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DidcotPunter
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« on: June 12, 2013, 09:34:29 » |
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The government's Directly Operated Railways has submitted an application for a safety case to operate the GW▸ franchise. So are the talks on franchise extension in trouble or is this a negotiating ploy by DfT» . Or is this a normal contingency plan and the RMT▸ are mischief-making? http://www.rmt.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=174667 |
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Andrew1939 from West Oxon
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« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2013, 09:46:31 » |
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This announcement comes from RMT▸ , probably one the most major objectors to rail privatisation.
Only one sentence is official and I suspect that this is just safety back up procedure in case negotioations fail. The Conservative controlled coalition government will want to keep Greater Western where it is for both political and practical reasons so I would not read too much into the RMT statement.
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Red Squirrel
Administrator
Hero Member
Posts: 5455
There are some who call me... Tim
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« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2013, 09:50:14 » |
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I will smile a knowing smile when Lord Crow of Shadwell becomes the first chairman of the fully-privatised re-integrated Great Western Railway...
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Things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.
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ChrisB
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« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2013, 10:03:19 » |
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DOR are just keeping alll options open.
There is a deadline of 13th (I think) October for agreement on an extension. DOR need these certificates in place before that date in order to continue running trains the day afterwards.
I don't think the DfT» will roll over for any money though - they will want to get a decent deal for the taxpayer.
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DidcotPunter
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« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2013, 10:13:57 » |
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I'm trying to remember but I think that DOR did something similar during the franchise extension negotiations with Virgin Trains. Can't recall if the RMT▸ picked up on that!
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anthony215
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« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2013, 12:49:54 » |
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I'm trying to remember but I think that DOR did something similar during the franchise extension negotiations with Virgin Trains. Can't recall if the RMT▸ picked up on that!
Not they didnt I think and the DFT▸ did something similar with the C2C franchise. Anyway Some of what I have read from the RMT during the last day or two is a bit of wishful thinking I think. |
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ChrisB
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« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2013, 14:00:24 » |
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Mark Hopwood put out a note, of which these are the last two paragraphs.... In fact, the DfT» has reiterated this position this morning in the following statement:
^Whenever the DfT enters negotiations for a new franchise agreement it has to ask
Directly Operated Railways to carry out minimum preparatory work to protect
passenger services. This is just a routine standard procedure and part of the
Government^s sensible contingency planning. It does not relate in any way to how
the negotiations are proceeding and it is wrong for the RMT▸ to suggest otherwise.^ |
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Chris from Nailsea
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« Reply #7 on: July 05, 2013, 23:57:52 » |
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From the BBC» : First Great Western submits rail franchise bid
Train operator First Great Western has submitted its bid to extend its current contract by more than two years.
It follows a request by the government earlier in the year asking if it could operate trains on the Great Western line for another 33 months.
It followed the collapse of the West Coast Mainline deal.
The First Great Western franchise includes services from London Paddington to South Wales, the Cotswolds and the West of England.
Ten of the country's 16 rail franchises are due for renewal before the general election, expected in 2015.
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William Huskisson MP▸ was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830. Many more have died in the same way since then. Don't take a chance: stop, look, listen.
"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner." Discuss.
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ChrisB
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« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2013, 19:57:31 » |
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Glad to hear that as July 4 was the deadline....
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grahame
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« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2013, 20:02:55 » |
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Glad to hear that as July 4 was the deadline....
DOR are just keeping alll options open.
There is a deadline of 13th (I think) October for agreement on an extension. DOR need these certificates in place before that date in order to continue running trains the day afterwards.
Does that mean that the DfT» now have three months to consider the bid and decide (perhaps with a few bits of negotiation and bargaining in there), or would there be an earlier outcome? That October date sound very much like the date that the current extension must end. |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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ChrisB
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« Reply #10 on: July 06, 2013, 20:08:18 » |
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The current arrangement must funish in that date in October as its as far as the current franchise can legally be extended.
When the announcement of what follows is made, I din't know - but would guess it has to be while Parliament is sitting...
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grahame
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« Reply #11 on: August 15, 2013, 21:28:11 » |
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I'm not sure if the views in this piece would be widely shared ... http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/136541?... but it seems to be one of the few data sources talking about the timetable for this autumn. Any other links to offer, folks? |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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grahame
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« Reply #12 on: August 16, 2013, 07:11:39 » |
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From the Western Daily Press this morning Railway talks in 'chaos' claims
The West's under-fire train company has dismissed as "baseless" claims that the negotiations with the Government over the new franchise are "teetering on the brink of collapse".
The denial comes on the day the firm was named as the least popular rail company among passengers.
First Great Western said the negotiations with the Department of Transport on a deal to run train services across Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Avon, Somerset and the far South West were "in accordance with the schedule". It denied claims by rail unions that the talks were in trouble.
Article continues at http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Railway-talks-chaos-claims/story-19666499-detail/story.html |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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bobm
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« Reply #13 on: August 16, 2013, 08:03:28 » |
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The denial comes on the day the firm was named as the least popular rail company among passengers. I am not sure that judging a company by the number of "negative tweets" it gets is terribly valid. People are much more likely to take to Twitter to vent their anger than praise - that is human nature. It also doesn't recognise that FGW▸ and SW Trains have been among the more proactive in setting up on social media that some other train operators. |
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trainer
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« Reply #14 on: August 16, 2013, 09:42:06 » |
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But it's cheaper to use Twitter than employ real journalists for stories.
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