South West Trains
Discussion
I've always found it strange that while our own government wouldn't dream of running rail franchises, nuclear power stations etc they are quite happy for foreign governments to run them for us. If it's profitable for the Hong Kong government to run the south West trains franchise then why couldn't we do the same?
BlackLabel said:
I've always found it strange that while our own government wouldn't dream of running rail franchises, nuclear power stations etc they are quite happy for foreign governments to run them for us. If it's profitable for the Hong Kong government to run the south West trains franchise then why couldn't we do the same?
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML...That's why. For two years, anyway.
I've spent the last 6+ months in Hong Kong working and all I can add to this discussion is that if they manage to achieve 25% of the service that the MTR provides for Hong Kong, it will mean an amazing uplift in UK train operator performance. The Hong Kong MTR is absolutely amazing and also frighteningly cheap.
MIght even get some nice food when going further than Plymouth.
The f
kers used to close the buffet way before to cash up and get off. No thought or care for those going on to Cornwall. Being a royal Dutchy made no difference.
Now perhaps they will offer some chicken ding with a can or two of snow.
The f
kers used to close the buffet way before to cash up and get off. No thought or care for those going on to Cornwall. Being a royal Dutchy made no difference.Now perhaps they will offer some chicken ding with a can or two of snow.
w1bbles said:
I've spent the last 6+ months in Hong Kong working and all I can add to this discussion is that if they manage to achieve 25% of the service that the MTR provides for Hong Kong, it will mean an amazing uplift in UK train operator performance. The Hong Kong MTR is absolutely amazing and also frighteningly cheap.
What are the unions like out there?w1bbles said:
I've spent the last 6+ months in Hong Kong working and all I can add to this discussion is that if they manage to achieve 25% of the service that the MTR provides for Hong Kong, it will mean an amazing uplift in UK train operator performance. The Hong Kong MTR is absolutely amazing and also frighteningly cheap.
Our price will be going nowhere but upwards. Why? Chronic under investment since the 1950/60's and now things have started to break/beyond plaster repairs.
Until we get over the legacy costs then price will remain high.
It's laughable that unless you are going solo and buy super off peak it is always cheaper by a huge margin and vastly more convienient by car MPV etc. In London the chronic congestion is forcing people to use the underground and no parking options it is not. That the service and price is a great offering.
As an example.
Off peak today Return Reading to Brighton is £34.60 per adult. So if we wanted to go to the beach with 5 of us it would be the princly sum of £173. Plus cost in getting from our house to he station in the first place if it's a bus £8 more if it's parking £8.40 + fuel.
To drive it and pay for parking it would be around £20 v £181.
Unbusy said:
MIght even get some nice food when going further than Plymouth.
The fkers used to close the buffet way before to cash up and get off. No thought or care for those going on to Cornwall. Being a royal Dutchy made no difference.
Now perhaps they will offer some chicken ding with a can or two of snow.
Plymouth's served by First Great Western and CrossCountry, not SWT, I'm afraid.The f
kers used to close the buffet way before to cash up and get off. No thought or care for those going on to Cornwall. Being a royal Dutchy made no difference.Now perhaps they will offer some chicken ding with a can or two of snow.
While I'm a bit concerned by FirstGroup's involvement, a couple of points in there (flexible season tickets and Delay Repay for delays over 15 mins) are certainly good news for me.
Ari said:
That it costs a lot for five people to use a train isn't a surprise surely?
For me, Devon in to London in a couple of hours, hop off and straight onto the tube for £100 return, brilliant!
Horses for courses and all that.
But take 4 others alone wife and 3 kids suddenly that hop on and off is bloody pricy. For me, Devon in to London in a couple of hours, hop off and straight onto the tube for £100 return, brilliant!
Horses for courses and all that.
Also you can fly from SW to London City for less than £100 return if you book it right island quicker
I get South West Trains every day and I think they're pretty good. My train (which comes every 15 minutes) is on time or within 1 minute nearly every day.
It all only goes wrong when someone jumps in front of a train and they are forced to wait hours before they can run trains again; or when there's a points or signals failure, which are the responsibility of Network Rail to fix, and NR get to say when trains can run again then too.
Once the timetable has been disrupted by one of those events, it's very very hard for them to get things caught back up, the days of masses of spare trains and spare crews sitting around at either end of the line to replace those that are very late getting to the end point, are long gone. Nobody wants to pay for those spares to sit around waiting for the odd day they're needed.
Trouble is those disruptive events will continue to happen. No matter who runs the service, there will still be massive delays some days, unless Network Rail suddenly manage to make all their stuff 200% more reliable, or they get permission to run trains over the remains of jumpers and clean them up at night.
What I do find lets South West Trains down in these big incident days is their communications with the public. That is probably the one area that the new operator ought to be able to make easy improvements on.
The fast trains that speed through my station from places far down the line, I see that they are often packed. I guess people think that a new operator might suddenly put on more trains, or longer trains. I don't think that will happen either. Problem is they are ultimately handed the trains by the government, all they get to do is put their logo on the side. If you want more or longer or newer trains on your line it's the government that has to agree with you and get on and provide them.
It all only goes wrong when someone jumps in front of a train and they are forced to wait hours before they can run trains again; or when there's a points or signals failure, which are the responsibility of Network Rail to fix, and NR get to say when trains can run again then too.
Once the timetable has been disrupted by one of those events, it's very very hard for them to get things caught back up, the days of masses of spare trains and spare crews sitting around at either end of the line to replace those that are very late getting to the end point, are long gone. Nobody wants to pay for those spares to sit around waiting for the odd day they're needed.
Trouble is those disruptive events will continue to happen. No matter who runs the service, there will still be massive delays some days, unless Network Rail suddenly manage to make all their stuff 200% more reliable, or they get permission to run trains over the remains of jumpers and clean them up at night.
What I do find lets South West Trains down in these big incident days is their communications with the public. That is probably the one area that the new operator ought to be able to make easy improvements on.
The fast trains that speed through my station from places far down the line, I see that they are often packed. I guess people think that a new operator might suddenly put on more trains, or longer trains. I don't think that will happen either. Problem is they are ultimately handed the trains by the government, all they get to do is put their logo on the side. If you want more or longer or newer trains on your line it's the government that has to agree with you and get on and provide them.
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