The DfT have announced that Go Via have won the West Midlands franchise
that replaces Silverlink and part of Central Trains.

There are new Desiro electric trains and also replacement of part of the
DMU fleet. Smartcard ticketing and more ticket gates also feature.

http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fu...partment=False

The option to add on West Midlands local services from Snow Hill to the
Chiltern franchise will not be taken up.

http://www.londonmidland.com/index.html

is the new website for the winning company and has details of what will
be done in the franchise.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

Paul Corfield wrote:

http://www.londonmidland.com/index.html

is the new website for the winning company and has details of what will
be done in the franchise.

How exiting! They are going to introduce "sub-brands!" Truly they
understand what is important to the common passenger.
--
Michael Hoffman

On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 16:50:21 +0100, Michael Hoffman
wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote:

http://www.londonmidland.com/index.html

is the new website for the winning company and has details of what will
be done in the franchise.

How exiting! They are going to introduce "sub-brands!" Truly they
understand what is important to the common passenger.

To be fair it is no different to the current policy used by Silverlink
with respect to "metro" and "county". I actually think the provision of
new Desiros and new diesels is a good step forward. From comments from
others the Desiros seem to be decent trains and provided there are no
nonsenses with the timetable (in which case blame the DfT) then this
doesn't seem a bad deal to me. If the transfer of Metro services to TfL
allows the management team to concentrate on running the core services
at least as well as now, and hopefully better, then that should also be
a plus. Silverlink don't seem to attract much by way of bad press these
days which tends to suggest the service simply works well.

The real test is whether they can get the West Midlands local services
up to scratch and keep them there. There seems to be little enthusiasm
for Central Trains' performance and huge complaints about overcrowding
and reliability. My very limited experience of WM local services has
not been too bad at all to be fair but then I don't have to use them
every day.

--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

On 21 Jun, 17:00, Paul Corfield wrote:
Silverlink don't seem to attract much by way of bad press these
days which tends to suggest the service simply works well.

Like most of the National Express London Lines franchises, they seem
to get the basics right.


The real test is whether they can get the West Midlands local services
up to scratch and keep them there. There seems to be little enthusiasm
for Central Trains' performance and huge complaints about overcrowding
and reliability.

CT is an interesting company, in that they have an abysmal reputation
everywhere, though their day-to-day service isn't too bad. I think
their weakness lies in the way they handle disruption.


My very limited experience of WM local services has
not been too bad at all to be fair but then I don't have to use them
every day.

Likewise. I've been using the Centro services on recent Saturdays, and
have found them to be extremely reliable. The 323s are in a terrible
state though, and I suspect the 150s are worse.

On Thu, 21 Jun 2007, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 16:50:21 +0100, Michael Hoffman
wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote:

http://www.londonmidland.com/index.html

is the new website for the winning company and has details of what will
be done in the franchise.

How exiting! They are going to introduce "sub-brands!" Truly they
understand what is important to the common passenger.

To be fair it is no different to the current policy used by Silverlink
with respect to "metro" and "county".

I'm confused. Which sub-brand do the current Silverlink County services
come under? "London Midland Express Lines will provide a distinctive
identity for the longer distance routes outside the West Midlands", but i
don't think Euston to Tring is really 'longer distance'. But "London
Midland City will be a platform for the promotion of integrated transport
across the West Midlands city and region", and i don't think Tring trains
have much to do with the West Midlands either.

I see that their plans include "the operation of the Parry People Mover on
the Stourbridge Town line"; is that now completely definite, then?

tom

--
SCIIIIEEEEEENNNNNCNCCCCCE!!!

"BRB Class 465" wrote in message
ups.com...
On 21 Jun, 17:00, Paul Corfield wrote:

My very limited experience of WM local services has
not been too bad at all to be fair but then I don't have to use them
every day.

Likewise. I've been using the Centro services on recent Saturdays, and
have found them to be extremely reliable. The 323s are in a terrible
state though, and I suspect the 150s are worse.


All the indications are that the service often goes down the pan on Sundays,
because currently CT rely on volunteers for Sunday rosters. It'll be
interesting to see if that changes at all...

Paul S

Paul Corfield wrote:
On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 16:50:21 +0100, Michael Hoffman
wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote:

http://www.londonmidland.com/index.html

is the new website for the winning company and has details of what will
be done in the franchise.
How exiting! They are going to introduce "sub-brands!" Truly they
understand what is important to the common passenger.

To be fair it is no different to the current policy used by Silverlink
with respect to "metro" and "county".

Let me be more specific. I don't think that it's bad that they have
these sub-brands. But the importance they give this is breathtaking. On
the main page, their short summary of the changes includes this:

"London Midland sub-brands will be introduced: London Midland City will
cater for the West Midlands cities and region and give full prominence
to Centro’s Network West Midlands brand."

I would have made the new trains mentioned more prominently, and the new
brands less so.
--
Michael Hoffman

"Tom Anderson" wrote in message
h.li...
On Thu, 21 Jun 2007, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 16:50:21 +0100, Michael Hoffman
wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote:

http://www.londonmidland.com/index.html

is the new website for the winning company and has details of what will
be done in the franchise.

How exiting! They are going to introduce "sub-brands!" Truly they
understand what is important to the common passenger.

To be fair it is no different to the current policy used by Silverlink
with respect to "metro" and "county".

I'm confused. Which sub-brand do the current Silverlink County services
come under? "London Midland Express Lines will provide a distinctive
identity for the longer distance routes outside the West Midlands", but i
don't think Euston to Tring is really 'longer distance'. But "London
Midland City will be a platform for the promotion of integrated transport
across the West Midlands city and region", and i don't think Tring trains
have much to do with the West Midlands either.

What about Bletchley to Bedford and Watford to St Albans? Are they going to
be express lines?

I see that their plans include "the operation of the Parry People Mover on
the Stourbridge Town line"; is that now completely definite, then?

Yes - the PPM website 'stop press' seems pretty categoric about it...

Paul

On Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:20:21 +0100, Tom Anderson wrote:

How exiting! They are going to introduce "sub-brands!" Truly they
understand what is important to the common passenger.

To be fair it is no different to the current policy used by Silverlink
with respect to "metro" and "county".

I'm confused. Which sub-brand do the current Silverlink County services
come under? "London Midland Express Lines will provide a distinctive
identity for the longer distance routes outside the West Midlands", but i
don't think Euston to Tring is really 'longer distance'. But "London
Midland City will be a platform for the promotion of integrated transport
across the West Midlands city and region", and i don't think Tring trains
have much to do with the West Midlands either.

You're being overly picky. The route is from London to Birmingham and
Crewe; a few of the trains just happen turn back at Tring.

It's fairly clear to me: one brand for WCML semi-fast services, and
one brand for everything else (i.e. most of what's inherited from
Central Trains). This helps prevent the reputation of the reasonably
good WCML services from being tarnished by the poor frequency, speed,
train lengths, and reliability of most of the ex-CT network, which
will no doubt be subjected to further cuts by the DfT (compare the
ex-Wessex part of FGW).

In article . com,
(BRB Class 465) wrote:

CT is an interesting company, in that they have an abysmal
reputation everywhere, though their day-to-day service isn't too bad.
I think their weakness lies in the way they handle disruption.

The 10:09 ex-Cambridge to Stansted has been cancelled twice this week.
Not good for people catching planes.

I hope the split of CT doesn't mean the end of Birmingham Stations fares
from Cambridge. At present it's the same TOC all the way to Selly Oak
with Central Value etc fares available.

--
Colin Rosenstiel