RMweb Gold 08221 Posted November 8, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 8, 2017 I was on the 1713 & we were also told Bletchley. Why did they cancel trains to Tring then? With its terminating platform, Tring is an ideal place to turn trains around. I am not referring to all Virgin services, but just the trains which should have stopped at Tring anyway. There was no need to cancel these & there were loads of trains in Euston which could not have got to their destination (Northampton, Birmingham, Crewe) which could have been used so LM should be fined heavily for messing travellers to Hemel, Tring etc about unnecessarily. They have done this before when there was a cow on the line in Milton Keynes (maybe a concrete one?). I had my bike with me at the time & would have been quite happy to try cycling back to MK from Tring. This reminds me of when I used to travel home on the Cobbler MK1 set from Euston to Bletchley in the early 80's. I used to take my bike in the guards van and cycle to/from Holborn as it was quicker than the tube or bus. One night the Cobbler failed at Leighton, so I cycled back to Bletchley, getting home before other family members who were stuck on the train waiting for the delay to be sorted out! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium corneliuslundie Posted November 8, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 8, 2017 It's OK. The West Midland Railway will get into trouble and be taken over by the GWR before too long :-) Jonathan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathan452 Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Go-Ahead boss takes parting shot about franchise awards after losing London Midland routes - http://www.cityam.com/276794/go-ahead-boss-takes-parting-shot-franchise-awards-after Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D854_Tiger Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Go-Ahead boss takes parting shot about franchise awards after losing London Midland routes - http://www.cityam.com/276794/go-ahead-boss-takes-parting-shot-franchise-awards-after He possibly has a point but don't EU rules prevent past track record from being taken into account when assessing bids. On the not unreasonable grounds that if you have never been an incumbent, you can't have a track record, so therefore you could never get a fair bid. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMJ Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 I was surprised to see that other than on the LM 139 units when I was in the WM area the only time I had my ticket checked were on the ones operated by Chiltern. LM staff seem to open doors, close doors and hide in the rear cab. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edge Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Yup. Many is the time that I get on a train from Snow Hill and get all the way to Kidderminster without having the chance to buy a ticket at all (no staff at office, broken ticket machine, no guard on train selling tickets) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted December 4, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 4, 2017 The senior conductors on their WCML services in/out of Euston are more visible but I'd estimate a less than 50% probability of a ticket check on the trains I use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 08221 Posted December 4, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 4, 2017 Fully agree with the ticket check comments. The number of times I have caught a train from Hednesford to New Street and back and never had my ticket checked. People getting on/off at a lot of the intermediate stations are aware of this and get their trips for free - unfair and mildly frustrating. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Reorte Posted December 4, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 4, 2017 The senior conductors on their WCML services in/out of Euston are more visible but I'd estimate a less than 50% probability of a ticket check on the trains I use. Doing better than some Northern services at least, where the odds of being able to buy a ticket at all are less than that, if it's busy and the ticket offices are closed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RfDforever Posted December 6, 2017 Share Posted December 6, 2017 My earlier post regarding the time of changeover of franchisees was in error - the handover is at 01.59 on Sunday morning (not 02.01) meaning that the last LM service to be moving will be the 2254 New St - Northampton arr 2355, and the five 02.00 buses from Euston the first operation of the new franchise. One hopes that LM won't behave like bad losers and are helping the incomer to do such things as meet up with staff beforehand and make sure that details (such as the replacement buses for Crick tunnel closure on Sunday) are handled in the best interests of its staff and customers... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobby Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 (edited) We never had the "incomer" meeting up with us before the handover! Why would they need to? The timetable is the same, the management up to a very high level is the same... So no changes... When they take over then they can tell staff what they intend to do! Quite frankly it makes damn all difference to the staff at the sharp end initially, it's only later that things start to change (if they do!)... Edited December 7, 2017 by Hobby Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D854_Tiger Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 We never had the "incomer" meeting up with us before the handover! Why would they need to? The timetable is the same, the management up to a very high level is the same... So no changes... When they take over then they can tell staff what they intend to do! Quite frankly it makes damn all difference to the staff at the sharp end initially, it's only later that things start to change (if they do!)... Even the new very high ups, they do bring in, will have probably done this kind of thing before. So, day one, say hello to everyone, familiarise yourself with the map and the timetable then get straight down to work chasing up the new vinyls, the new uniforms and all the new branded material such as the station signs. Oh and split the office in two, build a partition (one side for LNW and the other side for West Midlands trains) then organise some office politics so everyone knows who they must blame. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D854_Tiger Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 Even the new very high ups, they do bring in, will have probably done this kind of thing before. So, day one, say hello to everyone, familiarise yourself with the map and the timetable then get straight down to work chasing up the new vinyls, the new uniforms and all the new branded material such as the station signs. Oh and split the office in two, build a partition (one side for LNW and the other side for West Midlands trains) then organise some office politics so everyone knows who they must blame. P.S. Also find something very minor and inconsequential to change but guaranteed to get right up people's backs just so everyone knows the new broom has arrived and that they do things differently. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RfDforever Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 We never had the "incomer" meeting up with us before the handover! Why would they need to? The timetable is the same, the management up to a very high level is the same... So no changes... When they take over then they can tell staff what they intend to do! Quite frankly it makes damn all difference to the staff at the sharp end initially, it's only later that things start to change (if they do!)... Well maybe LM is different but it has staff on fixed-term contracts that coincide with (quelle surprise) the end of the contract. They need to be contacted otherwise they'll not be there any more. 1 1/2 working days left... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 (edited) Well maybe LM is different but it has staff on fixed-term contracts that coincide with (quelle surprise) the end of the contract. They need to be contacted otherwise they'll not be there any more. 1 1/2 working days left... That is because the incumbent franchisee cannot offer a contract beyond its franchise term, I mean how could it - where could it re-employ these people on Day 1 of the new franchise - it no longer has a business, or this business or a new business the same shape as the existing one, to run in the West Midlands? The existing employees will TUPE across to the new franchisee, i.e. Abellio, as they do with every change of franchisee - unless of course they have taken the decision to leave voluntarily, in which case they will have advised their employer of their intentions and handed their notice in accordingly. EDIT: with the obvious normal exceptions, usually of the MD, FD, Head of Retail those sorts of positions. Edited December 7, 2017 by 'CHARD Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RfDforever Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 That is because the incumbent franchisee cannot offer a contract beyond its franchise term, I mean how could it - where could it re-employ these people on Day 1 of the new franchise - it no longer has a business, or this business or a new business the same shape as the existing one, to run in the West Midlands? The existing employees will TUPE across to the new franchisee, i.e. Abellio, as they do with every change of franchisee - unless of course they have taken the decision to leave voluntarily, in which case they will have advised their employer of their intentions and handed their notice in accordingly. EDIT: with the obvious normal exceptions, usually of the MD, FD, Head of Retail those sorts of positions. The fixed-term contract employees will not, of course, be entitled to TUPE. I did not say that I was surprised that the present LM had fixed-term contracts that ended at the end of the franchise. What did surprise me was that, allegedly, the new franchisee was not allowed to communicate with these staff and the suggestion also is that many are leaving, possibly as a result. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobby Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 What staff? I'd be surprised if it included drivers guards and dispatch staff... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Covkid Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 What staff? I'd be surprised if it included drivers guards and dispatch staff... I agree. Human assets like traincrew tend to be associated the franchise. How else would you have enough drivers and conductors to operate the timetable from 10th December ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RfDforever Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 What staff? I'd be surprised if it included drivers guards and dispatch staff... Indeed. Drivers, guards and despatch staff are essential. But think about it; there are other staff equally essential (but not so obviously visible) to running trains and other ancillary operations... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobby Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 I doubt their Control staff would be either. I think there may be some staff like barrier staff who are on contract but that would be all. As I said before what staff are you talking of?! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Horse Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 I went out for a ride around the network yesterday, a lot of their units had already been de-branded Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted December 10, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 10, 2017 How long will it take passengers to stop talking about London Midland and use the new franchise name? I am that interested I haven't even bothered to remember the name of the new franchise. No doubt I will be bombarded with train and station announcements to remind me of of whatever they're called. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobby Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Plenty of people still think virgin run crosscountry and central run LM!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D854_Tiger Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Well they don't seem to have a website up and running yet, least I can't find one, or is the two websites. Might be an idea though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted December 10, 2017 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 10, 2017 (edited) I went out for a ride around the network yesterday, a lot of their units had already been de-branded Which network is that? The one that currently is running hardly any trains due to snow? No doubt some wag will complain that WMR has got off to a poor start on it's first day. Well they don't seem to have a website up and running yet, least I can't find one, or is the two websites. Might be an idea though. https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/ https://www.londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk/ Keith Edited December 10, 2017 by melmerby Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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