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Podie
38,370 posts
144 months
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Eric Mc said: I've gone looking for my mate Barry. He's big. 
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Rollcage
9,171 posts
61 months
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Podie said: Digga said: Eric Mc said: Puggit said: Most of us don't go in that geeks' nest  How rude and insulting. And well directed. And yes, I've been known to lurk in 'that' bit of PH. Not everyone sees "geek" as being a pejorative term. Given some of the rude and insulting stuff you've posted in the past Eric, either learn to take it if you dish it out, or wind your neck in. I think you have slightly "whooshed" yourself there!
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essayer
1,586 posts
63 months
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Jasandjules said: It will be same s**t, different name on the wall. I think so. A fleet of blue Pendolinos will take some getting used to! I did hear a rumour they are looking to get rid of the shop, but who knows until they have the reins. I assume most staff below very senior management will be TUPEd across? No idea how things work in railwayland.
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Jinx
5,888 posts
129 months
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OK service - terrible prices - Euston to Liverpool return and Euston to Coventry cost me an arm and a leg. Cheaper if you book many weeks in advance but that's not always possible. It should not be cheaper for two people to rent a car plus fuel than to travel by train.
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davepoth
19,858 posts
68 months
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essayer said: I think so. A fleet of blue Pendolinos will take some getting used to!
I did hear a rumour they are looking to get rid of the shop, but who knows until they have the reins.
I assume most staff below very senior management will be TUPEd across? No idea how things work in railwayland. First trains are purple with pink doors. 
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essayer
1,586 posts
63 months
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Oh OK. I had it in my head they were dark blue!
Of course for at least a year they will be red/yellow/white, with a vague peeled-off outline of "Virgin" on the sides and a hastily stuck on vinyl "First West Coast" lettering
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Podie
38,370 posts
144 months
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essayer said: Of course for at least a year they will be red/yellow/white, with a vague peeled-off outline of "Virgin" on the sides and a hastily stuck on vinyl "First West Coast" lettering
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Fittster
14,918 posts
82 months
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From a customers point of view what would actually change?
I didn't think the franchise has that much flexibility regarding fairs, I don't see why they would offer a less frequent service.
If they only change is to remove a small shop from each train, it doesn't seem a big deal..
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Blue62
1,391 posts
21 months
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Fittster said: From a customers point of view what would actually change?
I didn't think the franchise has that much flexibility regarding fairs, I don't see why they would offer a less frequent service.
If they only change is to remove a small shop from each train, it doesn't seem a big deal.. From personal experience of the East coast line and also into Bristol, I do not rate First Group at all, their service is poor and they really strike me as a business that is fixated on short term profit at the expense of service. If they are going to rebate the Govt to the level they are promising, I can see hikes in fares, car park charges and reduced service levels. No fan in particular of Virgin, but I always opted to go Brum - Euston even though Derby - St Pancras was easier, simply to avoid First Group and their terrible service. I don't see this as good news, was there any consultation with commuters?
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JB!
3,845 posts
49 months
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Biggest change will be pricing.
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vonuber
3,875 posts
34 months
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I used to do Brum-Euston every other w/e, service was generally rather good. Heard some horror stories about First, not looking forward to it - means probably hiring a car to get back to Manchester for Christmas from London, rather than the train (will certainly be cheaper if slower).
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nickdrinkwater
164 posts
59 months
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Blue62 said: Fittster said: From a customers point of view what would actually change?
I didn't think the franchise has that much flexibility regarding fairs, I don't see why they would offer a less frequent service.
If they only change is to remove a small shop from each train, it doesn't seem a big deal.. From personal experience of the East coast line and also into Bristol, I do not rate First Group at all, their service is poor and they really strike me as a business that is fixated on short term profit at the expense of service. If they are going to rebate the Govt to the level they are promising, I can see hikes in fares, car park charges and reduced service levels. No fan in particular of Virgin, but I always opted to go Brum - Euston even though Derby - St Pancras was easier, simply to avoid First Group and their terrible service. I don't see this as good news, was there any consultation with commuters? I don't think the Midland mainline has ever been operated by First Group. Since I can remember anyway.
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Blue62
1,391 posts
21 months
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nickdrinkwater said: I don't think the Midland mainline has ever been operated by First Group. Since I can remember anyway. Not Midland Line, I'm talking the Bristol Line, pretty sure that last time I used it FG were running it (badly). Is anyone else shocked to see that despite paying out £340m to shareholders last year, Stagecoach received a £68m bailout from the tax payer for the shortfall in forecast/revenue for its third SW trains franchise?
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DJRC
19,819 posts
105 months
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Jinx said: OK service - terrible prices - Euston to Liverpool return and Euston to Coventry cost me an arm and a leg. Cheaper if you book many weeks in advance but that's not always possible. It should not be cheaper for two people to rent a car plus fuel than to travel by train. Standard return Euston to Cov is £40.
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Podie
38,370 posts
144 months
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DJRC said: Jinx said: OK service - terrible prices - Euston to Liverpool return and Euston to Coventry cost me an arm and a leg. Cheaper if you book many weeks in advance but that's not always possible. It should not be cheaper for two people to rent a car plus fuel than to travel by train. Standard return Euston to Cov is £40. Isn't Coventry a London Midland station?
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tonker
43,748 posts
117 months
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I had cause to get the train to MCR the other week - standard class. leave to get to MCR for an 1100 meeting and open return - £328.
It CAN'T get more expensive than that....
to be fair, the service has improved a lot, the trains are a bit cramped, but newish, the staff were all pleasant and it was on time. It was a pleasant journey (as the train was hardly a quarter full, and at those prices, who is surprised), but I wouldn't have paid that myself.....
First are poor - but at least it's not Stagecoach - who bumrape us all with their sharp practices at SWT.
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c7xlg
342 posts
101 months
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I think everyone is being a little hard on First Group as such.
From my understanding the rail franchises just transfer from one company to another lock-stock and smoking engine. So when the franchise moves over it will be the same trains, on the same track with the same staff operating. The short term franchise system leaves little room for any return on investments made by the operators. (win the franchise, 6 months to figure out what needs fixing, 12-24 months to 'fix it', leaving only 4-5 years to make back all your investment in the savings offered AND a profit before potentially losing the francise).
Remember First Group run pretty much all the trains in Scotland, lots of the UK buses, most of the yellow school buses in american, Greyhound and quite a lot of police cars, fire engines etc etc. They might possibly know as much, if not more about how to run a good transport service than a branding company who are just as interested in soft drinks, broadband and planes as they are in trains....
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toppstuff
8,323 posts
116 months
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c7xlg said: I think everyone is being a little hard on First Group as such. Not being hard enough on them as far as I am concerned. Now, of course, they own a lot of businesses. It may be that they run a perfectly decent Scottish bus service. The railway company they have run connecting London to the West of England is something that has been a part of my life for more many years. As far as that business is concerned, they deserve all the criticism they get and more. Which is why it is so surprising that they get awarded with another rail service to cynically run , abuse their monopoly, only to probably give it up early in a few years time having milked as much as they can out of it.
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tonker
43,748 posts
117 months
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c7xlg said: Remember First Group run pretty much all the trains in Scotland, lots of the UK buses, most of the yellow school buses in american, Greyhound and quite a lot of police cars, fire engines etc etc. They might possibly know as much, if not more about how to run a good transport service than a branding company who are just as interested in soft drinks, broadband and planes as they are in trains.... Maybe they know more about dividends to shareholders and cash to directors than they do about running a service. Their reputation for overcrowding on FGW commuter routes is nothing to do with running a good service, it's all about how much they can get away with not putting on more stock. Oh, and they are going to have to get a new livery - that awful blue/purple and pink looks appalling if it's anything other than freshly applied - it ages very badly....
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fido
9,382 posts
124 months
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^They are the Group4 of the train world!
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