First loses bid to dutch company to operate "Scotrail"

[SFTPhotography]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29531099

What are your thoughts. I'd have rather seen Virgin get it, their west coast route and service is a triumph

 

[Earley Man]

Since retiring three years ago I no longer use the services of First Great Western on the Reading to London route o a regular basis, but when I did they were know as Last Great Western. Their answer to the demand that they provide more seating on their Inter City trains to Bristol, South Wales and the West Country, which everyone thought would mean more coaches and/or trains, was to remove most of the tables and use a seat pitch so tight that it would make O'Leary of Ryanair proud.

I think the real reason that the Scots are so anti is that First Group is a Scottish company, so the fact that the franchise has gone to a Dutch one has caused the usual xenophobic reaction.

 

[cambsno]

Both are shi@e. Used first for over 2 years commute to London. Not enough peak trains by a long way, too many delays and poor communication. Mind u, I think abelio run the cambridge to Liverpool St line which I used a few times a month, even worse. Loads of delays and awful trains.

 

[SFTPhotography]

The rolling stock up here is good and most of our trains are in time and bar the Glasgow Edinburgh route bad peak times aren't over crowded.

I agree re the xenophobic stuff but I found them fine.

 

[eeyore]

Abellio are part of northen fail rail franchise... Possably the worst. train. service. ever!

 

[SFTPhotography]

Abellio are part of northen fail rail franchise... Possably the worst. train. service. ever!

I have travelled with them, they use very old rolling stock which should be scrapped years ago. Their newest train is a class 158

 

[onomatopoeia]

I have travelled with them, they use very old rolling stock which should be scrapped years ago. Their newest train is a class 158

I expect they'd be popular if they started using Class 55s though, if any of them have mainline certification at the moment.

 

[POAH]

The rolling stock up here is good and most of our trains are in time and bar the Glasgow Edinburgh route bad peak times aren't over crowded.

.

all trains are crowed at peak times. had to get the train at 8am the other day and it was horrific. should put on 4 carriages then people wouldn't be lined up the entire length of the train. recipe for disaster if there was an accident.

personally I don't care who runs it so long as they do a good job. costs a bloody bomb too £7.30 in rush hour to get from my house to the west end via train and underground.

 

[SFTPhotography]

all trains are crowed at peak times. had to get the train at 8am the other day and it was horrific. should put on 4 carriages then people wouldn't be lined up the entire length of the train. recipe for disaster if there was an accident.

personally I don't care who runs it so long as they do a good job. costs a bloody bomb too £7.30 in rush hour to get from my house to the west end via train and underground.

Is that a return fare? If so that's cheap compared to driving. I'd have liked virgin to have got it and pendilino trains to appear on the main routes. They are great.

 

[SFTPhotography]

Is that a return fare? If so that's cheap compared to driving. I'd have liked virgin to have got it and pendilino trains to appear on the main routes. They are great.

View attachment 22301

Taken on a virgin train

 

[SarahLee]

Since retiring three years ago I no longer use the services of First Great Western on the Reading to London route o a regular basis, but when I did they were know as Last Great Western. Their answer to the demand that they provide more seating on their Inter City trains to Bristol, South Wales and the West Country, which everyone thought would mean more coaches and/or trains, was to remove most of the tables and use a seat pitch so tight that it would make O'Leary of Ryanair proud.

I have the "pleasure" of that route once or twice a month from Cardiff to London - and not much has changed since you retired
Absolutely awful and to add insult to injury, near enough £200 for a return journey*

*OK I don't pay it personally, but it still pains me to know they can charge that much when I regularly see passengers sat on the floor in the walkways and the lobby areas for a two hour journey - not to mention the late running and fairly frequent breakdowns.

 

[POAH]

Is that a return fare? If so that's cheap compared to driving. I'd have liked virgin to have got it and pendilino trains to appear on the main routes. They are great.

return fare and its cheaper for me to drive

 

[SFTPhotography]

return fare and its cheaper for me to drive

Drive then.Buy a monthly, weekly ticket, they can work out cost effective.

I have the "pleasure" of that route once or twice a month from Cardiff to London - and not much has changed since you retired
Absolutely awful and to add insult to injury, near enough £200 for a return journey*

*OK I don't pay it personally, but it still pains me to know they can charge that much when I regularly see passengers sat on the floor in the walkways and the lobby areas for a two hour journey - not to mention the late running and fairly frequent breakdowns.

I think they operate fairly old HST class 125 trains on that route, which given their age and the proper new Pendilino trains we get Glasgow to Euston is a really shame. You might get the odd cross country service but they only run 5 car Voyagers, which will get filled quickly.

I find long distance train travel is very cheap, if you book on the trainline in advance by six weeks and you arrange the trains, no opens returns etc.

 

[POAH]

Drive then.Buy a monthly, weekly ticket, they can work out cost etc.

can't drive as wife takes car and I don't go to uni that much at the moment so a zone card would cost more. if it's dry I would cycle as it's quicker and obviously cheaper than public transport

 

[SarahLee]

I think they operate fairly old HST class 125 trains on that route, which given their age and the proper new Pendilino trains we get Glasgow to Euston is a really shame. You might get the odd cross country service but they only run 5 car Voyagers, which will get filled quickly.

I find long distance train travel is very cheap, if you book on the trainline in advance by six weeks and you arrange the trains, no opens returns etc.

All our work bookings are through trainline, but TBH I've never really looked at booking that far in advance. I only tend to know what day I'll be travelling for a meeting the week before which doesn't help.
At any price though, the state of that service is disgusting especially compared to what the rest of you lucky buggers get

 

[LongLensPhotography]

All I know is that First Great in the South West is a complete disgrace. They still operate trains where the doors can only be opened by hand from outside and a lovely fare for this authentic historic experience! Lovely. Only their bankruptcy will make me happier.

 

[Earley Man]

Drive then.Buy a monthly, weekly ticket, they can work out cost effective.


I think they operate fairly old HST class 125 trains on that route, which given their age and the proper new Pendilino trains we get Glasgow to Euston is a really shame. You might get the odd cross country service but they only run 5 car Voyagers, which will get filled quickly.

I find long distance train travel is very cheap, if you book on the trainline in advance by six weeks and you arrange the trains, no opens returns etc.

Ah, the Voyagers! One of the few trains which are actually worse than FGW HST's. Again before I retired, I used these to travel from Reading to Manchester and back about 3 or 4 times a year, probably the most uncomfortable, noisy, and totally inadequate at 5 coaches long, long distance trains anywhere in Europe, let alone the UK.

However it appears that it may not be wholly the fault of the Train Operating Companies, in fact far from it. Since my first reply I have talked to a friend of mine who's hobby is railways, not on the number collecting level, but in their operation etc. He has told me that far from the private system we think we have in the UK, it is very much micro managed by the Department of Transport, who dictate what trains are run at what times, what stops are to be made, what stock can be used and when it can be replaced. Also they set the minimum price to be paid for the franchises, which has a direct bearing on the prices changed by the operating companies. To ensure that their involvement is kept hidden so that the train operators get the blame, they employ a large number of highly paid PR people who's job it is to spread misinformation about the true situation. Before anyone claims that he is a rabid right winger, he isn't, just someone who like the truth.

 

[SFTPhotography]

Ah, the Voyagers! One of the few trains which are actually worse than FGW HST's. Again before I retired, I used these to travel from Reading to Manchester and back about 3 or 4 times a year, probably the most uncomfortable, noisy, and totally inadequate at 5 coaches long, long distance trains anywhere in Europe, let alone the UK.

However it appears that it may not be wholly the fault of the Train Operating Companies, in fact far from it. Since my first reply I have talked to a friend of mine who's hobby is railways, not on the number collecting level, but in their operation etc. He has told me that far from the private system we think we have in the UK, it is very much micro managed by the Department of Transport, who dictate what trains are run at what times, what stops are to be made, what stock can be used and when it can be replaced. Also they set the minimum price to be paid for the franchises, which has a direct bearing on the prices changed by the operating companies. To ensure that their involvement is kept hidden so that the train operators get the blame, they employ a large number of highly paid PR people who's job it is to spread misinformation about the true situation. Before anyone claims that he is a rabid right winger, he isn't, just someone who like the truth.

I agree. If the railways were fully privatised the way they should be the government would have zero input into who gets which contract and have no say in their running at all.

Voyagers can be doubled up to ten coaches. Some I've been on are noisy others are quiet. Comforts fine and a better ride than the HST class

 

[purpleclouds]

I have travelled with them, they use very old rolling stock which should be scrapped years ago. Their newest train is a class 158

Not quite true, they run class 323's from the early 90s. The class 142s have a certain romance about them..

 

[SFTPhotography]

Not quite true, they run class 323's from the early 90s. The class 142s have a certain romance about them..

Hard seats and being bumped around. I'll keep an eye out for a 323 for sure.

 

[Ian D J]

I wonder if Scottish motive power is going to end up looking like this . . .

 

[dejongj]

I wonder if Scottish motive power is going to end up looking like this . . .

I used to love those, the coffee shop is right next to the darkroom (and not the photography kind ) onboard. Now those were the days of train travel. I might have to move up to Scotland to relive my youth...