Scotrail Award

[winston]

Abellio is tomorrow expected to be awarded the new Scotrail Franchise, yet another set-back for First Group which also releases a half year trading update tomorrow.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/first-group-loses-scotrail-franchise-to-dutch-firm.1412715902

[Bob]

I thought Scotland were taking the rail back into public hands.  So typical of this scum tory govt get as many franchises re awarded before may

[Tony]

I thought Scotland were taking the rail back into public hands.  So typical of this scum tory govt get as many franchises re awarded before may

Except that Scotrail is awarded by the Scottish parliament which if I remember right is controlled by a left leaning SNP

[winston]

NX actually bid the highest price, but lost it after Abellio offered to deliver the greatest service improvements for passengers

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/11148264/Why-has-FirstGroup-hit-the-buffers-yet-again.html

[D10]

I thought Scotland were taking the rail back into public hands.  So typical of this scum tory govt get as many franchises re awarded before may

it is going back into Public hands Bob, the Dutch Public that is!  ???

[Bob]

Disgusting

[mikestone]

They have won it on the basis of HSTs for inter-city services, presumably ex fGW.

[the trainbasher]

I was hoping nx would have won it, but there again that's the way the cookie crumbles!!

[winston]

I was hoping nx would have won it, but there again that's the way the cookie crumbles!!

And me, it would have given their UK Rail division a much needed boost and potentially would of allowed them to repay their debt quicker due to increased cash flows

[Bob]

The railways should be all under one entity under public ownership.  As opposed to the crap fragmented s##t system we have now. 

[Bob]

I notice ed miliband has gone quiet on the issue.  Socialist. ...yea right. ...

[andy]

I notice ed miliband has gone quiet on the issue.  Socialist. ...yea right. ...

The Labour Party will never nationalise the railaways. They have too many vested interests now, the privatised rail companies are busy lobbying senior Labour poilticians behind the scenes and many former Special Advisers to Labour ministers from the last government now work in senior roles for the rail companies.

Milipede could have got considerable public opinion and electoral stock had he immediately committed to nationalising rail at about the time of the FirstGroup West Coast debacle.

Don't forget that it was the Labour party that delivered the botched franchising system that is now lying in tatters.

This coupled with the policies of the Lib Dems and the Tories basicaly means we are stuck with this for the foreseeable.

[Bob]

Dreadful!  Privatisation in any form hasnt been good. Its taken the integration out of transport and in many areas bus wise has not led to competition just private monopolies. Mrs Thatcher was like the bloody antichrist

[gc802002]

I was hoping nx would have won it, but there again that's the way the cookie crumbles!!

And me, it would have given their UK Rail division a much needed boost and potentially would of allowed them to repay their debt quicker due to increased cash flows

as someone who experienced scotrail under nx previously , i for one am very glad they didnt get it!! - First are better than NX Scotrail were.

[Tony]

I was hoping nx would have won it, but there again that's the way the cookie crumbles!!

And me, it would have given their UK Rail division a much needed boost and potentially would of allowed them to repay their debt quicker due to increased cash flows

as someone who experienced scotrail under nx previously , i for one am very glad they didnt get it!! - First are better than NX Scotrail were.

NX actually had quite a good reputation for Scotrail, as have First, but Abellio are an unknown, and on some of the railway Forum a lot of People in East Anglia who said they were glad to get rid of NX are now slagging Abellio off even worse.

Even the much derised NX Central Trains had some good points, the Snow Hill lines had a few weeks of 100% arrivals within 5 minutes which I don't know of anywhere other than NX controlled C2C achieving since!

As for the jokers LM yesterday the 05:24 Shrewsbury to Rugeley was cancelled from Birmingham to Rugeley due to 'staffing issues' meaning the 07:41 Rugeley to Birmingham (4car) was also cancelled. The next train 30 minutes later is a two car and trying to fit 6 carriage loads of passengers into 2 carriages didn't work and well over 100 people were left on the platforms.

Today the 06:39 Rugeley Birmingham was short formed with the class 153 missing meaning it a very cosy journey.

Guess what fun they are going to impose tomorrow!