Cross Country Destruction of service

[whole diary]

[Super Guard]

Had a chat with a XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) employee earlier.  A few points of interest:

*Voyagers are running round with 1 engine isolated to save fuel.  They are therefore hoping that they don't have further engine failures.
*Some toilets are remaining unemptied to save costs.  Apparently it costs ^8 per toilet.
*Some toilets are not being tanked properly with water either.
*XC MD has admitted that they "got it wrong at Christmas" with regards to running 4-5 car voyagers full and standing PNZ/PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains)-North and cutting all the Bristol-Manchester services.
*HST^▸ (High Speed Train) sets are paid on a "pay as you go" type agreement, hence having the sets sat around at Christmas cost XC nothing.
*Apparently all the Bristol crews got to sit spare, while Plymouth got all the grief up to Birmingham.
*Bombardier expect the shops put back into Voyager sets when they are returned, and one Bombardier maintenance inspector has examined a 5 car set, and has noted the damage that is being done to the seat "ears" and general damage that bashing the trolley around the set causes.

[inspector_blakey]

I just think Arriva are no good at running train companys and focus on the bus industry 

I think that's rather simplistic - by and large they make a fairly decent fist of running Arriva Trains Wales (at least in my experience which is fairly extensive but concentrated largely on the route between Cardiff and West Wales). COnsidering that the franchise was let as a bargain bucket, "no growth" minimum cost-type arrangement it seems to be doing pretty well. It strikes me that the Achilles heel is the increasingly tired and rat-infested 158 fleet, although these are a fairly rare species on west Wales services today, which are mostly in the hands of 175s to Carmarthen/Milford Haven and 153s to Pembroke Dock.

Had a chat with a XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) employee earlier.  A few points of interest:

*Voyagers are running round with 1 engine isolated to save fuel.  They are therefore hoping that they don't have further engine failures.
*Some toilets are remaining unemptied to save costs.  Apparently it costs ^8 per toilet.
*Some toilets are not being tanked properly with water either.
*XC MD has admitted that they "got it wrong at Christmas" with regards to running 4-5 car voyagers full and standing PNZ/PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains)-North and cutting all the Bristol-Manchester services.
*HST^▸ (High Speed Train) sets are paid on a "pay as you go" type agreement, hence having the sets sat around at Christmas cost XC nothing.
*Apparently all the Bristol crews got to sit spare, while Plymouth got all the grief up to Birmingham.
*Bombardier expect the shops put back into Voyager sets when they are returned, and one Bombardier maintenance inspector has examined a 5 car set, and has noted the damage that is being done to the seat "ears" and general damage that bashing the trolley around the set causes.

Assuming that's all correct it's a pretty damning indictment of the state of the CrossCountry franchise!

[dog box]

The ATW^▸ (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company))) 158 fleet is pretty shocking now. was on a 175 recently all sparkly shiny out side but still with the tired old FNWR interior and now getting as bad as the 158 fleet.
On Voyager this week , full and standing from Cheltenham managed to wedge my self in by a toilet, problem was it was  lets play all move round the vestibule dodging the cases when someone wanted to use the loo.
More worryingly a visually impared passengers guide dog nearly got sliced in 2 by those bloody horrendous sliding doors when going with its owner to the loo.
The whole atmosphere was stressful , the staff do there best, but these units are not fit for purpose

[woody]

Had a chat with a XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) employee earlier.  A few points of interest:

*Voyagers are running round with 1 engine isolated to save fuel.  They are therefore hoping that they don't have further engine failures.
*Some toilets are remaining unemptied to save costs.  Apparently it costs ^8 per toilet.
*Some toilets are not being tanked properly with water either.
*XC MD has admitted that they "got it wrong at Christmas" with regards to running 4-5 car voyagers full and standing PNZ/PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains)-North and cutting all the Bristol-Manchester services.
*HST^▸ (High Speed Train) sets are paid on a "pay as you go" type agreement, hence having the sets sat around at Christmas cost XC nothing.
*Apparently all the Bristol crews got to sit spare, while Plymouth got all the grief up to Birmingham.
*Bombardier expect the shops put back into Voyager sets when they are returned, and one Bombardier maintenance inspector has examined a 5 car set, and has noted the damage that is being done to the seat "ears" and general damage that bashing the trolley around the set causes.

Also heard that Arriva had asked the Dft if they could stop running past Plymouth into Cornwall and and similarly teminating northbound services at Edinburgh but were told they have to continue to honour their franchise committments.
  Clearly another franchise heading for the financial rocks.
 Agree with "Modern Railways magazines" Roger Fords call to re-create "Inter City" in some form as the former inter-city run into financial problems or terminate naturally.

[devon_metro]

The XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) franchise does seem to be going to the dogs. On rare occasions when I must travel on Voyagers it does give me the impression the fleet is being run into the ground. Perhaps I'm used to comparing it to their rather excellent but sadly wasted HST^▸ (High Speed Train) fleet.

[Super Guard]

I should stress this was from an employee view, so no idea how accurate some of the 'info' was.  Although I was told that they got the general staff morale was not good and it feels like they are just being penny pinched and asset stripped.

What baffles me about the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) are the fact that they have an area (about the size of a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) mini-buffet) used for storage/catering that I don't see why it couldn't have been made into a buffet!

[devon_metro]

I should stress this was from an employee view, so no idea how accurate some of the 'info' was.  Although I was told that they got the general staff morale was not good and it feels like they are just being penny pinched and asset stripped.

What baffles me about the HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) are the fact that they have an area (about the size of a FGW^▸ (First Great Western) mini-buffet) used for storage/catering that I don't see why it couldn't have been made into a buffet!

Because Trolleys maximise catering revenue! Same reason as to why First Class is visited last when there is no FC^‡(resolve) host - to maximise revenue.

Funny thing is, the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) allowed XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) to operate such a poor xmas service!

[paul7575]

*XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) MD has admitted that they "got it wrong at Christmas" with regards to running 4-5 car voyagers full and standing PNZ/PLY^» (Plymouth - next trains)-North and cutting all the Bristol-Manchester services.

That combined hourly service seems on the face of it to be completely against the franchise requirements, which is for the normal weekday service to run between Boxing Day and New Year's eve.  Must they have had DfT^» (Department for Transport - about)'s permission?

*Bombardier expect the shops put back into Voyager sets when they are returned, and one Bombardier maintenance inspector has examined a 5 car set, and has noted the damage that is being done to the seat "ears" and general damage that bashing the trolley around the set causes.

I can't think of a situation where the XC fleet will be returned to anyone.  They'll almost certainly stay on the XC route until they are scrapped.  So what we need is a prospective franchisee to suggest to the DfT that they intend to remove seating to reinstate the luggage racks and move the bike storage, so they can reinstate the shop.  Can't see it myself...

Paul
 

[Super Guard]

I can't think of a situation where the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) fleet will be returned to anyone.  They'll almost certainly stay on the XC route until they are scrapped.  So what we need is a prospective franchisee to suggest to the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) that they intend to remove seating to reinstate the luggage racks and move the bike storage, so they can reinstate the shop.  Can't see it myself...

Paul
 

They'll replace the 142s going to Exmouth in 20 years time 

[eightf48544]

Will they last 20 years?

I expect there will still be 142s on the Exmouth Branch when the first Vomiter is scrapped.

[thetrout]

I travelled with XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) just after Christmas on a 07:30 working IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly)... No First Class Host, trolley came round once between Bristol and Birmingham... Cup of tea was luke warm, had a crossiant which set me back ^1.50... it was burn't so i took it back and the RSM who shall remain nameless refused to give me a refund... So i took emmense pleasure in photographing it and sent it in an email to XC Customer Services... My inbox still awaits a reply... I know I should follow it up really, but they haven't replied to any of my complaint letters (i've sent at least 3) so for the sake of ^1.50 I haven't followed it up...

Let me put things in perspective here of how displeased I am with XC... That is when I travel to places like Wrexham & Shrewsbury, I take FGW^▸ (First Great Western) > Reading, FGW Stopper Turbo thingy > Banbury and then the most highly satisfactory Wrexham and Shropshire service I will now no longer go via Cheltenham...!

I too have spoken to XC staff "off the record" all of which say how badly run XC actually is, and the only reason they turn up to work is to get paid and also they work to rule... which in laymans terms... means the passenger suffers...

 

[caliwag]

Ha Ha...watch out...the Ryanair of railways. In a year or two we'll wonder at the notion that they even had shops...amateurs or very clever thinking!!
As long as I can take EC to KX...then Padd to Truro...all 125, I'll be happy. DaFT^» (Department for Transport - critical sounding abbreviation I discourage - about) do need to get a grip.

[Timmer]

Well well well, what have we here? XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) have reinstated pdfs of XC timetables on their website:
http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/Find_a_train/Pocket_timetables.aspx
Must have got fed up with complaints asking why they can't be found on the XC website. Just goes to show that if enough people complain about something you might get it changed.

Well done XC, at least it shows you listened.

[willc]

And they are actually stopping more Birmingham-Nottingham trains on a trial basis from May at Willington, between Derby and Burton-upon-Trent.

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/About_us/Press_and_media_2010/Additional_services_at_Willington.aspx

[Btline]

And they are actually stopping more Birmingham-Nottingham trains on a trial basis from May at Willington, between Derby and Burton-upon-Trent.

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/About_us/Press_and_media_2010/Additional_services_at_Willington.aspx