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Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/southern-rail-turmoil-hits-go-ahead-profits-9rrtq36j3?shareToken=6a84a9614d3b9d2365fba1b139b66 55e
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Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
In message , at 13:40:33 on Fri, 8 Sep
2017, Recliner remarked: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/s...hits-go-ahead- profits-9rrtq36j3?shareToken=6a84a9614d3b9d2365fba1b139b66 55e "It forecast that margins would reach up to 1.5 per cent." From an orderly queue to take on this vastly lucrative business! -- Roland Perry |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
Roland Perry Wrote in message:
In message , at 13:40:33 on Fri, 8 Sep 2017, Recliner remarked: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/s...hits-go-ahead- profits-9rrtq36j3?shareToken=6a84a9614d3b9d2365fba1b139b66 55e "It forecast that margins would reach up to 1.5 per cent." From an orderly queue to take on this vastly lucrative business! The DfT might struggle to find any bidders for SN when the franchise is next tendered. It's become a real poisoned chalice. -- |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
In message , at 11:35:58 on Fri, 8 Sep 2017,
Recliner remarked: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/s...hits-go-ahead- profits-9rrtq36j3?shareToken=6a84a9614d3b9d2365fba1b139b66 55e "It forecast that margins would reach up to 1.5 per cent." From an orderly queue to take on this vastly lucrative business! The DfT might struggle to find any bidders for SN when the franchise is next tendered. It's become a real poisoned chalice. They are struggling to find bidders for many franchises. But apparently there's still a few gullible foreigners who haven't caught on yet. (eg Trentinalia). -- Roland Perry |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
In message , at 15:32:01
on Fri, 8 Sep 2017, remarked: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/s...s-go-ahead-pro fits-9rrtq36j3?shareToken=6a84a9614d3b9d2365fba1b139b66 55e "It forecast that margins would reach up to 1.5 per cent." From an orderly queue to take on this vastly lucrative business! The DfT might struggle to find any bidders for SN when the franchise is next tendered. It's become a real poisoned chalice. Isn't that the unions' objective, to get the franchise handed to DOR, nationalisation by the back door? It's already nationalised by the back door - DfT is in charge and Govia just run the trains for a fixed fee. Very little would change if the Govia senior managers were replaced by DOR senior managers (where would the latter come from, anyway)? -- Roland Perry |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 15:32:01 on Fri, 8 Sep 2017, remarked: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/s...s-go-ahead-pro fits-9rrtq36j3?shareToken=6a84a9614d3b9d2365fba1b139b66 55e "It forecast that margins would reach up to 1.5 per cent." From an orderly queue to take on this vastly lucrative business! The DfT might struggle to find any bidders for SN when the franchise is next tendered. It's become a real poisoned chalice. Isn't that the unions' objective, to get the franchise handed to DOR, nationalisation by the back door? It's already nationalised by the back door - DfT is in charge and Govia just run the trains for a fixed fee. Very little would change if the Govia senior managers were replaced by DOR senior managers (where would the latter come from, anyway)? Govia, presumably, apart from one or two figureheads? |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
In message
-sept ember.org, at 13:54:56 on Sat, 9 Sep 2017, Recliner remarked: "It forecast that margins would reach up to 1.5 per cent." From an orderly queue to take on this vastly lucrative business! The DfT might struggle to find any bidders for SN when the franchise is next tendered. It's become a real poisoned chalice. Isn't that the unions' objective, to get the franchise handed to DOR, nationalisation by the back door? It's already nationalised by the back door - DfT is in charge and Govia just run the trains for a fixed fee. Very little would change if the Govia senior managers were replaced by DOR senior managers (where would the latter come from, anyway)? Govia, presumably, apart from one or two figureheads? Do they swap around like that? Have Stagecoach made some of their top people redundant and sent them off to get jobs with SWR. I'm thinking here about the people in the parent company, not drones being TUPEd over from the local franchise. If everyone to do with running a franchise is TUPEd over, then almost nothing will ever change. The whole point of swapping parent companies on renewal is to bring in some new blood. -- Roland Perry |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
|
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
wrote:
In article , (Roland Perry) wrote: In message -septembe r.org, at 13:54:56 on Sat, 9 Sep 2017, Recliner remarked: "It forecast that margins would reach up to 1.5 per cent." From an orderly queue to take on this vastly lucrative business! The DfT might struggle to find any bidders for SN when the franchise is next tendered. It's become a real poisoned chalice. Isn't that the unions' objective, to get the franchise handed to DOR, nationalisation by the back door? It's already nationalised by the back door - DfT is in charge and Govia just run the trains for a fixed fee. Very little would change if the Govia senior managers were replaced by DOR senior managers (where would the latter come from, anyway)? Govia, presumably, apart from one or two figureheads? Do they swap around like that? Have Stagecoach made some of their top people redundant and sent them off to get jobs with SWR. I'm thinking here about the people in the parent company, not drones being TUPEd over from the local franchise. If everyone to do with running a franchise is TUPEd over, then almost nothing will ever change. The whole point of swapping parent companies on renewal is to bring in some new blood. You have it right, though there have been exceptions. The Northern MD, Alex Hynes, did transfer to the new franchise holder there at first though he's now gone to Scotrail. And DOR started with Elaine Holt transferring from our very own FCC. She then brought in her former FCC colleague Karen Boswell to run East Coast. But below them, where did the other senior DOR managers come from when it was running EC? I suspect most were from NXEC. After all, DOR had no permanent operational staff, while NXEC had people who were no longer needed by NX, but had exactly the right experience that DOR needed to run EC. |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
|
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
In message
-sept ember.org, at 02:19:25 on Sun, 10 Sep 2017, Recliner remarked: If everyone to do with running a franchise is TUPEd over, then almost nothing will ever change. The whole point of swapping parent companies on renewal is to bring in some new blood. You have it right, though there have been exceptions. The Northern MD, Alex Hynes, did transfer to the new franchise holder there at first though he's now gone to Scotrail. And DOR started with Elaine Holt transferring from our very own FCC. She then brought in her former FCC colleague Karen Boswell to run East Coast. But below them, where did the other senior DOR managers come from when it was running EC? I suspect most were from NXEC. After all, DOR had no permanent operational staff, while NXEC had people who were no longer needed by NX, but had exactly the right experience that DOR needed to run EC. But they are implementers, not policy-makers. -- Roland Perry |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
Roland Perry wrote:
In message -sept ember.org, at 02:19:25 on Sun, 10 Sep 2017, Recliner remarked: If everyone to do with running a franchise is TUPEd over, then almost nothing will ever change. The whole point of swapping parent companies on renewal is to bring in some new blood. You have it right, though there have been exceptions. The Northern MD, Alex Hynes, did transfer to the new franchise holder there at first though he's now gone to Scotrail. And DOR started with Elaine Holt transferring from our very own FCC. She then brought in her former FCC colleague Karen Boswell to run East Coast. But below them, where did the other senior DOR managers come from when it was running EC? I suspect most were from NXEC. After all, DOR had no permanent operational staff, while NXEC had people who were no longer needed by NX, but had exactly the right experience that DOR needed to run EC. But they are implementers, not policy-makers. Yes, particularly where DOR was concerned: Adonis was the policy maker. |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
wrote:
In article , (Roland Perry) wrote: In message -septembe r.org, at 13:54:56 on Sat, 9 Sep 2017, Recliner remarked: "It forecast that margins would reach up to 1.5 per cent." From an orderly queue to take on this vastly lucrative business! The DfT might struggle to find any bidders for SN when the franchise is next tendered. It's become a real poisoned chalice. Isn't that the unions' objective, to get the franchise handed to DOR, nationalisation by the back door? It's already nationalised by the back door - DfT is in charge and Govia just run the trains for a fixed fee. Very little would change if the Govia senior managers were replaced by DOR senior managers (where would the latter come from, anyway)? Govia, presumably, apart from one or two figureheads? Do they swap around like that? Have Stagecoach made some of their top people redundant and sent them off to get jobs with SWR. I'm thinking here about the people in the parent company, not drones being TUPEd over from the local franchise. If everyone to do with running a franchise is TUPEd over, then almost nothing will ever change. The whole point of swapping parent companies on renewal is to bring in some new blood. You have it right, though there have been exceptions. The Northern MD, Alex Hynes, did transfer to the new franchise holder there at first though he's now gone to Scotrail. And DOR started with Elaine Holt transferring from our very own FCC. She then brought in her former FCC colleague Karen Boswell to run East Coast. Karen Boswell, of course, is now MD of Hitachi Europe, which is supplying her former employers (GWR and what's now VTEC) with their new intercity fleets. |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
In message
-sept ember.org, at 14:46:47 on Sun, 10 Sep 2017, Recliner remarked: If everyone to do with running a franchise is TUPEd over, then almost nothing will ever change. The whole point of swapping parent companies on renewal is to bring in some new blood. You have it right, though there have been exceptions. The Northern MD, Alex Hynes, did transfer to the new franchise holder there at first though he's now gone to Scotrail. And DOR started with Elaine Holt transferring from our very own FCC. She then brought in her former FCC colleague Karen Boswell to run East Coast. But below them, where did the other senior DOR managers come from when it was running EC? I suspect most were from NXEC. After all, DOR had no permanent operational staff, while NXEC had people who were no longer needed by NX, but had exactly the right experience that DOR needed to run EC. But they are implementers, not policy-makers. Yes, particularly where DOR was concerned: Adonis was the policy maker. I don't know to what extent he micro-managed the policymaking, rather than delegating it to Holt and her teleported-in senior team. For example, did he decide specifically to scrap the restaurant cars, or was that just collateral damage of a policy to "balance the books, however unpopular"? -- Roland Perry |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
Roland Perry wrote:
In message -sept ember.org, at 14:46:47 on Sun, 10 Sep 2017, Recliner remarked: If everyone to do with running a franchise is TUPEd over, then almost nothing will ever change. The whole point of swapping parent companies on renewal is to bring in some new blood. You have it right, though there have been exceptions. The Northern MD, Alex Hynes, did transfer to the new franchise holder there at first though he's now gone to Scotrail. And DOR started with Elaine Holt transferring from our very own FCC. She then brought in her former FCC colleague Karen Boswell to run East Coast. But below them, where did the other senior DOR managers come from when it was running EC? I suspect most were from NXEC. After all, DOR had no permanent operational staff, while NXEC had people who were no longer needed by NX, but had exactly the right experience that DOR needed to run EC. But they are implementers, not policy-makers. Yes, particularly where DOR was concerned: Adonis was the policy maker. I don't know to what extent he micro-managed the policymaking, rather than delegating it to Holt and her teleported-in senior team. For example, did he decide specifically to scrap the restaurant cars, or was that just collateral damage of a policy to "balance the books, however unpopular"? I had thought that had already happened before DOR took over, but I think you're right, it was DOR that done it. http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/east-coast-anger-as-yorkshire-rail-dining-is-axed-1-3083684 NX had previously axed restaurant cars on MML and Anglia, and probably would have done so on EC had it kept the franchise long enough to do so. I think it was Adonis who instructed that free food and drinks be provided to First pax instead, similar to Virgin's WC offering. |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
Roland Perry wrote:
In message -sept ember.org, at 14:46:47 on Sun, 10 Sep 2017, Recliner remarked: If everyone to do with running a franchise is TUPEd over, then almost nothing will ever change. The whole point of swapping parent companies on renewal is to bring in some new blood. You have it right, though there have been exceptions. The Northern MD, Alex Hynes, did transfer to the new franchise holder there at first though he's now gone to Scotrail. And DOR started with Elaine Holt transferring from our very own FCC. She then brought in her former FCC colleague Karen Boswell to run East Coast. But below them, where did the other senior DOR managers come from when it was running EC? I suspect most were from NXEC. After all, DOR had no permanent operational staff, while NXEC had people who were no longer needed by NX, but had exactly the right experience that DOR needed to run EC. But they are implementers, not policy-makers. Yes, particularly where DOR was concerned: Adonis was the policy maker. I don't know to what extent he micro-managed the policymaking, rather than delegating it to Holt and her teleported-in senior team. For example, did he decide specifically to scrap the restaurant cars, or was that just collateral damage of a policy to "balance the books, however unpopular"? Another thought strikes me: I wonder if Adonis's enthusiasm for kicking out NX rather than renegotiating was partly driven by his desire to pull the strings on a TOC himself? No doubt he thought a DOR answerable to him would be more controllable than a private TOC, and he wanted to show that he could do a better job when in direct control. |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
In message
-sept ember.org, at 17:10:39 on Sun, 10 Sep 2017, Recliner remarked: But they are implementers, not policy-makers. Yes, particularly where DOR was concerned: Adonis was the policy maker. I don't know to what extent he micro-managed the policymaking, rather than delegating it to Holt and her teleported-in senior team. For example, did he decide specifically to scrap the restaurant cars, or was that just collateral damage of a policy to "balance the books, however unpopular"? I had thought that had already happened before DOR took over, but I think you're right, it was DOR that done it. http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/east-coast-anger-as-yorkshire-rail-dining-is-axed-1-3083684 NX had previously axed restaurant cars on MML and Anglia, and probably would have done so on EC had it kept the franchise long enough to do so. I don't know when they last had fully functioning restaurant cars but Midland Mainline's service was terrible when I started using them in 2005. While they did have a "bistro" type paid-for food offering, they never solicited orders and all they wanted to do was offer free drinks and snacks. Only south of Derby when on a down service. When EMT inherited the franchise they still operated a "First with Breakfast" ticket, but the staffing for the restaurant and buffets was in crisis and they ended up shuttling catering crews between either Market Harborough and London, or Derby and London. It didn't help that EMT didn't want the newly arrived POS/credit card machines, so for a while they only accepted cash, and receipts were written on the back of a napkin. Not sure when EMT threw in the towel completely, but they are Stagecoach, not NX. I know nothing about the Anglia catering service. I think it was Adonis who instructed that free food and drinks be provided to First pax instead, similar to Virgin's WC offering. The free "food" is pretty pathetic, even more so at weekends. -- Roland Perry |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
Roland Perry wrote:
In message -sept ember.org, at 17:10:39 on Sun, 10 Sep 2017, Recliner remarked: But they are implementers, not policy-makers. Yes, particularly where DOR was concerned: Adonis was the policy maker. I don't know to what extent he micro-managed the policymaking, rather than delegating it to Holt and her teleported-in senior team. For example, did he decide specifically to scrap the restaurant cars, or was that just collateral damage of a policy to "balance the books, however unpopular"? I had thought that had already happened before DOR took over, but I think you're right, it was DOR that done it. http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/east-coast-anger-as-yorkshire-rail-dining-is-axed-1-3083684 NX had previously axed restaurant cars on MML and Anglia, and probably would have done so on EC had it kept the franchise long enough to do so. I don't know when they last had fully functioning restaurant cars but Midland Mainline's service was terrible when I started using them in 2005. While they did have a "bistro" type paid-for food offering, they never solicited orders and all they wanted to do was offer free drinks and snacks. Only south of Derby when on a down service. When EMT inherited the franchise they still operated a "First with Breakfast" ticket, but the staffing for the restaurant and buffets was in crisis and they ended up shuttling catering crews between either Market Harborough and London, or Derby and London. It didn't help that EMT didn't want the newly arrived POS/credit card machines, so for a while they only accepted cash, and receipts were written on the back of a napkin. Not sure when EMT threw in the towel completely, but they are Stagecoach, not NX. I thought the restaurant cars had been cut before Stagecoach took over from NX? I know nothing about the Anglia catering service. I think it was Adonis who instructed that free food and drinks be provided to First pax instead, similar to Virgin's WC offering. The free "food" is pretty pathetic, even more so at weekends. Yup. Has it changed much since VTEC took over from EC? My first weekday experience of it will be in a couple of weeks. |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
In message
-septe mber.org, at 18:23:04 on Sun, 10 Sep 2017, Recliner remarked: Not sure when EMT threw in the towel completely, but they are Stagecoach, not NX. I thought the restaurant cars had been cut before Stagecoach took over from NX? May depend on your definition I'm including trains with a kitchen car, serving at-seat in First Class. Not a car where you move to for the meal, then move back to your seat. I know nothing about the Anglia catering service. I think it was Adonis who instructed that free food and drinks be provided to First pax instead, similar to Virgin's WC offering. The free "food" is pretty pathetic, even more so at weekends. Yup. Has it changed much since VTEC took over from EC? My first weekday experience of it will be in a couple of weeks. I don't know if "Please note, we don't serve hot food or alcohol at the weekend or on bank holidays" is worse than before; and the "Evening" menu is somewhat restricted in terms of which trains[1]. The daytime hot food they offer looks much the same. Breakfast was beyond rubbery, and we had to insist on getting one boarding at Peterborough as they clearly thought it was for Kings Cross starters only. And of course the time limit means a KGX-PBO passenger doesn't qualify. Weekend sandwiches were very poor quality. More Tesco than M&S. Not convinced where they get the locally-sourced rice, spices, pistachio nuts etc (unless they mean at a local cash and carry). [1] "these trains from King’s Cross: 1700, 1719, 1730, 1733, 1800, 1803, 1819, 1830, 1833, 1900." No southbound ones. -- Roland Perry |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
Roland Perry wrote:
In message -septe mber.org, at 18:23:04 on Sun, 10 Sep 2017, Recliner remarked: Not sure when EMT threw in the towel completely, but they are Stagecoach, not NX. I thought the restaurant cars had been cut before Stagecoach took over from NX? May depend on your definition I'm including trains with a kitchen car, serving at-seat in First Class. Not a car where you move to for the meal, then move back to your seat. Yes, I meant a separate dining car, now I think only offered on a few GWR services. I know nothing about the Anglia catering service. I think it was Adonis who instructed that free food and drinks be provided to First pax instead, similar to Virgin's WC offering. The free "food" is pretty pathetic, even more so at weekends. Yup. Has it changed much since VTEC took over from EC? My first weekday experience of it will be in a couple of weeks. I don't know if "Please note, we don't serve hot food or alcohol at the weekend or on bank holidays" is worse than before; and the "Evening" menu is somewhat restricted in terms of which trains[1]. The daytime hot food they offer looks much the same. Breakfast was beyond rubbery, and we had to insist on getting one boarding at Peterborough as they clearly thought it was for Kings Cross starters only. And of course the time limit means a KGX-PBO passenger doesn't qualify. Weekend sandwiches were very poor quality. More Tesco than M&S. Not convinced where they get the locally-sourced rice, spices, pistachio nuts etc (unless they mean at a local cash and carry). [1] "these trains from King’s Cross: 1700, 1719, 1730, 1733, 1800, 1803, 1819, 1830, 1833, 1900." No southbound ones. |
Go-Ahead profits hit by Southern strife
In message
-sept ember.org, at 20:34:48 on Sun, 10 Sep 2017, Recliner remarked: Not sure when EMT threw in the towel completely, but they are Stagecoach, not NX. I thought the restaurant cars had been cut before Stagecoach took over from NX? May depend on your definition I'm including trains with a kitchen car, serving at-seat in First Class. Not a car where you move to for the meal, then move back to your seat. Yes, I meant a separate dining car, now I think only offered on a few GWR services. That's not the main economic driver (for withdrawal) though - which is the kitchen car, chefs, supply of non-microwave meals, and so on. -- Roland Perry |
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