Virgin lose West Coast franchise to First Group
Discussion
Otispunkmeyer said:
All I know is I paid 17 euro for a trip from Berlin to the beaches in the north. That's about 15 quid and it was on the day 20 min before the train departed. Not sure if Duetsche Bahnhof is subsidised but that was excellent value. Clean comfortable train, on time to the second.
We pay too much for our trains. Full stop.
Bristol to Leeds - two weeks in advance. £100 each way. EACH WAY! Not to mention cab required at each end. I can drive that in my 530i for a 3rd of the price. The system is broken. The train should be cheaper than the petrol cost for a lone traveller in a car imo. Car should only be cheaper when one or more share.We pay too much for our trains. Full stop.
Am thinking of driving up with work on general principle now with two colleagues. Total cost to project £70. If we go on train - total cost to project £700. Not that I give a s
t but its the principle, you know?maniac886 said:
Another u turn? fking useless govt!Don't hold your breath!
If the government is doing anything other than playing a short press/political game they can look forward to similar legal action from First Group who will appear to have a claim for "lost profit" if the contract, which had been won, is pulled away from them after the event.
After all, you don't announce the "winner" unless there has been a winner.
If the government is doing anything other than playing a short press/political game they can look forward to similar legal action from First Group who will appear to have a claim for "lost profit" if the contract, which had been won, is pulled away from them after the event.
After all, you don't announce the "winner" unless there has been a winner.
Ozzie Osmond said:
Don't hold your breath!
If the government is doing anything other than playing a short press/political game they can look forward to similar legal action from First Group who will appear to have a claim for "lost profit" if the contract, which had been won, is pulled away from them after the event.
After all, you don't announce the "winner" unless there has been a winner.
Not quite so. The rules of the game provided for the award to the "winner" to be put on hold in the event of legal action. Virgin have played by the rules of the game.If the government is doing anything other than playing a short press/political game they can look forward to similar legal action from First Group who will appear to have a claim for "lost profit" if the contract, which had been won, is pulled away from them after the event.
After all, you don't announce the "winner" unless there has been a winner.
skwdenyer said:
Not quite so. The rules of the game provided for the award to the "winner" to be put on hold in the event of legal action. Virgin have played by the rules of the game.
Signing after a judicial review is applied for looks bad - and if the contract does have to be torn up, I bet the government would be on the hook for a surprisingly large bill from First.Otispunkmeyer said:
All I know is I paid 17 euro for a trip from Berlin to the beaches in the north. That's about 15 quid and it was on the day 20 min before the train departed. Not sure if Duetsche Bahnhof is subsidised but that was excellent value. Clean comfortable train, on time to the second.
We pay too much for our trains. Full stop.
DB already own a sizeable chunk of the Uk rail companies EWS (freight company)Chiltern,and the Arriva group so thats Arriva Trains Wales plus Cross country trains.First Group had an ex director on the inside at the DfT for several years(DR Mike Mitchell),worked as a consultant on franchising.First group were asked to hand the keys to Great Western back to save millions in extra payouts from the DfT.We pay too much for our trains. Full stop.
Branson has stamped his foot every time he's wanted something,£28m in compensation for the WC overun by NR,extra coaches for the Pendo's at least 2 franchise extensions and from the inside a manager for every 5 staff.WC short journey customers will loose some cheap tickets(i.e Macclesfield Manchester Virgin only)but my bet is another operator will come up with some deals.My bet is First group were given the WC to sort the unions out as much as anything else,break one strong hold .Mcnultty missed the elephant in the room re cost though,it's leasing, energy,and track access which are the big ticket items.NR charge more track access for lecky trains because of the extra infasructure costs they have.
Non of the european rail networks will reveal the true costs of their high speed networks because the euro network of TGV ICE etc has been driven through by the EU(and HS2).
Decision to award this to First Group has now been cancelled and will be re-run
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19809717
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19809717
Edited by jsc15 on Wednesday 3rd October 00:34
Nope, DfT have the scoring up(via their finacial calculations)-nothing to do with the bidders. All bids including Essex Thamside, Thameslink and GW have been suspended. People in the DfT have been suspended. All bidders on WC will be reconpensed (c.£50m in total). Unbelievable incompetence.
the scoring up(via their finacial calculations)-nothing to do with the bidders. All bids including Essex Thamside, Thameslink and GW have been suspended. People in the DfT have been suspended. All bidders on WC will be reconpensed (c.£50m in total). Unbelievable incompetence.Heads must roll, Virgin were prepared to go to court and still all the goverment do is defend their decision
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/sep/03/ric... they didn't even check the maths again. you couldn't make it up.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/sep/03/ric... they didn't even check the maths again. you couldn't make it up.
nc107 said:
Nope, DfT have the scoring up(via their finacial calculations)-nothing to do with the bidders. All bids including Essex Thamside, Thameslink and GW have been suspended. People in the DfT have been suspended. All bidders on WC will be reconpensed (c.£50m in total). Unbelievable incompetence.
No the scoring up(via their finacial calculations)-nothing to do with the bidders. All bids including Essex Thamside, Thameslink and GW have been suspended. People in the DfT have been suspended. All bidders on WC will be reconpensed (c.£50m in total). Unbelievable incompetence.its perfectly expected incompetence
Nothing unbelievable of any sort
If they had properly done everything as per the book and there had been nothing underhanded and no bribes then that would be unbelievable
thinfourth2 said:
No
its perfectly expected incompetence
Nothing unbelievable of any sort
If they had properly done everything as per the book and there had been nothing underhanded and no bribes then that would be unbelievable
Are they also being taken to court over the 4g contracts as well?its perfectly expected incompetence
Nothing unbelievable of any sort
If they had properly done everything as per the book and there had been nothing underhanded and no bribes then that would be unbelievable
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