Virgin Trains lose West Coast Franchise

[air_head]

I actually work for Virgin Trains at Stoke on Trent station, so as someone who's pretty much at the centre of all of this I have to say it's pretty unnerving! We're not sure what's going to happen, and we know only as much as you guys! We only found ourselves on Wednesday and as yet we've had no further information.

In case anyone was unsure (and I've not had time to read back through the thread), everything that Virgin currently owns will simply be handed over to First when the new franchise starts on the 9th December. So all staff, trains, stations and property are all handed over to First. So for those worrying that Pendolinos will be replaced with HST's, don't! They're going nowehre. Infact, the Pendolinos are owned by a seperate company all together and are leased to the West Coast.

As for jobs and staff, well nobody knows yet, and won't know until First outline their strategy. They've said they are comitted to 'enhancing the customer facing experience' but of course cuts will need to be made to enhance profit - of which they are promising big payments to the government. All of us will transfer to First, but it's then up to them to alter the company.

All in all, I'm sad to see Virgin go. I've only worked here for 2 years, but I have fond memories of Virgin from way back when I was 12. I think they're a fantastic company to work for, and a lot of us at the moment feel very anxious about what will happen, so spare a thought for us all!

There are all sorts of petitions and Facebook groups floating around about reinstating Virgin. But we're not gone yet! It's business as usual until the 9th December. And once we change over, remember the staff and trains are the same.

 

[MattyH]

I have signed that e-petition, a pendilino won't look right in first colours, keep them in virgin colours and remove the logo's if they end up with the franchise. as a rail enthusiast, virgin are the best TOC i have experienced, always on time, and friendly and helpful.

Not like First control that fare is it?

You're absolutely right now I think about it, apologies for that little error. But the bus service First provide in Sheffield is very good all-round - I never have to wait more than two minutes (literally) for a bus going up Eccy Road during the day. They're very frequent, like the trams in Strasbourg.

Virgin have starrted a petition!

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/37180

Maybe I've missed something, but I can't see anywhere that Virgin, or anyone working for Virgin, has started that petition? Looks like just a random member of the public. As I said, I might have missed something.

Look on the virgin trains homepage!

It says independant e-petition....

 

[Sam]

I have signed that e-petition, a pendilino won't look right in first colours, keep them in virgin colours and remove the logo's if they end up with the franchise.

Some hard-hitting objections there from hobohippie95. I hope the government take into account such serious considerations as the aesthetics of the paint job when they consider who to award multi-million pound public service contracts...

 

[MattyH]

I have signed that e-petition, a pendilino won't look right in first colours, keep them in virgin colours and remove the logo's if they end up with the franchise.

Some hard-hitting objections there from hobohippie95. I hope the government take into account such serious considerations as the aesthetics of the paint job when they consider who to award multi-million pound public service contracts...

i have my concerns, besides, first operate services here in lowestoft, there generally late, drivers seem to always be angry, the buses aren't clean at all, so now let's put this on to the trains shall we dirty trains, angry staff and lots of late running. oh well maybe they'll swap the bus services in suffolk and norfolk for the wcml?

 

[Ted]

I have signed that e-petition, a pendilino won't look right in first colours, keep them in virgin colours and remove the logo's if they end up with the franchise. as a rail enthusiast, virgin are the best TOC i have experienced, always on time, and friendly and helpful.

I'm sorry, but it sounds like you're saying the Pendos are only good if they're in Virgin Livery? How a train runs doesn't matter on what is the colour, as long as its TOC is good. Virgin could have the train paintless and it still would run very well! I should also add that First's liveries (Whether it's Great Western, Transpennie or Capital Connect) Look very nice and Presentable.

 

[Danny]

I wouldn't care even if the Pendos were painted to look like a turd fresh from the bog. At the end of the day, it's the service that the operator provides [which Virgin do brilliantly], not the exterior looks of the train.

 

[blackholes crow]

Ive got to give it to first there the ones with a railway background. where as branson's group there from a shopping background.'As he started with a shop'.so im glad that first won.
''lets keep the railways to railway folk who know what to do and the shop keepers to sell bread''

thats what i got told by someone that works for first.

i found that funny

 

[air_head]

Ive got to give it to first there the ones with a railway background. where as branson's group there from a shopping background.'As he started with a shop'.so im glad that first won.
''lets keep the railways to railway folk who know what to do and the shop keepers to sell bread''

thats what i got told by someone that works for first.

i found that funny

Virgin have controlled the West Coast Mainline since 1997. Prior to this, it was British Rail. So to say that 'First are the ones with a railway background' is a bit of a joke. Virgin have been in railways just as long as First, if not longer.

 

[Adam]

Ive got to give it to first there the ones with a railway background. where as branson's group there from a shopping background.'As he started with a shop'.so im glad that first won.
''lets keep the railways to railway folk who know what to do and the shop keepers to sell bread''

thats what i got told by someone that works for first.

i found that funny

Virgin have controlled the West Coast Mainline since 1997. Prior to this, it was British Rail. So to say that 'First are the ones with a railway background' is a bit of a joke. Virgin have been in railways just as long as First, if not longer.

Not to mention that First started out as a bus company anyway.

 

[alee298]

This is a shame every holiday since I was 5 I travelled on a pendolino to visit my nan in birmingham, while we were waiting we always looked for the names on the side of the trains that were on the opposite platform, I even have a first class head rest thing somewhere in my bedroom from a pendolino.

 

[Sam]

Clearly the contract should have been awarded by the judges of the Turner Prize rather than the British government.

 

[Islander]

I've never travelled on a Virgin West Coast train, so can't really comment on how good/bad they are as a TOC. However, I've watched Virgin loose another franchise, and it really wasn't the end of the world.

I used to travel on Virgin CrossCountry trains fairly regularly, and thought they were great. Lovely, clean, comfortable, modern Voyager trains, friendly staff, and a reliable, punctual service. The only negative was that it was a fairly infrequent service.

In 2007, the franchise was passed to Arriva, and to be honest only two things visibly changed for me: firstly, the livery was of course changed (it improved tbh, but really, who cares?), and the shops (which, like any other on-train shop, sold horribly over-priced food of mediocre quality) were removed. Virgin clearly did a great job with the franchise whilst they had it, but Arriva haven't exactly gone and screwed it up.

Having said that, it does have to be said that First are terrible (First Great Western is a complete joke of a TOC, with horrendous overcrowding, poor punctuality, abysmal customer service), and if anyone can screw up the West Coast Mainline it's them. However, whilst Arriva aren't exactly angelic themselves - their Guildford bus service, for example, is by far and away the worst I've ever had the misfortune of having to use - they did OK.

 

[MattyH]

That's because when it comes to running trains the owners of arriva know what there doing, when running buses they know less, would be interesting to see arriva get the wcml instead though

 

[Islander]

You're right about Arriva's owners being more clued up about train operating (though from my own experience, DB's credentials are overrated). However, most people seem to be arguing about Virgin loosing the franchise, rather than First gaining it.

I'm not overly convinced that people would be less aggrieved if it had been Arriva who'd won the franchise.

 

[DiogoJ42]

We need SNCF to take over ALL UK trains.
A guy can dream

 

[Ted]

We need SNCF to take over ALL UK trains.
A guy can dream

They actually tried to bid to get the West Coast Franchise. Why they didn't get and First did is beyond me.

 

[Sam]

Can we use acronyms a little less? I mean, whichever TOC take over the WCML, I'm sure they'll still use the HSTs, even if it's the current TOC of the FGW, they have to be better than DB or SNCF right?

 

[Ted]

Can we use acronyms a little less? I mean, whichever TOC take over the WCML, I'm sure they'll still use the HSTs, even if it's the current TOC of the FGW, they have to be better than DB or SNCF right?

I'm not a train nerd, But I know all of those acronyms So yeah, I am sort of one

 

[DiogoJ42]

I think Sam's brain has had a SPAD.

 

[MattyH]

Can we use acronyms a little less? I mean, whichever TOC take over the WCML, I'm sure they'll still use the HSTs, even if it's the current TOC of the FGW, they have to be better than DB or SNCF right?

No, because the HST's are currently used on Non Electrified Routes on the ECML, Voyagers are used on the WCML and if the Bi-Mode voyager is a success, then there would be no point in using HST's When the TOC's have trains on lease from the TLC's, so even if the TOC's change in theory, the newer stuff would stay.