D854_Tiger Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 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. https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/ https://www.londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk/ Keith Thanks for that, couldn't find them on Google. So according to their map it will be confusion on the Birmingham - Coventry line, with West Midlands laying claim to the class 323 International shuttle (plus some peak only workings through to Coventry) but the lions share of stoppers (three out of four per hour) will be London and North Western. Privatisation did lead to an element of confusion on our railways (but at least it was logical) but if you really want a dog's dinner you can always rely on politics. 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 Thanks for that, couldn't find them on Google. So according to their map it will be confusion on the Birmingham - Coventry line, with West Midlands laying claim to the class 323 International shuttle (plus some peak only workings through to Coventry) but the lions share of stoppers (three out of four per hour) will be London and North Western. Privatisation did lead to an element of confusion on our railways (but at least it was logical) but if you really want a dog's dinner you can always rely on politics. The Cov - Nuneaton seems to be LNW. I thought the idea was that trains that are serving the "Greater" West Midlands were to be WMR and the longer distance trains London-Birmingham-Crewe-Liverpool etc were to be LNWR as well as those staying around the SE. WMR has a partnership with TfWM to oversee train services within TfWM's re-mit, hence the different branding. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold CovDriver Posted December 10, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2017 Please don't take offence to this post but for one minute can you all think about the traincrew working these services like our depot at Coventry we operate both LNW & WMR we brought this up at the new company staff road show and was told that we will have to change name badges depending on what service we was currently running. I politely said there's no agreement for Drivers to wear name badges at all. It appears this new company know nothing about the previous franchise operations at all. I just wish some people who are not in the industry who continually post absolute nonsense would carry out a little bit research before posting. As we still don't know which part of the company we'll be part of. Thank you Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D854_Tiger Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Apparently there is major disruption on the Stourbridge Town branch, all services shown as being delayed by three minutes. Now I know the journey only takes three minutes, so a 100% delay ain't great, but major disruption. Half the services on the main line are cancelled though so you will be three minutes late for a connection that isn't coming. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D854_Tiger Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Please don't take offence to this post but for one minute can you all think about the traincrew working these services like our depot at Coventry we operate both LNW & WMR we brought this up at the new company staff road show and was told that we will have to change name badges depending on what service we was currently running. I politely said there's no agreement for Drivers to wear name badges at all. It appears this new company know nothing about the previous franchise operations at all. I just wish some people who are not in the industry who continually post absolute nonsense would carry out a little bit research before posting. As we still don't know which part of the company we'll be part of. Thank you Colin Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold CovDriver Posted December 10, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2017 Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Sorry the old boss is retiring and the new boss has come from Merseyrail Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D854_Tiger Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Sorry the old boss is retiring and the new boss has come from Merseyrail Blimey, have you done the conversion course. https://www.facebook.com/TheWayISeeLiverpool/videos/1995851714034349/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brigo Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 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. https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/ https://www.londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk/ Keith There's also the website that covers them both, which you are redirected to if you try to access the old LM one https://www.wmtrains.co.uk/ Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RfDforever Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 It appears this new company know nothing about the previous franchise operations at all. Thank you Colin And the reason for this is what I've been trying to imply in previous posts. Now of course the terminating franchisee would be pleased to answer questions from the incomer, and welcome discussions with relevant staff. Unless they were bad losers... And they would be helpful because 'what goes around, comes around' Unless.... well .......... Being cryptic for good reason. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
great central Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 And the reason for this is what I've been trying to imply in previous posts. Now of course the terminating franchisee would be pleased to answer questions from the incomer, and welcome discussions with relevant staff. Unless they were bad losers... And they would be helpful because 'what goes around, comes around' Unless.... well .......... Being cryptic for good reason. Not necessarily, if the last change in our franchise is anything to go by the incoming operator isn't allowed on the premises until they take over. The only chance we had to meet our new bosses, MD, director level was to go to a meeting in a nearby hotel in our own time. This was, I understand, a specific requirement of the changeover. No idea if it's different now. Agree with Covdriver's comments above about people from outside the industry who know it all. We're strictly prohibited from saying much that we would like to by company rules Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RfDforever Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Not necessarily, if the last change in our franchise is anything to go by the incoming operator isn't allowed on the premises until they take over. The only chance we had to meet our new bosses, MD, director level was to go to a meeting in a nearby hotel in our own time. This was, I understand, a specific requirement of the changeover. No idea if it's different now. Agree with Covdriver's comments above about people from outside the industry who know it all. We're strictly prohibited from saying much that we would like to by company rules Your first two paragraphs are very relevant, thank you. Having been clearly told (and posted in an indirect way because para 3 applies) details very much on the lines of your first sentence, I was (i) astounded that any possibility of a smooth change-over was thereby being wilfully sabotaged and (ii) given to understand (incorrectly it seems) that it was a rule laid down by London Midland. Why would anyone else (the DfT for instance) lay down such a rule? But clearly someone did. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobby Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 It's not as bad as you are making out. As already pointed out several times all but the very senior managers are the same and everyting else stays the same in the practical day-to-day running of the franchise. Even some of the senior management will stay the same (ours did). So all that changes is the owners and they already have an awful lot of information about the franchise already otherwise they wouldn't have been able to put forward a bid. I feel that people are making a molehill into a mountain. The only issue can be if the previous franchise does something nasty at the very end which stitches up the new franchisee such as a massive payrise or deleting all diversion routes just before changeover date. Sometimes that happens, other times it doesn't... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted December 11, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 11, 2017 I do have some sympathy for them in taking over on a day of heavy snow fall and disruption. Looking around today they have changed the on-board Wi-Fi and station info but most staff still have LM uniforms, some trains still have LM branding and the 350's still ride badly so pretty much same as so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 Services were delayed quite a bit this morning at Coventry waiting for our train to London (virgin, but all were delayed). Given the combination of the changeover and the snow etc, delays are to be expected reallyinzuch circumstances. As long as I get where I'm going safely I'm not overly worried about delay. Given time I'm sure things will sort themselves out by new year just after (who's daft idea was it to change franchises 2 weeks before Christmas!?). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 Given time I'm sure things will sort themselves out by new year just after (who's daft idea was it to change franchises 2 weeks before Christmas!?). The same champion who thought that changing the SWT franchise during the Waterloo blockade was a good idea (actually I might be being a bit unfair there, I think they failed to negotiate an extension to Stagecoach's contract to cover the blockade, so had no choice but to have the changeover then, but it's still a flippin stupid time to have a changeover...) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
royaloak Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 I just wish some people who are not in the industry who continually post absolute nonsense would carry out a little bit research before posting. Good luck with that one. A lot of people do seem to post their opinion as fact. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
royaloak Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 (who's daft idea was it to change franchises 2 weeks before Christmas!?). Probably the same people who thought it is a good idea to implement a major roster change on Sunday December 31st at GWR, I am currently weekend off and if they change my position in the link so I should be working I wont be able to because I am away visiting family, arranged in February, and I wasnt able to put in for leave as it is my (original) rostered rest days and they wont allow us to apply for leave on a rest day. Why not wait until January 7th? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted December 11, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 11, 2017 Station announcements at Euston still referring to London Midland tonight, can't have updated the auto announcements yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted December 11, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 11, 2017 However, travelling on my first train in the new livery, leading set of the 17.30 Euston - MK. I hope it grows on me as it is not overly impressing me at first sight. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D854_Tiger Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 However, travelling on my first train in the new livery, leading set of the 17.30 Euston - MK. I hope it grows on me as it is not overly impressing me at first sight. It could be worse, you could be sitting in one of their West Midlands trains, with the new livery, which looks like a Silverlink tribute act. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted December 11, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 11, 2017 Something that struck me immediately was how much darker the front looks by limiting yellow to the end doors. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsforever Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 A bad day for all staff lets hope you all stayed safe and that the new franchise looks after you as new brooms can cause problems ,question why do 35o,s ride rough? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold CovDriver Posted December 11, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 11, 2017 A bad day for all staff lets hope you all stayed safe and that the new franchise looks after you as new brooms can cause problems ,question why do 35o,s ride rough? By any chance do you know which 350 it was by that I mean a 350/1/2 or a 3 the 2's are a bit bouncy over pointwork as I had 350245 this morning and boy was it bouncy over the points at Long Lawford junction near Rugby and that was at about 90mph Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted December 11, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 11, 2017 The one I came home in tonight which was in the new livery was a 350/3. In my experience the 350/2's are the worst riding of the sub-classes, the 350/1's seem to be the best. The ride quality on some of the 350/2's is shocking, although I'd not rate the ride quality of any of them as being particularly good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 Oddly 450s which aren't much different seem to ride pretty well in my experience. Though maybe I just don't notice because the seating is worse... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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