East Coast franchise - ongoing discussion, merged topic

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the Northern Echo:

Major delays hit East Coast Mainline

Bank Holiday travellers have been hit by major delays on the East Coast Mainline due to damaged overhead wires.

Approximately 200m of overhead equipment is damaged, affecting all four lines.

No services are running between Grantham and Peterborough, and hundreds of passengers are believed to be stranded at Grantham Station.

One passenger who boarded a train from Durham at 9.41am and arrived at Grantham at 1.05pm, said: "It is absolute chaos here, with 300 to 400 people stuck in the concourse of the station unable to get anyway. We are all being sent by taxi to Peterborough now. This must be costing an absolute fortune."

A statement on the East Coast website says: "Overhead wire problems are causing disruption between Grantham and Peterborough. Because of this, trains are currently unable to run between Grantham and Peterborough. There is no current estimate for when a normal service will resume. There is no replacement road transport available at this time. Passengers are advised to use alternative routes where possible."

A statement from operator Grand Central says: "Network Rail engineers are on site and are working to fix the problem as quickly as possible. Due to the extent of the damage, passengers are being advised not to travel to expect major disruption on the East Coast Main Line for the rest of the day, and to seek other routes for their journeys wherever possible."

[old original]

Not worth a new thread but they've just featured one of the down FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Pullman Restaurants on The ONE Show. Suspect it will be on the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) IPlayer shortly. It's about 15 mins from the start.

Anti-media whinge....
"east coast" gets named and shamed as they have done away with the dining cars, yet with the majority of the item heaping praise on the dining cars that are left I don't believe I heard the name "First Great Western" mentioned once. Praise where praise is due surely??

[Chris from Nailsea]

From The Guardian:

East Coast train's penalty is unfair

A return train ticket gobbled up by a machine at the station led to a hefty extra charge

In March I was travelling on East Coast trains between Leeds and London King's Cross. I had paid the fare of ^88.60 by telephone the previous evening, and picked up the tickets using the machine in London. I went up to Leeds in the morning, but when I returned a few hours later I put my return ticket into the ticket machine at the station and was surprised when it wasn't returned to me despite being valid for travel. All I was left with was the collection receipt. I had to run to get my train.

I showed this to the ticket inspector and explained what had happened, but he didn't believe I'd paid and issued a penalty fare. I was told I wouldn't have to pay a fine if I could prove I'd paid. When I got home I sent a letter along with a copy of a bank statement highlighting a ^88.60 payment to National Express Newcastle plus a copy of my collection receipt.

Despite this they have refused my appeal and Revenue Protection Support Services are now demanding I must pay them ^134.50 within 14 days "in order to avoid further debt recovery action being taken that will incur an additional administration fee of ^20.00".

I purchased my tickets in good faith, I have no idea why my return ticket was retained by the machine. It didn't occur to me that this would be a problem on the train as I knew I had my collection receipt and booking reference. Could you get East Coast to see sense please? SC, Anerley Park, London

***

Yours is one of a number of complaints that we have received recently about the government-owned East Coast, which now runs the rail franchise in place of GNER^▸ (Great North Eastern Railways).

We can't understand the problem the guard had with you. You can clearly prove that you had bought the ticket. The fact that you were travelling on the same day that you picked up the tickets confirms that you couldn't have already used the return. We asked East Coast for a response and it said:

"It is the customer's responsibility to ensure that a valid ticket for travel is in their possession when boarding a train. This condition is clearly outlined in the National Rail Conditions of Carriage, which apply to all train operators' services. A booking reference or other receipt is not valid for travel in its own right, instead of the original travel ticket." It went on to say that it would "sympathetically consider an appeal from you should we receive one". This you are now doing and we will report the outcome.

Ironically, if this had happened to someone with a fixed return ticket, who missed their train to retrieve their ticket from the machine, they'd have got a penalty fare for being on a later train than on the one on which they were booked. You just can't win.

[JayMac]

Where to begin?

"National Express Newcastle"

Who are they?

"....East Coast, which now runs the rail franchise in place of GNER^▸ (Great North Eastern Railways)"

No, in the place of National Express East Coast.

"Ironically, if this had happened to someone with a fixed return ticket who missed their train to retrieve their ticket from the machine, they'd have got a penalty fare...."

What's a fixed return ticket? And there are no Penalty Fares on East Coast.

I know the grauniad is famous for its mistakes, but for an article written by someone offering consumer advice, it really would be worth checking a few facts before publishing.

[Chris from Nailsea]

I merely quote the articles, without passing any comment on the proficiency of the journalists ... 

[JayMac]

Indeed Chris. Well found by the way!

As for the substance of the complaint, I'm afraid the passenger's only real hope of a successful outcome is a goodwill gesture from East Coast writing off the debt.

They should be fortunate that it appears East Coast are pursuing a civil debt rather than a prosecution under railway bye-laws. There is no way for a guard to know that the ticket hasn't been transferred to someone else and that's why they can't allow travel on a receipt or bank statement.

I appreciate that the person concerned said that their ticket was retained by a barrier. It should've been a matter of moments to retrieve it. Unfortunately they made the wrong decision in deciding to run for their train rather than waiting the few moments to get the ticket back.

[readytostart]

Doesn't mention how they got through the barrier after their ticket was retained.

[JayMac]

Interesting point. Must be almost unheard of for an entry barrier to retain a ticket and for the gates to open.

If it was a barrier fault, this person would've only had a half hour wait for the next train. Better that than being chinged for a new fare onboard.

[Ollie]

Interesting point. Must be almost unheard of for an entry barrier to retain a ticket and for the gates to open.

If it was a barrier fault, this person would've only had a half hour wait for the next train. Better that than being chinged for a new fare onboard.

Indeed, barriers won't open unless the ticket is taken out.

Makes me wonder if was a double shuffle. (Someone up behind him to get through gates, and maybe took his ticket)*



*Disclaimer: just a theory obviously don't know this is the case

[brompton rail]

There are at least two, and often more, attendants at Leeds barriers. The story doesn't hold water in my experience. Incidentally East Coast trains depart from platforms 6 or 8 which are adjacent to the barrier. So why did he have to run for the train? And yes they are half houy.

Good news is that the knitting is back up at Tarrington and East Coast will be running, with a few alterations no doubt due to rolling stock out of place (and one set minus a loco!)

[eightf48544]

Good news is that the knitting is back up at Tarrington and East Coast will be running, with a few alterations no doubt due to rolling stock out of place (and one set minus a loco!)

Yes let's hope it stays up off to York Wednesday back Friday. will beusing Off Peaks so will have choice of trains.

[Electric train]

Good news is that the knitting is back up at Tarrington and East Coast will be running, with a few alterations no doubt due to rolling stock out of place (and one set minus a loco!)

Yes let's hope it stays up off to York Wednesday back Friday. will beusing Off Peaks so will have choice of trains.

Tarrington or Tallington there is a level crossing for the A16 across the 4 track railway a Tallington, spent many hours working in the 25kV switch room there and then had to wait for ages to get across the level Xing to get home

[brompton rail]

Whoops! Tallington indeed! Sorry for sloppy typing.

[JayMac]

From an East Coast press release:

Directly Operated Railways Limited (DOR), today announced that the Chairman, Elaine Holt, would be leaving the Company at the end of December, 2011. The announcement coincides with the planned completion of Elaine Holt^s contract.

DOR is the Company established by the Secretary of State for Transport in July 2009.  It fulfils the Secretary of State^s requirements to secure the continued provision of passenger railway services should an existing franchise not be able to complete its full term.  This was the case with National Express East Coast which had operated the East Coast franchise since December 2007.  Its contract was subsequently terminated by the Secretary of State on 13 November 2009.

Elaine Holt was appointed Chairman of DOR by the Secretary of State in July 2009 and has held the position since that time. Coincident with the creation of a new operator on the line, which took over the rail franchise on 13 November 2009, Elaine Holt was also appointed Chairman of East Coast Main Line Company Limited.

The DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) has sought to extend Elaine Holt^s contract, although the two parties were unable to agree terms.

Commenting on today^s announcement, Elaine Holt said:

^I shall be sorry to leave both DOR and East Coast. We^ve achieved a huge amount in the last two years and we^re just starting to see the benefits of the Company turnaround. The Company still has a number of challenges to overcome ^ but I^m absolutely convinced we made the right choices and have established a strong new foundation for our successes to be sustainable.  The franchise extension until the end of 2013 will see this task largely completed ^ with a business in much better shape than when we started.

^I couldn^t have achieved this level of progress without the very strong support from the DOR Board, Karen Boswell (East Coast^s Managing Director) and the rest of the team at East Coast.

^m genuinely regretful of the fact that I won^t now be around to ^finish the job^

Elaine Holt is credited with driving and shaping the turnaround at East Coast. The introduction of a major new timetable and the launch of a new complimentary catering offer in First Class in May 2011, have both been strategically significant and delivered positive results.

Passenger numbers have increased by 3 per cent in the last year (2010/11), and last month DOR posted an operating profit of ^183 million on turnover of more than ^645 million for the year ending 31 March 2011.

It has subsequently returned ^177 million this year in service payments to the public purse ^ and East Coast is now one of the best financial performers in the rail industry.

Following Elaine^s departure, Michael Holden will become Chairman of East Coast, and Doug Sutherland will become Non-Executive Chairman of Directly Operated Railways.  Michael and Doug will undertake these roles on an interim basis until discussions with the Department for Transport on filling the positions permanently are concluded.

[paul7575]

Don't be surprised if she pops up in the Anglian region then...