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Post by melikepie on Jun 27, 2014 10:05:22 GMT
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Post by snoggle on Jun 27, 2014 12:52:57 GMT
It's worth linking to National Express's own Press Release which gives a decent amount of detail of the range of improvements to be delivered in the new franchise. - 17 new trains - extra off peak services - part of the weekend service diverted via Stratford - wifi in trains and stations - automatic compensation for delays for smartcard holders. - £5m upgrade of Barking station - all stations to be made accessible. - "Metro" style peak service with all stops Upminster to Fenchurch St being served at a x3 min headway. The one thing that's silent is what level of fares increase is permitted under the franchise given the not inconsiderable premium payments to the Government plus investment in the franchise. The BBC News did a "vox pop" with commuters - all of them seemed pleased with the line and glad C2C had kept the franchise. That's possibly a first for a commuter TOC. Virgin received adulation when they kept their franchise. |
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Post by domh245 on Jun 27, 2014 14:48:37 GMT
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it is one of 3 franchises that has remained in the same hands since privatisation, along with virgin (west coast) and south west trains, although osnt swt now a mix of stagecoach and network rail?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2014 16:44:45 GMT
All the money in the world could not make Barking better  |
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Post by Chris W on Jun 27, 2014 19:50:57 GMT
All the money in the world could not make Barking better I can sort of understand where you're coming from... but remember that you're talking about a grade II listed station/building there... en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barking_stationI wrote about it as part of my dissertation at Uni... As for C2C, I think they deserve it... as they've turned the National Rail 'misery line' into something far more positive... |
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Post by snoggle on Jun 27, 2014 20:15:30 GMT
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it is one of 3 franchises that has remained in the same hands since privatisation, along with virgin (west coast) and south west trains, although osnt swt now a mix of stagecoach and network rail? I think you're right that franchise ownership has remained in the same hands at SWT (again won fair and square) and Virgin (extended and extended as a result of circumstances including collapse of the franchise retendering process). LTS was originally let to Prism Rail (a consortium with involvement from Blazefield Buses) who then sold out later to National Express. Prism also ran WAGN and Valley Lines / Wales and West IIRC. Great Western is close to having remained with the same people but was originally a management buy out with a minority First Group shareholding. First later bought out the other shareholders. First have clung on at Great Western through franchise surrender, winning it again and then facing the prospect of a negotiated five year extension (depends on current consultation process and DfT decision). The Great Western Holdings company who originally won the franchise also won the North West franchise (again with First Group minority shareholding). SWT and Network Rail are working together under an Alliance at SWT. Stagecoach are still the franchise owner. The scope of the SWT franchise has morphed to include Island Line. Great Western incorporated Thames Trains plus bits and bobs in the South West when "Wales and West" was wound up. I think C2C has remainined unchanged in terms of scope but there's not really anywhere for it to expand to! |
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Post by norbitonflyer on Jun 27, 2014 22:22:17 GMT
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it is one of 3 franchises that has remained in the same hands since privatisation, along with virgin (west coast) and south west trains, although osnt swt now a mix of stagecoach and network rail? The Essex Thameside, SWT, and Great Western Inter City franchises were the first three to be awarded, and all three are still in the same hands as in 1996. However, the initial award of the Essex franchise was to a management buyout Enterprise Rail, who turned out shortly before vesting day to have showed rather too much enterprise in selling Travelcards at Barking that had been issued at Fenchurch Street (which gave them a greater share of the revenue, and TfL less). They were therefore barred from having the franchise before it started, and when it was re-tendered it was given to Prism rail, which is now part of Nat Ex, and it is they who still run it. First still operate the Great Western franchise, although it now includes the former Thames Trains franchise and the English part of the old Wales & Wessex one. They had the honour of running the first privatised service - a replacement bus service for the Fishguard boat train. Stagecoach still run SWT (and have a stake in Virgin). Network Rail does not own part of the franchise - on the contrary, Stagecoach has a stake in that part of the network (and owns the infrastructure on the Isle of Wight, which they have also operated from the beginning). they had the distinction of running the first privatised actual train service - a Kingston "roundabout" service. |
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Post by metrailway on Jun 27, 2014 22:41:01 GMT
Don't forget Chiltern Railways! Initially a management buyout, now owned by DB.
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Post by sawb on Jun 28, 2014 20:36:49 GMT
So glad this has happened. Just hope Natioanl Express have learnt lessons from the East Coast fiasco. We need a reliable railway in south Essex, because the alternative certainly isn't!
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Post by brigham on Jun 29, 2014 8:55:47 GMT
All the money in the world could not make Barking better It has rightly been preserved, as a reminder to revisionists and pink-spectacle wearers of what BR was really about! |
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Post by superteacher on Jun 29, 2014 9:52:29 GMT
I like Barking station. Takes me back to my younger days!
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Post by crusty54 on Jun 29, 2014 10:31:20 GMT
Obviously they will be installing lifts to provide step free access.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2014 11:33:43 GMT
There used to be a lift not sure if it still there from the concourse to plat 1&2 but a member of staff had to operate it and with the ramps at the other end of the platforms it did or does still have step free access
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2014 13:58:09 GMT
The lift is now a passenger operated lift.
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