Great Western Coffee Shop

First Great Western is to pay for more trains and better passenger compensation after poor service on lines to Wales and the West Country.
The Swindon-based train operator agreed the ^29m investment package after discussions with the government.

First Great Western is to pay for more trains

Message from Andrew Haines, Chief Operating Officer, First Great Western (0800 Tuesday 26 February 2008):

First Great Western (FGW) has announced a comprehensive investment package designed to improve the performance of its services.

The ^29m plan has been put together to address poor performance, particularly in relation to cancellations and the subsequent contravention of our Franchise Agreement.

We know our performance has fallen short of our own standards and the expectation of our passengers.  We are committed to take the action needed to minimise cancellations and delays.

In discussions with the Department for Transport, we have offered additional investments to enhance our service to passengers, and put measures in place to improve operational performance.

A further commitment has been made to increase the amount of compensation available under the Passenger^s Charter by 50 per cent for claims arising between 27 January 2009 and 26 January 2010.  This is in addition to the doubling of the amount of compensation available to customers during 2008, announced in January.

The package will fund an increase in capacity on some of the company^s busiest services. This includes leasing five additional Class 150 units to release Class 158 trains to strengthen the Cardiff-Portsmouth service from May 2008, which will increase capacity by 40% on most services on this route.

The plan will also extend our commitment to a light refresh of the London and Thames Valley regional train fleet.  A total of ^6.1m will now be invested, including ^1.1m already committed.

We will recruit new drivers, guards and technicians, to improve customer service and reliability.

Also, as part of the plan, more money will be spent to improve our Customer Information System (CIS) at stations providing extra ability to keep customers up-to-date in times of disruption.
 
We are already investing more than any other train operator - ^200m over the life of the First Great Western franchise.  The additional ^29m investment package will be spent where it is most needed ^ on extra resources, more rolling stock and improved customer service.

Combined with the new senior management team we now have in place, this investment in comprehensive and robust passenger benefits is a fundamental change in the way we do business. It represents a fresh start for First Great Western and we want to be judged on our results.

At-a-glance guide to extra investment package


Increasing rolling stock by leasing five additional Class 150 units to release Class 158 units for use in strengthening the Cardiff-Portsmouth service from May 2008 which will increase capacity by 40% on most services on this route.

A further ^7m investment to enhance our Customer Information System (CIS) at stations. This will bring our total investment in CIS to ^15 million and provide improved consistency of systems, coverage of more stations and a greater capacity to provide information during times of disruption.

A further commitment has been made to increase the amount of compensation available under the Passenger^s Charter by 50 per cent for claims arising between 27 January 2009 and 26 January 2010.  This is in addition to the doubling of the amount of compensation available to customers during 2008, announced in January.

Additional investment of ^5m on improvements to the London and Thames Valley fleet. A total of ^6.1m will be invested in the London and Thames Valley fleet, including ^1.1m already committed.

The provision of an additional 500,000 FGW tickets at the most discounted rates to popular destinations for off peak travel.  We will actively participate in the study and development of fares simplification proposals involving single journey pricing.

A ^4m enhanced customer service training package for FGW^s passenger facing employees.

In addition, we have developed and agreed a comprehensive plan to improve performance and minimise delays and cancellations, including:

Recruit new drivers, guards and technicians to improve customer service and reliability.  In addition, we have established a new performance directorate to improve management of disruption alongside Network Rail.

A package of additional fleet and depot improvements to enhance reliability.  In addition, to ensure resilient operating performance, we will provide an additional High Speed Train in April 2009.

Interesting the way this is being spun, read the BBC and FGW sites you'd almost think FGW were doing this out of the goodness of their heart rather than as a last ditch attempt to save the franchise in response to the DFT-mandated Remedial Plan Notice and Breach Notice for exceeding the threshold on cancellations in the second half of last year and then misreporting the cancellation rate (although FGW claim this was more "cock-up" than "conspiracy" .

Still, that isn't to say that this is welcome news...lets hope Andrew Haines seizes the opportunity to  demonstrate he can deliver what his predecessors have failed to. 

Britain's least popular rail service, First Great Western, is close to being stripped of its franchise after it misled the public over service standards.

Transport secretary Ruth Kelly today ordered FGW to buy more carriages, increase passenger compensation payments and hire more staff or else the franchise will be terminated. The Department for Transport found that FGW, voted the worst service in Britain last month, misled passengers by under-reporting the number of service cancellations last year.

"First Great Western has breached its franchise agreement by exceeding the limits on cancellations, and also by misreporting those cancellations," she said.

FGW's reputation among passengers and ministers has reached a nadir after the company admitted that it had miscalculated the number of train cancellations between August and December last year. After blowing the whistle on the error, FGW subsequently accepted that it had breached the cancellation threshold in its contract.

Kelly effectively issued a yellow card to FGW, saying that failure to comply with a series of service changes worth ^29m "could lead to the Government terminating First Great Western's franchise".

She added that instead of fining the franchise, which operates throughout the west country as well as the London-to-Cardiff route, she had imposed an improvements package including higher compensation for commuters affected by endemic punctuality problems.

"Any penalty would be paid to central Government. Having considered this carefully, and given that a penalty would not, itself, help passengers, I have opted instead for passengers to receive a better benefits package," she said.

But, FGW were forced into that level of service by the terms of the franchise!!!!!

Good lord! Someone needs a kick here!!

Daniel

Don't suppose that we'll ever find out if Moir had an invitation to beer and sandwiches at No 10. in the past 6 months

Today's announcement demonstrates our commitment to improving performance and customer service in our FGW franchise. We have already put in place actions to address performance at FGW. We are encouraged that during January, performance improved and cancellations were at their lowest level for 18 months and this trend has continued during February. We are committed to the long-term development of railways in the UK and look forward to sustained performance improvements at FGW in line with our other three rail franchises.

"First Great Western services have been a disgrace in recent months and the Government is right to take action. The company can in fact think itself fortunate that it has not had its franchise removed entirely, particularly as it has now admitted to misreporting figures.

"The remedial plan which has been agreed with the Government represents a final warning for the company and any breach of this will qualify as a default and the contract will indeed be terminated.

"I welcome the passenger benefits included in this package. But the company must now deliver on these promised improvements. They have a last chance to get it right."

Today's announcement demonstrates our commitment to improving performance and customer service in our FGW franchise. We have already put in place actions to address performance at FGW. We are encouraged that during January, performance improved and cancellations were at their lowest level for 18 months and this trend has continued during February. We are committed to the long-term development of railways in the UK and look forward to sustained performance improvements at FGW in line with our other three rail franchises.

Excellent... although when I read the headline I thought they'd put in an order for some 172's! (Chiltern recently ordered a few piggy backing on the existing bulk order) I take it the Welsh will now take the 180's!

Excellent news! At last some good news for FGW's long suffering passengers.

"The remedial plan which has been agreed with the Government represents a final warning for the company and any breach of this will qualify as a default and the contract will indeed be terminated.

"I welcome the passenger benefits included in this package. But the company must now deliver on these promised improvements. They have a last chance to get it right."

And employees! ;)

1)For a start First own some of the HSTs. They would use these on their other Franchises or hire them out to the highest bidder so there would be (I think) in the region of 10 power cars & 40 coaches short for the next lot.

The 150/1 drivers get issued with skiing gloves.

So our R.H MP for Bath [...]

He's not a member of the Privy Council, so he's just plain MP for Bath.

I would sort of say half n half, we know they are already recruiting drivers and guards.
And the additional 150's and keeping 3x 180 has been rumoured for ages.

So maybe lean towards a yes on that. I think Andrew Haines recognises that the franchise is under performing, obviously. I think if anyone can bring it back to standard, he can.

I have to ask the question had FGW not been in breach of its franchise (for cancellations) and not hauled up before the transport secretary, would we have seen the ^29 million action plan which includes the extra carriages for the Cardiff-Portsmouth line?

I am in no doubt that he can too. Now FGW have had their knuckles wrapped by the government, with a bit of humiliation thrown in as well, they can get on and sort things out which has already started. First have put more money in the pot so Andrew Haines has got something to work with. What will also help is the completion of the 'West' fleet refresh later this year with the units that have been done looking pretty good both inside and out.

I don't think that the Cardiff-Portsmouth line has had so much national attention as it has done today but its good that this line is at last getting some investment that it so deserves.

Well I'm amazed you're all so optimistic about this.

First, the governent is actively briefing against FGW.

Second, the new stock will only benefit passengers on Cardiff-Portsmouth.

Third, there'sa nasty little insinuation in the ^4m staff training initiative that the problems have lain with the staff. They haven't. They've been the fault of greedy management.

Fourth, the pricing initiative is a con, as it is about attracting incremental business, as opposed to looking after regular (captive) customers.

Fifth, no-one wants higher levels of compensation. They want a reliable service that is good value. that's where the money should go.

What's happening here is not Haines' fault. But it certainly is Lockhead's. And he continues to pull the strings.

I have to ask the question had FGW not been in breach of its franchise (for cancellations) and not hauled up before the transport secretary, would we have seen the ^29 million action plan which includes the extra carriages for the Cardiff-Portsmouth line?

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said the five Sprinter units would be sub-leased from Arriva Trains Wales to FGW. Asked if the DfT was involved in this change, she said, ^I think the answer is probably no.^ She said it was a matter for the WAG and FGW.

An FGW spokesman said, ^I can^t provide you with any detail on that. It^s not going to be in the public domain.^

^We^re concerned to hear this news and will be raising the matter with the WAG next week.^

^It is amazing that the Government knew about this several months ago but waited until yesterday to inform passengers and the publicly funded passenger watchdogs.

^It shows a worrying level of complicity and raises the question about whether the Government are the right people to be auditing train companies^ performance and statistics.^

The Herald Express suggets that the DfT forced them to do this when a lot of it was in the pipeline anyway.

It seems that the press can always turn good news into bad! Wales gets enough English taxpayers money to spend on railways, and lets not forget it's the CARDIFF to Portsmouth line! Cardiff is, strangely enough, in WALES!!!

A report on the anger in Wales at the rolling stock redeployment (link below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2008/02/anger_as_valleys_rail_coaches.html#more

WAG appear to be trying to contain this by emphasising that "the lease of the five train units was a “short term” measure that would benefit many of FGW’s customers in Wales."

It seems that the press can always turn good news into bad! Wales gets enough English taxpayers money to spend on railways, and lets not forget it's the CARDIFF to Portsmouth line! Cardiff is, strangely enough, in WALES!!!

Meanwhile, Brian Cooke, chairman of London TravelWatch and a board member of Passenger Focus, said that the Government appeared to be protecting FGW because it did not want to jeopardise the ^1.1 billion that the company had agreed to pay over its ten-year franchise (link below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2008/02/rail_privatisation_out_of_stea.html#more

He said:

It seems that the press can always turn good news into bad! Wales gets enough English taxpayers money to spend on railways, and lets not forget it's the CARDIFF to Portsmouth line! Cardiff is, strangely enough, in WALES!!!

To all press reading this:

I totally agree - it's outrageous that ATW are subleasing FGW sets which are spare each day anyway!!!!  ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???

It is but the 3 hour journey from Cardiff-Portsmouth is in Wales for what? Half an hour before it goes through the tunnel into England. I do agree though that more carriages are needed on the Cardiff-Portsmouth service.

the loaded HST takes them all back to London!!

Bet thats the bit the Cornish people like best, leave you in peace to count the cash.

Oh yes, and all the barely dressed single females that appear!  ;)

We have enough of those here already  :D

Yeah but most of them down ere talk to themselves and have relations with their brothersand fathers!  ;) :D