I feel that today's page should have black borders, because today is the very last day in the life of the Virgin Cross Country franchise. I have made my feelings clear about the stupidity and pointless expense of the present franchise renewal system, so if you missed me 'having a rant' you will need to go back to the entry for 10th July 2007. All I will say today about the re franchise process is that the biggest losers in all this are the staff and the passengers. The staff because they are robbed of choice and they have a new employer imposed upon them. Massive amounts of time and money have to be squandered on renegotiating contractual issues, pensions and working arrangements that were perfectly satisfactory under the old regime. It is considered an achievement to end up with the status quo, and when disputes arise we end up with strikes - as in the case Silverlink. Some individuals are massively disadvantaged and others endure months of worry until there concerns are addressed. The passengers lose out because while all this is going on it is diverting time, attention and resources away from the service. Sure, they are promised 'jam tomorrow' but tomorrow never comes! Look at the 'Worst Great Western' debacle not so long ago. They took over perfectly adequate companies and in the name of efficiency, provided a service so inferior that passengers were treated worse than cattle, causing many to permanently abandon the railways. Slowly the headlines subsided and the service struggled back to something that passed for normality, possibly the service is still worse than before FGW got hold of it, but has 'improved' because it is not quite as bad as when they hit the headlines!
Since the franchise announcement it has been like Lemming Year at Cross Country. Virgin made sure that they found posts at WestCoast for their best managers and other railway companies have got in on the act and snapped up some capable employees. Even Network Rail has enticed away some capable and knowledgeable employees - I'm not sure what good that will do but you can't blame them for trying!!! Even Robbie toyed with the possibility of a move to WestCoast, but he has been pleasantly surprised by top team at Arriva - so far, and after all WestCoast didn't become known as 'The Dark Side' for nothing!! So Monday will see a much changed team at Cross Country to mark the start of the Arriva era. No doubt there will be many frustrations and challenges ahead and there are bound to be teething problems, but there are still people who are passionate about their jobs and about Cross Country. However just to be on the safe side I think I ought to send Robbie to work with some 'happy pills' on Monday!
Showing posts with label Ariva. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ariva. Show all posts
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Tuesday, 4 March 2008
Waste Not Want Not 13.07.07
I glanced at the bedside clock, it was 02.24 and I still had not gone to sleep. I had been tired when I went to bed but my brain wouldn't switch off and as I had settled down to sleep a new thought had crossed my mind and now I was too angry to sleep. The thought was what happens to all the wasted uniform when a rail franchise is lost? I started to do the maths and even with fairly low estimates it was clear that we are talking about a huge waste of money. When you then factor in all the other costs associated with rebranding from new train livery to stationary the amount must be unthinkable. No wonder they want to massively increase rail fares. The more I thought about it the angrier I became, an obscene amount of money is wasted each time a franchise changes hands, how can we possibly justify that when there are other fare more important needs that cannot be met due to lack of resources. I must have fallen asleep at some point, but I awoke when the alarm clock burst in on my dreams an I felt as if I had hardly slept. I learned most about economics from my grandmother who like most of her generation had known true poverty as a child and had endured the hardships of two world wars as an adult. She understood cost and value far better than anyone who claims to be an economist, she thought it was wicked to waste resources (as I found to my cost when I didn't want to eat my dinner). In the present when we are so conscious of our global footprint waste on the scale described above is unforgivable.
Beyond Reason 12.07.07
I am rarely speechless and to be lost for words twice in the same week is something I have never experienced before. The news about the Cross Country franchise just won't sink in because it is so perverse. I have tried so hard to make sense of it, I have looked at the DFT website and various other sites and I have made some interesting observations but there is nothing to make sense of this decision. I looked hard at the photo of Rail Minister Tom Harris hoping that I could communicate my thoughts to him telepathically (because they are not printable!). Suddenly I realised that he bears a stunning resemblance to Jeffrey Archer - so that adds to his credibility big style!! Actually his own track record would lead you to much the same conclusion, I wonder if he has ever seen a train.
Thinking about credibility led my thoughts to Chris Gibb MD of Cross Country Trains, and what will happen to him. I don't suppose Arriva got him when they got the franchise and he will be a big loss. It is rare in the rail industry to find someone articulate enough to present rail information clearly in the media is rare, it is even more rare to find someone articulate who's looks do not make the viewing public flee for cover. He has quite an interesting face. Most important of all he has done a good job and he has the respect and loyalty of employees.
It seems to me that the government have got this whole rail franchise thing wrong. I know people say to re-nationalise the railways, but I remember travelling to and from London in the days of BR when I was a student, it was grim to say the least. I think more of a true privatisation is the answer. With the present set up there is so much uncertainty and franchises are relatively short in the region of 9-10 years. When you account for the time to put the bids together - many months, the uncertainty and waiting time - more months, the limbo time leading up to the transfer and the induction period for the new company. That represents huge costs and something close to two years of wasted unproductive time and it can't possibly represent good customer service or good value (not to mention good sense). If you compare that with the way the government manages PFI contracts for schools, hospitals etc. the inconsistencies are obvious. They award contracts for 20 or even 30 years, to allow the provider to recoup investment via charges, lettings and provision of ancillary services. Admittedly their track record with PFI is not great, but the principle is the same. Imagine what could be achieved if much longer franchises were awarded with clear targets and a defined minimum standard. Hitting targets would trigger a financial gain for the company, but the company would only loose the franchise the minimum standards were not met. It would make so much more sense.
Anyway I have been trawling the web for reactions to the franchise announcement and I have been amazed by the support for Virgin while nobody has a good word for Arriva. Here is a selection of the comments I found and also a couple of links to other sites
perfectly sensible decision. brilliant thinking to stop virgins contract - who have invested in new stock, new facilities and have made train travel enjoyable, to replace them with manky rolling stock from the late 70's - reduce the bogs on board, take the shops off the trains, cram more people in the trains and charge more. what a brilliant move to increase the number of people choosing public transport.
i've had the arriva experience out of manchester. the decor would instil a migraine in a dead donkey. the trolley service was awful and the train was packed solid after 2 stops.
looks like i'll keep driving my land rover - it might be old and a bit frayed, but it's more reliable and cheaper than the trains
If Arriva run trains like they run buses in Bristol and other close locations then, Virgin will be back next time.
Arriva should never have been let near another railway company after the mess they made of running services in the North of England a few years back.
Living in exeter i have used this route frequently for years and virgin have put on one of the best train services in the country, and one of the best i have lived under... This entire decision seems completely and utterly idiotic.. Virgin have had clean trains, great staff, tolerable buffet and pretty good ticket prices if you can find the deals..
Arriva on the other hand I had the joy of living in wales and suffering there intolerable service for a while and never again... Guess flybe have just picked up a new air traveller...
That Arriva probably the worst of existing rail franchise operators wins the Cross Country franchise is yet another farcicle decision from the most farcical of governmental organisation the D(a)fT who come out of the swamp every so often to destroy yet another aspect of a steadily deteriorating rail service. They took over from the SRA and make a declaration ask for comments, ignore the customer comments and sink back into the swamp. only to rise again and tell everyone that their original proposal is the one they will go forward with. They then ask for bids, but D(a)fT do not tell us what the rival bids were so how are we to know we are getting good (best) value, D(a)fT are judge and jury in their own case. They have defined the franchise and ignore public concerns about it. Then when it goes bottom up they hide back in the civil service anonymity swamp.
http://forums.atomic-systems.com/viewtopic.php?p=848254&CUTHERE=6c95174ecf3fd7ba881463c7cacabdd2
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1078142007
Thinking about credibility led my thoughts to Chris Gibb MD of Cross Country Trains, and what will happen to him. I don't suppose Arriva got him when they got the franchise and he will be a big loss. It is rare in the rail industry to find someone articulate enough to present rail information clearly in the media is rare, it is even more rare to find someone articulate who's looks do not make the viewing public flee for cover. He has quite an interesting face. Most important of all he has done a good job and he has the respect and loyalty of employees.
It seems to me that the government have got this whole rail franchise thing wrong. I know people say to re-nationalise the railways, but I remember travelling to and from London in the days of BR when I was a student, it was grim to say the least. I think more of a true privatisation is the answer. With the present set up there is so much uncertainty and franchises are relatively short in the region of 9-10 years. When you account for the time to put the bids together - many months, the uncertainty and waiting time - more months, the limbo time leading up to the transfer and the induction period for the new company. That represents huge costs and something close to two years of wasted unproductive time and it can't possibly represent good customer service or good value (not to mention good sense). If you compare that with the way the government manages PFI contracts for schools, hospitals etc. the inconsistencies are obvious. They award contracts for 20 or even 30 years, to allow the provider to recoup investment via charges, lettings and provision of ancillary services. Admittedly their track record with PFI is not great, but the principle is the same. Imagine what could be achieved if much longer franchises were awarded with clear targets and a defined minimum standard. Hitting targets would trigger a financial gain for the company, but the company would only loose the franchise the minimum standards were not met. It would make so much more sense.
Anyway I have been trawling the web for reactions to the franchise announcement and I have been amazed by the support for Virgin while nobody has a good word for Arriva. Here is a selection of the comments I found and also a couple of links to other sites
perfectly sensible decision. brilliant thinking to stop virgins contract - who have invested in new stock, new facilities and have made train travel enjoyable, to replace them with manky rolling stock from the late 70's - reduce the bogs on board, take the shops off the trains, cram more people in the trains and charge more. what a brilliant move to increase the number of people choosing public transport.
i've had the arriva experience out of manchester. the decor would instil a migraine in a dead donkey. the trolley service was awful and the train was packed solid after 2 stops.
looks like i'll keep driving my land rover - it might be old and a bit frayed, but it's more reliable and cheaper than the trains
If Arriva run trains like they run buses in Bristol and other close locations then, Virgin will be back next time.
Arriva should never have been let near another railway company after the mess they made of running services in the North of England a few years back.
Living in exeter i have used this route frequently for years and virgin have put on one of the best train services in the country, and one of the best i have lived under... This entire decision seems completely and utterly idiotic.. Virgin have had clean trains, great staff, tolerable buffet and pretty good ticket prices if you can find the deals..
Arriva on the other hand I had the joy of living in wales and suffering there intolerable service for a while and never again... Guess flybe have just picked up a new air traveller...
That Arriva probably the worst of existing rail franchise operators wins the Cross Country franchise is yet another farcicle decision from the most farcical of governmental organisation the D(a)fT who come out of the swamp every so often to destroy yet another aspect of a steadily deteriorating rail service. They took over from the SRA and make a declaration ask for comments, ignore the customer comments and sink back into the swamp. only to rise again and tell everyone that their original proposal is the one they will go forward with. They then ask for bids, but D(a)fT do not tell us what the rival bids were so how are we to know we are getting good (best) value, D(a)fT are judge and jury in their own case. They have defined the franchise and ignore public concerns about it. Then when it goes bottom up they hide back in the civil service anonymity swamp.
http://forums.atomic-systems.com/viewtopic.php?p=848254&CUTHERE=6c95174ecf3fd7ba881463c7cacabdd2
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1078142007
A Bad Decision 10.07.07
There are some days when it is very hard to face the day with a smile and today was just such a day. It was about 7.14am and we were embarking on another morning in the mad house, and with less than half an hour before Sam and I needed to leave the house the stress levels were already sky high. The phone rang and as soon as I heard Robbie's voice I knew he was going to tell me that Virgin had lost the Cross Country franchise. He was gutted and I was gutted for him. You could not find anybody who loves their job more than Robbie does and he takes a real pride in the service the company provides. To him it feels so unfair, and even now having had all day to make sense of it, I feel as if there will to be another announcement to say it was all a big mistake, but of course it's not going to happen.
I'm just an ordinary person, what do I know about trains - not a lot (but probably more than the DFT). However I am a woman and a wife so I know when the wool is being pulled over my eyes and I know a lie when I come across it. I also know that value and service is about far more than price. Another thing about being a wife, I can read between the lines, in fact looking at today's press release, I think my dog could read between the lines! To borrow a phrase from Jim Royal - customer service my ****!! Those chinless wonders at the DFT will have plenty of time to observe the consequences of their decision, but of course by then they will be meddling with something else that works to see if they can come up with another 'success' on the scale of Worst Late Western! If I could get my hands on those lame brains I would explain economics so simply that even they would understand. If you buy something from the pound shop you should expect to end up with tat!
I'm just an ordinary person, what do I know about trains - not a lot (but probably more than the DFT). However I am a woman and a wife so I know when the wool is being pulled over my eyes and I know a lie when I come across it. I also know that value and service is about far more than price. Another thing about being a wife, I can read between the lines, in fact looking at today's press release, I think my dog could read between the lines! To borrow a phrase from Jim Royal - customer service my ****!! Those chinless wonders at the DFT will have plenty of time to observe the consequences of their decision, but of course by then they will be meddling with something else that works to see if they can come up with another 'success' on the scale of Worst Late Western! If I could get my hands on those lame brains I would explain economics so simply that even they would understand. If you buy something from the pound shop you should expect to end up with tat!
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