Arriva still stalling on WiFi installation on CrossCountry

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

A franchise commitment that Arriva have consistently failed to deliver is the introduction of WiFi on the CrossCountry fleet. This should've been installed and operational two years into the franchise in November 2009. Arriva have dragged their heels and a Freedom of Information request has highlighted their obfuscation.

The exchange of emails and other communication between Arriva CrossCountry and the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) has been reported on by The Fact Compiler on the Railway Eye blog.

One hopes that Phillip Hammond is as tough as his predecessors Andrew Adonis and Ruth Kelly were with, respectively, NXEC^▸ (National Express East Coast) and FGW^▸ (First Great Western), when they were attempting to wriggle out of franchise commitments.

[IndustryInsider]

Wasn't there a similar agreement with the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HST^▸ (High Speed Train) fleet which was weaselled out of?

[smokey]

There should be a very simple clause in franchise agreements.

If the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) Fail to honour installing promised systems, Fail to meet agreed proformance levels, ETC. That owning company such as First, Stagecoach etc will NOT be offered to retender for the franchise that they have failed to meet set Levels/Promises on.

[super tm]

no

[JayMac]

eh?

"no" to IndustryInsider or smokey? Or both?

[Ollie]

WiFi was mentioned during talks for the HST^▸ (High Speed Train) refresh - but it isn't a franchise commitment.

[Tim]

There should be a very simple clause in franchise agreements.

If the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) Fail to honour installing promised systems, Fail to meet agreed proformance levels, ETC. That owning company such as First, Stagecoach etc will NOT be offered to retender for the franchise that they have failed to meet set Levels/Promises on.

I agree with you when it comes to major abuses (ie, not running trains).  but things like failure to install WiFi is in a lesser catergory and the TOC should just pay a penalty for small failures like this. 

[JayMac]

Agreed, but the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) shoud still take action, letting TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) get away with the smaller abuses (XCs^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) lack of WiFi, SWTs^▸ (South West Trains) reduction of ticket office hours) just sends the message that they have no b***s and the TOCs can do as they please.

[JayMac]

It appears that the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) have got some cojones after all!

From the Daily Telegraph (05/09/2010):

CrossCountry fined for lack of train WiFi

CrossCountry, which runs trains from Cornwall to north-east Scotland, has been fined for failing to provide WiFi.
 
Documents obtained under Freedom of Information act show the operator has already missed two deadlines set by the Department for Transport to fulfil its obligation under the franchise agreement to provide the service. The service was supposed to be in place by November 11 last year. The company was given until the end of January to install the service, but this date was missed as well.

CrossCountry suggested that the growing use of dongles, devices which link computers to the mobile phone network, meant that WiFi was no longer necessary.

But CrossCountry has now been set a final deadline of September 30 to install WiFi on its fleet of five HST^▸ (High Speed Train) and 57 Voyager trains or it will be fined once more.

WiFi is offered by some other operators including Virgin Trains.

A spokesman for the Department for Transport confirmed action had been taken against the company.

"Cross Country has been charged for failing to introduce WiFi technology into its fleet by the agreed date. We are actively monitoring their progress in achieving a satisfactory solution."

Aswhin Kumar, director of Passenger Focus, the consumer watchdog, voiced disappointment at the delay. He said: "Having WiFi on board is important to passengers. Our research has shown that business passengers value the ability to work on the train with over a third (37pc) saying that this was a key benefit of travelling by rail. Delivering WiFi was a specific commitment in their franchise, so we urge CrossCountry to deliver this service as soon as possible."

A CrossCountry spokesman said the delay was due to technical difficulties especially on the Voyager trains where the signal needed for WiFi is weakened by the high metallic content in the windows.

I find the excuse about the windows a little hard to believe. Virgin have fully functioning WiFi on their Voyagers.

EDIT: It would only appear that XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) have been fined. No real evidence of a fine being levied from the above story.

[grahame]

I find it interesting that the operator of the train service from London to Leeds provides WiFi services, the operator from  Birmingham to York is required to provide them (and is admittedly failing to do so), but there is no such requirement on the operator of trains from London to Plymouth, who merely provide WiFi at 9 of the 210 stations they operate:

http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/on-board-our-trains/In-your-coach/WiFi---Internet-Facilities/
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=81
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3984.0

[Worcester_Passenger]

CrossCountry fined for lack of train WiFi

...

CrossCountry suggested that the growing use of dongles, devices which link computers to the mobile phone network, meant that WiFi was no longer necessary.

...

A CrossCountry spokesman said the delay was due to technical difficulties especially on the Voyager trains where the signal needed for WiFi is weakened by the high metallic content in the windows.

My experience is that "the use of dongles" is adversely affected "by the high metallic content in the windows", to the extent that you can't use them.

But the WiFi in the Virgin Voyagers works fine.

[dog box]

slightly off topic..but does anyone know if XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) have managed to get the computerised reservation thingys working in there HST^▸ (High Speed Train) Sets yet

[super tm]

I find it interesting that the operator of the train service from London to Leeds provides WiFi services, the operator from  Birmingham to York is required to provide them (and is admittedly failing to do so), but there is no such requirement on the operator of trains from London to Plymouth, who merely provide WiFi at 9 of the 210 stations they operate:

http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/on-board-our-trains/In-your-coach/WiFi---Internet-Facilities/
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=81
http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=3984.0

I had not realised that wifi was not available at all FGW^▸ (First Great Western) stations.  It should have been as per :-
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=135


As to why its not required that is due to the different time franchise are let.  As each franchise is let at different times specifications are slightly different. 

I did speak to a manager a couple of years ago and he did say that there are large areas of the network where a decent signal cannot be obtained.  such as Reading to Taunton and large parts of Cornwall.  Things may have changed since then.

[Worcester_Passenger]

I had not realised that wifi was not available at all FGW^▸ (First Great Western) stations.  It should have been as per :-
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=135

Glad to see that this list includes the halts between Oxford and Worcester. I can see the provision of WiFi at Ascott under Wychwood as being of a high priority.