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Great Western Coffee Shop > All across the Great Western territory > The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom > West Coast fight ahead for Virgin
Poll
Question: Who do YOU think should be awarded the WCML▸ (West Coast Main Line) franchise?  (Voting closed: May 24, 2011, 07:42:57)
Virgin Group/Stagecoach Group - 9 (31%)
NV Nederlandse Spoorwegen - 4 (13.8%)
SNCF▸ (Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais - French National Railways)/Keolis SA - 2 (6.9%)
First Group - 8 (27.6%)
None of the above! - 3 (10.3%)
Don't know/don't care - 3 (10.3%)
Total Voters: 28

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Author Topic: West Coast fight ahead for Virgin  (Read 7685 times)
Mookiemoo
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« Reply #15 on: March 25, 2011, 17:27:56 »
Don't first group (1) want to give up FGW▸ (First Great Western) and (2) also want east coast

I cant see them getting east coast AND west coast or either of them in addition to FGW

So vacman, you still wouldnt get free travel if they gave up FGW
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paul7575
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« Reply #16 on: March 25, 2011, 17:39:51 »
Quote from: Mookiemoo on March 25, 2011, 17:27:56
Don't first group (1) want to give up FGW▸ (First Great Western) and (2) also want east coast

I cant see them getting east coast AND west coast or either of them in addition to FGW

The ECML▸ (East Coast Main Line) franchise competition was delayed long enough for it not to start before the WCML▸ (West Coast Main Line) competition is over and done with, so it is probably OK for First Group to consider both as of now.

Paul
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tramway
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« Reply #17 on: March 25, 2011, 21:21:06 »
Quote from: Mookiemoo on March 25, 2011, 17:27:56
Don't first group (1) want to give up FGW▸ (First Great Western) and (2) also want east coast

I cant see them getting east coast AND west coast or either of them in addition to FGW

So vacman, you still wouldnt get free travel if they gave up FGW

I can't find the comment at the moment from another meandering thread, but it would seem that we'll be seeing a lot very stupid bidding going on again. First want out of their current franchise commitments, all their backers say keep your eye on the buses, supported by serious industry commentators. They then start bidding for other work in the rail industry. Huh

Virgin(not Virgin) have made a fortune from their T&C's due to WCML▸ (West Coast Main Line) upgrade cock ups, they weren't that good at actually running anything.

The only company people wanted to continue to run trains were on the ECML▸ (East Coast Main Line) and they were thrown off on a technicallity, not that they weren't doing a good job.

Total b*ll*cks, and will be again. Not holding out much hope on who wins the next one.

I've not looked but are the franchise documents in the public domain, if not they should be.
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