London Banter - View Single Post

Roland Perry · August 12th 14, 11:17 AM posted to uk.transport.london

In message , at 05:41:49
on Tue, 12 Aug 2014, remarked:
I'm still wondering if "Great Northern" will be a sub-branding, like
GA's "Bittern Line" or EMT's "Robin Hood Line".

Not the way it is shown on that material. I assume you have looked at it?

Of course I have, but it doesn't say anything that might dispel my
proposition.

Elsewhere there are suggestions they'll be keeping Southern and
Gatwick Express branding, as well as introducing Thameslink and GA.

It's what the Powerpoint says.

Just as "Robin Hood Line" is one of EMT's brands.

Are they really going to have four websites, four Android Apps, four
delay/repay schemes, smartcard schemes (etc etc). As well as four
different names on the PIS and NRES data feeds etc.

Does Stansted express do that?

No, but those trains are shown as GA on the customer-facing databases.

eg RTT just now:

1215 Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street
Greater Anglia service

as opposed to:

1220 Gatwick Airport to London Victoria
Gatwick Express service

Stansted Express has its own website though, but somewhat spoils the
consistent image by asking for delay compensation claims to be sent to
.

and in the footer says: "Stansted Express is operated by Abellio Greater
Anglia Ltd"

Gatwick Express has its own dedicated Delay-Repay form [albeit including
text like "For all ticket holders please give details of your delayed
journey with Southern that you are claiming against" and giving a
Southern Rail address to send it to!] but shares a dual-branded
passenger charter with Southern.

All a bit of a muddle, really. And what we want to know is how will all
of this map across to trips to Cambridge.

Although it raises the interesting possibility that the cheaper
"Thameslink only" fares competing with "Any permitted" (in effect
Southern) fares on the Brighton line will remain.

[And booking sites do still offer those fares after the hand-over
date]

Intriguing point, especially as Southern have cheap through deals with GA.

Those too.
--
Roland Perry