (didn't say where) before moving to the House of Commons and lobbied for railway schemes such as Heathrow Express.

Work will start at Reading in 2009 and will be the focal point on FGW, with the biggest investment programme on the railways since 1950.

^30m was raised from the taxpayer in additional reveue in the last year - in which
FGW will recieve ^50m in subsidies from DoT, so for every ^1 they pay back ^1.60.

What FGW raise through their effeciencies is reinvested in the network and he points out that FGW has a "dynamic" fares system with "hundreds" of off-peak cheap fares available for travel.

Fares have HAD to be raised to deliver investment to deliver additional capacity - which he is unashamed of.  He has been part of FGW and its previous incarnations since 1998.

New engines have been installed in HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train).

A new recruit has been made in a performance director to drive forward FGW's performance culture. 

From my viewpoint, having used what is now FGW area for years on end I would specifically like many things to happen also.  We all do, no doubt - which is why we air our opinions and offer solutions - which is the true strength of this forum.

A gripe of mine is the fact that it takes forever to get home on the south coast from Evesham/Worcester on a Saturday early evening. If the Brighton-Malvern train went at my preferred times (ie arrive before 1200 and return after 1730) and Worcester did attract a cheap day return I would get it -  so I drive. My choice is get home whilst 606 is still on (just) or after Match of the Day is going off, though I REALLY feel sorry for those on the TransWilts whose grumbles puts mine into insignificance.  And rightly so. 

A balanced interview I felt, sort of "local boy done good" but hard-nosed also in parts as it seems that Haines is alive to criticism of FGW and their ills, such as puncuality and people not being informed when things go wrong.  He also wants to shake off the "worst train company" tag that FGW has and put the first word back into its corporate name.

Read into that what you will as they say in the valleys!

[John R]

The report didn't mention that he's nicked the trains that were going to give Merthyr it's half hour frequency from next month then? (Nice infrastructure enhancements, shame about the lack of trains.)

[SuperGlam]

John:  no it did not. This particular publication is still to give out the good-news story that Merthyr Vale's new platform is open.  I doubt it will at all.  As one who reads most posts I concur with your bracketed comment mate, time will tell I suppose!
 

[Ollie]

Of course FGW^▸ (First Great Western) nicked your trains...

[Btline]

All this "nicking" should not be taking place.

Make up some 3/4 car loco hauled sets from Mk2^▸ (Mark 2 coach) at Honeybourne.

Displace some 158s with these.

Displace some 150s with these.

Bingo.

Long term, order new trains for the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) "West" fleet.

[welshman]

There are rumbles in the jungle that WAG^» (Welsh Assembly Government - about) may fund the purchase of some 172s for ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))).

Or perhaps they should resurrect the 37s with 4 carriages they were using at peak times to Rhymney.  They certainly got off the line a bit more briskly than Pacers.  But 1,750 hp would give you a bit of an edge.

Better still, they could use 66s which are cleared for the Aberdare branch at least - they take coal to Aberthaw power station.  I recently saw a coal train stop opposite Tesco's in Aberdare.  The driver got out, crossed the fence and the bypass, nipped into Tesco's for his fags and went back to his loco.  Fair enough really, the rest of us had parked to shop there as well.

[John R]

And you can't really wheelclamp a 66. 

[vacman]

The report didn't mention that he's nicked the trains that were going to give Merthyr it's half hour frequency from next month then? (Nice infrastructure enhancements, shame about the lack of trains.)

But these "nicked" trains are an improvement for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) so Haines has done very well to "nick" them!