159220 Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 Still seen no de-branding. They are keeping it under wraps it appears. No de-branding until post-Waterloo blockage so I understand, First/MTR shall trade as South West Trains temporally. The desiro stock is currently being cleaned and 'buffed' up for a fairly ambition program of vinyl application on the new brand is formally launched. Franchise name is still TBC but it is generally thought to be called the South Western Railway within the industry. But we might all be surprised... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 (edited) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-protects-london-exeter-passengers-with-fare-cap http://www.cityam.com/270475/firstgroup-and-mtr-given-go-ahead-south-western-franchise Edited August 18, 2017 by Ron Ron Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 They could at least have used a rail signal if they wanted to illustrate a "green light" in that story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bimble Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 An hour at Twickers this afternoon produced the expected selection of 450, 455/7, 455/8. 4559/9, 456 and 458 units. None of which was de-branded. The 707s didn't show. SWT tweeted photos of the 707s out and about yesterday on their first day in service, fully branded SouthWestTrains Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium corneliuslundie Posted August 18, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 18, 2017 I can't help feeling that since DaFt is responsible for awarding the franchises it should sort the competition things out itself. There should be no need for any other quango to be involved and waste even more public money. We had the same nonsense with the Northern franchise. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 4630 Posted August 18, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 18, 2017 News Release 18th August from Stagecoach paying tribute to South West Trains employees. http://www.stagecoach.com/media/news-releases/2017/2017-08-18.aspx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium HillsideDepot Posted August 18, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 18, 2017 I can't help feeling that since DaFt is responsible for awarding the franchises it should sort the competition things out itself. There should be no need for any other quango to be involved and waste even more public money. We had the same nonsense with the Northern franchise. Jonathan You should have seen the questions they asked! I had the pleasure of them dropped into my work in-box... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Siberian Snooper Posted August 18, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 18, 2017 Spotlight news has been reporting that the change over is due to happen on Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 4630 Posted August 18, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 18, 2017 Spotlight news has been reporting that the change over is due to happen on Sunday. 01.59 on Sunday morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 BBC South Today had an interesting piece by the ever-reliable Paul Clifton. The term "South Western Railway" was used to describe the new outfit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted August 18, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 18, 2017 BBC South Today had an interesting piece by the ever-reliable Paul Clifton. The term "South Western Railway" was used to describe the new outfit. South Western Railway is the official name, it's actually been used for the Deep Alliance with SWT for several years but has now become the franchise name and supposedly it will remain that whoever gets the next franchise from what was said about GWR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted August 18, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 18, 2017 The Southern Electric Group has posted an image of the new branding on their Facebook feed. This is being acknowledged by several sources as official. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted August 18, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 18, 2017 (edited) Interesting that pic has Ex?ter and Sailsbury on it! Edited August 18, 2017 by PaulRhB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianusa Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 Ever since SWT disappeared west of Exeter, hardly South West; more South Southern! Brian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptic Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 (edited) So, now, can we revert to "Railway" stations ?, as opposed to "Tra,," Edited August 21, 2017 by Ceptic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 One lives in hope, Frank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted August 18, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 18, 2017 (edited) Ever since SWT disappeared west of Exeter, hardly South West; more South Southern! Brian. One could also argue that Great Western ceases to be "Great" west of Exeter, where any pretence at high speed running disappears. In any case, Exeter is closer to Penzance than it is to London, so I think "South Western" is more than justified. Edited August 19, 2017 by Dunsignalling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim.snowdon Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 There is tell of a well known musician who, in complaining to First Great Western, put it to them that "First" it wasn't, "Great" it might once have been and "Western", it might be. That was before it got rather better known as Worst Great Western, after which First Group rebranded the whole job as Great Western Railway (the cheek!) and removed the "first" logos that were emblazoned everywhere in the hope that we passengers might not notice that it was still the same operator behind it all. Calling the new operation South Western Railway has the same feel of "anything but First" about it. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the standard of service doesn't descend to its becoming Worst South Western. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Kazmierczak Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 Both Dorset and Devon are in the South West Region of England, so "South West" in the franchise name is quite appropriate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bimble Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 Both Dorset and Devon are in the South West Region of England, so "South West" in the franchise name is quite appropriate. Though the majority of the franchise comes nowhere nearer to the South West than Hampshire... South West Home Counties maybe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted August 19, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 19, 2017 (edited) Ah another who thinks the South Western Mainline doesn't exist! Coo'ee Wiltshire, Dorset & Devon are here too y'know Well it's been known as South Western Rly since the Deep Alliance with SWT Internally, it's based on the Historical LSWR name and it isn't going to change in the next seven years so it's pointless quibbling on pedantic points. It goes from London to several places in the South and West. The other historical name, Southern, is in use so do you really want some quango to come up with a daft PC name? London, Exeter & Weymouth or the 'LEW (loo?)' for short? Edited August 19, 2017 by PaulRhB 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim.snowdon Posted August 19, 2017 Share Posted August 19, 2017 (edited) One way or another it's been "South Western" ever since the London & Southampton Railway changed its name to become the L&SWR in 1839, and there's nothing wrong with First/MTR adopting the same title, any more than there was when Stagecoach adopted SouthWestTrains. Time to wait and see what they make of it, and how much of MTR's capability in running high density railway operations brings to the party. Jim And as a ps, when the L&SR became the L&SWR, it was because it wanted to go to Portsmouth, not beyond Southampton or Basingstoke. Edited August 19, 2017 by jim.snowdon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted August 19, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 19, 2017 One way or another it's been "South Western" ever since the London & Southampton Railway changed its name to become the L&SWR in 1839, and there's nothing wrong with First/MTR adopting the same title, any more than there was when Stagecoach adopted SouthWestTrains. Time to wait and see what they make of it, and how much of MTR's capability in running high density railway operations brings to the party. Jim And as a ps, when the L&SR became the L&SWR, it was because it wanted to go to Portsmouth, not beyond Southampton or Basingstoke. If any MTR people start getting involved 'close up' they'll probably run off weeping into their rice wine. MTR is the company which called in consultants when it became seriously concerned about a decline in punctuality on its network as it was suffering an increased number of trains arriving 10 seconds (yes, seconds) late and they decided the decline had to be stopped. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted August 19, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 19, 2017 Simple fix. Do as they do already on SWT and shut the doors well before time then move off 10 - 15 seconds before "right time". Annoying if you're a last-minute arrival but it happens all the time. And with the slack built into some timings such as the Kingston Roundabout the train often sits at every stop for 60 - 90 seconds rather than the 20 - 30 notionally allowed for. Driver, guard and passengers all equally bored watching the clock tick away their lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zomboid Posted August 19, 2017 Share Posted August 19, 2017 With regards to the name, the GWR initially aimed at Bristol, not Cornwall. Anywhere south and/or west of Wiltshire and Somerset (inclusive) is fair game for "south west" in my book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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