GWR - Back to the future - literally!

This from a Mr Antony Furlong...

I was delighted to receive this email from the GWR marketing team.

Evidently those IEPs are even faster than Mr Kipling and the DfT would have us believe!

FGW gets extension but DfT omits the important numbers

Good news for First Great Western!

This from the Department for Transport:

Franchising deal to boost services on Great Western Main Line (GWML)
Rail passengers will benefit from improved services, including greater WiFi coverage, on the Great Western network as a result of a new franchise agreement announced today.

Under the agreement the Government has reached with First Greater Western Ltd (FGW), the company will continue running the franchise to operate trains between London Paddington, the Cotswolds, south Wales and the south west.

The new 23 month franchise is a further sign that the Government’s programme is on-track. It will also enable the continued delivery of vital work to upgrade the line in future, including electrification to help deliver faster, more reliable journeys.  

Blah, blah, blah...

But of the actual cash to be paid (whether from First to DfT, or more likely from DfT to First) not a word. 

Obviously nothing embarrassing there then!

Good to see DfT's commitment to transparency.

Glasto' and the railway

Nice video from First Great Western!

In their own words...

Castle Cary is normally one of the quality (sic) stations on the First Great Western network, seeing around 1000 passengers pass through it each day.

But, during Glastonbury Festival week, the station turns into the central hub for revelers traveling to the festival - with passenger numbers increasing by five or six times that number.

This video shows the transformation on day one of the festival this year.


 
Over the course of the festival First Great Western will be providing more than 50 extra trains and 13,000 extra seats to help get customers to Glastonbury, avoiding thousands of additional car journeys to the site.

Good effort - shows the railway doing what it does best; moving large numbers of people, safely.

Great Western franchise - DOR activated

This from The Brothers...

RAIL UNION RMT revealed today that it has been officially notified of a rescue plan to bring in the publicly owned Directly Operated Railways to run the major Great Western franchise between London, Wales and the South West, fuelling speculation that talks on a contract extension with First Group, due to be announced in the next few weeks, are in trouble.

RMT has received the following notification from DOR:

“GW Railway Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Directly Operated Railways, has today submitted applications to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) for a Safety Certificate (Part A and Part B) and Safety Authorisation in respect of undertaking train and station operations on the Great Western Franchise (i.e. the line of route currently operated by First Greater Western), should current negotiations between the Department for Transport and First Group, on a short term extension to the franchise commencing in October 2013, fail to reach a satisfactory conclusion.“

Interesting... 

UPDATE: This from First Group...

Our negotiations with the DfT in respect of an extension to the First Great Western franchise are, contrary to claims by the RMT, progressing well.  Our proposal is not due to be submitted to the DfT until next month.

The step taken by DOR to register a safety certificate is usual practice and reflects the fact that the process to achieve a safety certificate takes sixteen weeks.  This process is expected to take place in respect of all potential single tender agreement awards for franchises.

First Great Western has also registered for a safety certificate in respect of an extension to the franchise.

UPDATE: This delightful non-sequitur from Maria the Eagle..

David Cameron and his Ministers must come clean if they are preparing to take over Great Western rail services. Passengers deserve to know the truth about the future of the rail services on which they depend.
 
The plan to extend existing franchises is collapsing into chaos. This is a direct consequence of the misguided decision by Ministers to prioritise a costly and unnecessary privatisation of rail services on the East Coast ahead of getting the rest of the rail network back on track. 

The Government should accept it has got this wrong and allow East Coast services to continue to be run on a not for private profit basis. It will be a scandal if even more taxpayers’ money is wasted, adding to the £55 million that has already gone down the drain thanks to the franchising fiasco for which David Cameron and his Ministers were responsible.

UPDATE: This from a source close to DOR...

You know of course that DOR went through exactly the same process during the negotiations to extend both the West Coast and Essex Thameside (C2C) franchise?

Still, not like the RMT to let the facts get in the way of a good story...

FCC and FGW to carry on but share price drops

Good news for Tim O'Toole and First Group following today's announcement on the Thameslink and Great Western Franchises.

This from the DfT:

• The Great Western franchise competition will be terminated. The current franchise will now run until October after the Department exercised its contractual right to extend the current contract with First Great Western by 28 weeks. Negotiations for an additional two-year contract will commence with the operator, while longer-term proposals will be set out in the spring. 

• The Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise competition will be resumed with the Department working towards awarding a seven-year contract. The current Thameslink/Great Northern franchise operated by First Capital Connect ends in September but allows for a 28-week extension, which the Department intends to exercise. Negotiations will commence for a further contract of up to two years as part of the finalisation of the wider franchise programme.

Alas on opening trading the markets appear somewhat underwhelmed...

Eye can't imagine why.

First for the new Third Class

This from Rover...

Charging a first class fare for standing or squatting in the vestibule?

Every penny counts!

UPDATE: This from Chionanthus Virginicus...

Presumably where it is necessary to use an external door of a First Class vestibule when joining/alighting at stations with short platforms, a punishable offence has been committed?

Better extend the dwell times then!!

UPDATE: This from Strawbrick...

The no standing in a 1st vestibule with a 2nd Class ticket rule has been in force for at least 57 years. I was 10 years old when I was so told by a Ticket Inspector (sic) when he found me standing in the Corridor (sic again). 

Happily my Mother was able to show him both our first class tickets.

Also, I think you will get short shrift on a flight if you went and stood in Upper/Business/Executive/Club/etc... class with an Economy Ticket ...

I also think something similar applies aboard ships.

The problem is that passengers get upset when they see empty 1st Class seats when Standard Class is full and standing and the train crew do not see fit to exercise the option to declassify the 1st sections. 

They do not do this for a number of reasons:

1. The possibility that passengers may ask for refunds of upgrades; and 
2. That 1st Class passengers might complain vociferously
3. Or more likely, that Control haven't autho!

And yes, I do travel 1st Class because... (err... so do many Eye readers! Ed) And yes, I do ask guards why they have not declassified. 

The answers include "I didn't know I could", I have been told not to" and (best of all) "I would have done, but i could not get through the train to check because it was too full"(!).

One final point, when I started commuting on 310's the 50% uplift in fare was matched by a 50% uplift in space (no knocking of knees) and much more comfortable seats. 

The uplift is still 50% (and some off-peak savings are not available) whilst the extra space has typically shrunk to something like 20% and on the Southern Trains to CLJ the seats appear to be exactly the same.

But of course I take your point on the unnecessary aggression in the notice.
There is no automatic "fine" as the notice would imply, as you have the option of moving or staying but paying for an upgrade.

First for telling it like it is.

This from Ithuriel...

Speaking to analysts following the award of the Intercity West Coast franchise, first Group CEO Tim O'Toole said
 

"The opportunity is ripe because the capacity (on Intercity West Coast) has not been exploited with only a 35% seat occupancy rate and particularly low marketing spend in recent years. That fact, by the way, is understandable since the incumbent has been in revenue support - a condition that discourages any investment to stimulate growth since every pound must generate a return of at least five times."

 
Mr O'Toole knows whereof he speaks.  First Great Western has been in revenue support since April 2008 and First Capital Connect since April 2009.
 

Candour personified.

FGW restores the glass of Christmas cheer

Oh dear!

Last week's roasting by Sir Beardie of DfT franchising policy and Johnny Foreigner railways has resulted in unexpected collatoral damage to the industry's great and good.

Today should have seen the hard working team from Modern Railways wasailing with Virgin as they sped to Crewe to play on simulators followed by an agreeable luncheon.

Alas Virgin received a severe spanky botty from Marsham Street for last week's unguarded words and as a consequence all schmoozing by the red machine's PR department has been unceremoniously caped!

With BeardieRail forced into the role of Scrooge it looked like Christmas had been cancelled for Ian Allan's finest.

Happily a Fairy God Mother appeared in the shape of First Great Western's Mr Hopwood, and as a consequence the Modern Railways team will still be able to dine in style today but heading West.

As the original Great Western was so fond of saying: "See your own country First". Indeed!

Rail Barbie's empire to expand?

This from Virginia Water...

I see in yesterday's Observer that First Group are considering handing back the keys on the Great Western franchise in 2013, rather than 2016.

Given the DfT's already packed reletting agenda, does this raise the prospect of Directly Operated Railways taking on its second InterCity operation?

And why not!

After all Rail Barbie's first franchise has been highly successful in reducing costs, raising performance and improving the timetable. (shurely shome mishtake? Ed)

The future's bright, the future's dull grey and purple...

UPDATE: This from the late Adam Smith...

This is wonderful news.

If First Group elects not to continue with its franchise beyond 2013 this will provide the most marvelous opportunity to test Villier's exciting ideas about residualising investment beyond franchise length.

What with First Group owning 12 power cars and numerous trailers upon which the Great Western franchise is utterly dependent if it is to deliver the DfT specified timetable.

First for exemplary customer service

This from the Pirate of Penzance...

It's been all action on the 12:06 Paddington to Penzance today ...

A gentleman got on at Reading and after having his ticket checked was told that it was not valid.

The man explained to the customer service executive that his connection was late getting into Reading. The CSA then advised him that he'd be getting a fine, and asked for his details and a signature. The man gave his address but refused to sign. A small polite argument followed where a few people nearby got involved, one calling the CSA a jobsworth.

When the train arrived at Exeter, an officer of the BTP came on board carrying instructions to arrest three abusive passengers. When the officer was appraised by other passengers around of the situation, he told the CSA to leave or be reported for wasting police time. The passenger was allowed to continue.

Incidentally, the ticket he was travelling on had been issued free to him by FGW as compensation for a previous two hour delay.

Is there any chance that 'being reasonable' could be included as a module in First Great Western's training programme?

First saves a fortune in uniform costs!

Good news from First Great Western!

Ever conscious of the need for Value for Money procurement the TOC is apparently trialing a new uniform for its Senior Conductors...



Sharp eyed readers will note that the 'mankini' is in the new O'Toole tartan unveiled by Scotrail only last month.

First for stealth opening of stations

Exciting news from First Great Western!

A new station has joined the network - welcome to Penzanze!


Either that or the designer has been on the zider!

First for blowing the bloody doors off

Eye hears that First Group has misplaced no less a person than Michael Caine!

Caine, nee Micklethwaite, was apparently FGW's commercial director.

Not a lot of people know that.

First for ruining the pleasure of rail travel

This from the BBC...

The first on-board TV service for train travellers in the UK has begun.

The service, which passengers have to pay for, has been introduced on some high-speed trains operated by the First Great Western (FGW) rail company

Presumably to ensure picture quality FGW will now dispense with cleaning train windows?

UPDATE: This from @cbuchanancubed, via Twitter...

On train entertainment - First Great Western fail to spot market moved on years ago eg laptops playing DVDs

UPDATE: This from a Mr Saltaire...

As reported on The Eye (and the BBC), I sampled the Volo equipment on a First HST today..... it’s rubbish!

The content is all repeats of old TV shows, and the equipment is in one coach (D) of Standard Class only.

Alas, our elected representatives (but not our brave boys) look set to be spared this indignity.

UPDATE: This from @tonyveitchUK, via Twitter..

GWR always different, eh?

GNER, GC, Amtrak, DB, Virgin, etc must have been barking up wrong tree.

First shows First how to do it

There is no such thing as a bad dog, so the saying goes, merely bad owners.

Whilst FuCC languishes in the mire, its senior managers accused by passengers of being invisible, sister TOC First Great Western shows how to engage with customers.

This from the Bristol Evening Post...

The head of First Great Western is offering free first class tickets as a thank-you to customers for their patience during the bad weather.

Nice.

UPDATE: This from Forbes (not the magazine)...

But they’re only offering free first class tickets to people who use FGW as part of a prize draw.

Not an across-the-board demonstration of largesse, then, and certainly not to all their FGW commuters. (as per the link to the original Evening Post story. Ed)

Still, their PR machine must be doing well!

Maybe FCC realise that doing similar would enrage its 75,000 captive commuters even further.

If that were possible...

Mole shuts gate! Horse bolted.

Extra-ordinary.

The Department meddles in rolling stock specification and allocation (which it clearly isn't competent to do) whilst letting Worst get away with rewriting regulated ticket validity.

This from Politics.co.uk...

First Great Western used a loophole in the current legislation which allows them to change the time restrictions on certain regulated fares but not the prices to effectively increase the price of tickets. They re-named the ‘Off Peak Ticket’ as a ‘Super Off Peak’ ticket – meaning it was the same price but only available on a much more restricted timetable, whilst making some former ‘off peak’ prices 20% higher.

DafT - less meddling please and more focus on the day job.

First for tact

No doubt regular Eye readers will have fond memories of Sir Moir's lovely book.

No matter.

Today is a great occasion!

And one that First's PR and Puffery machine marked with this wonderfully 'icky making nonsense:

Chief Executive of FirstGroup, Sir Moir Lockhead, paid tribute to his wife... as he visited a national photography exhibition that features a portrait of (errr....) himself!


Meanwhile the rest of the industry quietly observed a more solemn anniversary...

First for hitting the passenger where it hurts

The Fact Compiler has been stirred from his deckchair by the following extra-ordinary news.

According to Passenger Focus:

First Great Western (FGW) is set to introduce new restrictions on its cheapest Off-Peak tickets which will mean many passengers travelling into London in the morning and out of London in the afternoon will see their fares rise by 20%.

What can this mean?

Some say First Great Western has joined the ranks of franchise demics like NXEC, London Midland and Arriva Cross Country.

The Fact Compiler, almost replete from his well earned break, has a more charitable view:

Perhaps Mark Hopwood is leveraging these swinging increases as personal favour to First's Chief Executive - Sir Moir of the Lovely Book (pictured below)


No doubt the storage costs for the mountain of remaindered copies has started to make First Group shareholders twitchy...

Isambard Kingdom Bowker!

The Fact Compiler spent an enjoyable morning listening to The Long View on the wireless.

This from the BBC blurb on the programme...

A once-prestigious and highly-profitable enterprise, GWR had over-extended itself and the company faced bankruptcy. As debates rage over the future of the East Coast Main Line, Jonathan and guests compare the action taken to rescue the railways in the 19th century with the challenges faced today.

The guests included Graham Eccles, Robert Wright and Terry Gourvish, some of whom are pictured here at Didcot (with a bowler tip to Robert Wright's flickr page).



For those who missed it have a listen on the BBC's iPlayer.

Alternatively it is repeated tonight on BBC Radio 4 at 21:30.

Wind-up in the Willows #2

Telegrammed by Leo Pink
More brown trouser laundering by Moley.

"The hon. Member for Peterborough asserted that other operators have received revenue support sooner than four years into the franchise.

"It is true that the First Great Western franchise included a provision whereby revenue support became available after two years, but that was an exceptional arrangement."

So DfT never renegotiates franchise - except when DfT got the franchise specification wrong and First Group have us over a barrel in which case it is an 'exceptional arrangement'.