RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted August 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2012 Through services to Shrewsbury and Blackpool, eh? I believe I've heard this somewhere before. Super Voyager to Shrewsbury? Someone's got to use them after the ShortaLeano takes over from them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
definate maybe Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 From bits and pieces I have picked up from reading the net this morning the figures dont stack up Virgin were paying £110m a year and for the year ending 2011 made profits of £39.9m (down 21% from 2010) (http://mediaroom.virgintrains.co.uk/2011/08/booming-passenger-numbers-drive-record.html) First are now commited to paying over £300m a year. Can that be right? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted August 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2012 Enough of the negative waves, it's now done and dusted. Let's wait and see what happens. Couldn't agree more. More information and interpretations will undoubtedly come to the fore in the next few days/weeks. Interesting times ahead, whichever way you look at it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gronk the shunter Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 For only £422 (undercutting the virgin price) I will happily drive anyone to london and back from Manchester, picking you up at your door at whatever time you want. Courtesy of a joint venture with the nearby toby carvery a full all you can eat breakfast is provided on morning departures and an all you can eat carvery and desert on evening trips. Wi-Fi is regretably not available but you can have full use of my wife!! (unlike argos though if you are not completely satisfied she does not provide refunds) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gronk the shunter Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 http://www.guardian....line-firstgroup Looking over some of this article, mentions cramming more seats in the Pendo's and removing the catering but then goes on to mention providing even better catering. Contradictions already. More likely that they remove the shop and keep the first class catering or maybe better catering means a trolley with some "value" muffins on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted August 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2012 For only £422 (undercutting the virgin price) I will happily drive anyone to london and back from Manchester, picking you up at your door at whatever time you want. Courtesy of a joint venture with the nearby toby carvery a full all you can eat breakfast is provided on morning departures and an all you can eat carvery and desert on evening trips. Wi-Fi is regretably not available but you can have full use of my wife!! (unlike argos though if you are not completely satisfied she does not provide refunds) I would like to make a reservation please!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Savoyard Posted August 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2012 For just over 4 x times the Manchester to London First Class Fare I am travelling Business Class to Hong Kong from Manchester via Dubai. I wonder which works out the best value per mile? Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Oh, and just where is this alleged spare capacity? I don't see much during my annual trip on the WCML. Indeed Chris. The statement about spare capacity, from FirstGroup chief executive Tim O'Toole, has surprised a few people, especially as we are told the WCML is almost full and will need a new line after 2020 ! However, extra capacity can be provided from within the existing train paths. Have First included the current programme to lengthen 31 Pendolino's and the addition of the 4 new sets in their figures ? Another way would be to redress the balance of First to Standard vehicles in favour of the later. However, sadly there is no mention of extending the 11-car Pendolino programme to the remaining 21 9-car sets. A combination of reducing the number of First class vehicles from 4 to 3 and extending the remaining 21 sets to 11-car, would seem to make a lot of sense, but again there is no mention of these options. The 11 new 6-car trains will see Class 221's being used to strengthen existing services and to add the new routes, so there's one big increase in passenger carrying capacity. But is that all they're going to do? . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 .....Wi-Fi is regretably not available but you can have full use of my wife!! (unlike argos though if you are not completely satisfied she does not provide refunds) I'd be giving mine away free to the first customer, no refunds accepted ! (quickly looking over my shoulder.....) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Anyone fancy photoshopping a pendo into first dynamic lines? Seiriously where does this leave Virgin are they bidding for any of the other franchises ? it does seems a pity to loose them from the railway all together and will this affect Firsts bid for the GW franchise Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_long Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Quotes "We will be making significant improvements including reduced journey times" Very bold claim that, what constitutes significant, again the fight over hs2 claimed the wcml was full and operating at its limits. "Targets to meet on passenger satisfaction will be introduced for the first time in an InterCity rail franchise" That will be very interesting to see how it pans out! It seems clear from what virgin/stagecoach are saying is that bid from first would have bankrupted them, so I think this kind of discussion is merited as if it does fail it will end up using taxpayers money to run. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted August 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2012 Through services to Shrewsbury and Blackpool, eh? I believe I've heard this somewhere before. Yes, the embarrasingly named "Blackpool Voyager" soon lost it's plates after the town lost it's service - an RB initiative iirc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Just now on Radio 4's World at One; Villiers has said that First will be "trialling" new services to Blackpool, Bolton, Telford and Shrewsbury to see if passengers will use them !! If that's not a slip of the tongue, then it sounds like those services can be withdrawn if "proved uneconomic". > Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I wonder what would happen if Ryanair were ever to bid for a rail franchise here..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
frobisher Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I wonder what would happen if Ryanair were ever to bid for a rail franchise here..... I'm thinking... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_long Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I wonder what would happen if Ryanair were ever to bid for a rail franchise here..... He'd make dft pay him for the franchise! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted August 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2012 I wonder what would happen if Ryanair were ever to bid for a rail franchise here..... Warrington Bank Quay would be renamed Manchester and Hemel Hempstead would become London Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gronk the shunter Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 It will be interesting to see how the Blackpool and Bolton services are provided. Presumably these will be the same train service which would run via Piccadilly. If so this then competes with the First trans pennine service. Of course that franchise doesn't have too much longer left and there's talk of combining it into Northern. Could it be that First will ensure that it's WC service to Blackpool take passengers off it's pennine service, paving the way for a future Northern/Pennine combined franchise to pull out/reduce the frequency of that route? Also the 6 car pendolino was promoted by Alstom for the manchester-Scotland route. Redrawing the next Pennine franchise could see those services go back to WC using the new baby pendo's. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
avonside1563 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Or what if Stelios put a bid in ... EasyTrain ... all pendos painted orange! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopardml2341 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I'm thinking... Not much different to the 12:00 Virgin Trains service ex Glasgow on a Friday then. A 5 coach voyager on what has previously been a pendolino diag - OK I know the service does not now go through to Euston - but by far the most of the traffic was to New Street anyway ! As for First Group's tagline 'Transforming Travel' - I can't help but mentally add '..........into something unrecognisable.' :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I am sure the that the ever virgilant station staff will have no problem in being TUPE'd into first Stormtroopers - man the gates and protect our profits do whatever it takes - Remember Your Shareholders Need You! XF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ron Ron Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I wonder what would happen if Ryanair were ever to bid for a rail franchise here..... Warrington Bank Quay would be renamed Manchester and Hemel Hempstead would become London Not forgetting the charge for using the ticket barrier (£2 coin in the slot before it will read your ticket), baggage charges, premium for getting a seat and that annoying fanfare for another "on time arrival". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Just seen Sir Richard on Sky News and it seems its the end of Virgin Trains in the UK. Did mention the East Coast but would he want to be in the same position as he was in 97 on the west coast. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted August 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2012 http://www.guardian....line-firstgroup Looking over some of this article, mentions cramming more seats in the Pendo's and removing the catering but then goes on to mention providing even better catering. Contradictions already. Not necessarily - they can reconfigure catering and reduce the 1st Class freebie element or - as someone has already said - get rid of the shop or reduce 1st Class seating and reconfigure as Standard. The latter might have an impact on diagraming but they've no doubt thought about that. Let's give 'em a chance to do what they say they're going to do and see what happens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gronk the shunter Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I am sure the that the ever virgilant station staff will have no problem in being TUPE'd into first Stormtroopers - man the gates and protect our profits do whatever it takes - Remember Your Shareholders Need You! XF Engages 'Allo 'Allo mode..................... A return from Manchester you say?? Zat vill be £250! Schnell! Schnell! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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