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Rolling towards the new franchises

(13 posts)

  1. Tulyar
    Member

    The process for the new Scottish Sleepers franchise is rolling with a number of prospective bidders doing thier initial work, shortly to be joined by bigger teams chasing the larger Scotrail deal, tracking around 3 months behind the sleeper one, but still with an option to have these combined in the final outcome.

    Meeting Navyblue at a recent session with the current operator on cycling matters, he noted that Spokes has had some contact with prospecting/ive bidders, and I myself had a useful chat with a couple of gentlemen of the Dutch operator Abellio currently in Scotland.

    It would be useful to know who is out there asking for ideas and ways to make their bids effective and profitable, and equally to consider the wish-list that might be delivered in just over a year's time. Interestingly the Transport Scotland franchiosing process has escaped the hiatus that has spilled the soup South of the Border

    Posted 11 years ago #

  2. chdot
    Admin

    And now the main franchise. -

    "
    Transport minister Keith Brown said: “I have invited five experienced rail companies to bid, each of whom demonstrated in its response to the pre-qualification questionnaire an understanding of, and a commitment to realise, our ambitions for a transformed rail service.

    "

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/former-scotrail-boss-in-bid-to-win-back-franchise-1-3169237

    Posted 11 years ago #

  3. Morningsider
    Member

    Three of the five are foreign state owned rail companies - but our own government is banned from operating rail services.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  4. chdot
    Admin

    "but our own government is banned from operating rail services"

    UK, Scottish or both?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  5. Morningsider
    Member

    Both - but only the UK Government can legislate to remove the ban.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  6. Greenroofer
    Member

    I got off the sleeper at Euston last week and noticed that the locomotive at the front was painted red and liveried 'DB Schenker'. The DB stands for Deutsche Bahn, which I understand to be the German state railway.

    It does seem a bit depressing that other countries' state railways run our railways...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  7. kaputnik
    Moderator

    DB Schenker is an entirely-owned Subsidiary of Deutsche Ban, a "private" company owned by the Federal German state. DBS operates their foreign logistics concessions, and the old EWS railway in the UK is just one small part of a far more octopus-like European operation.

    At privatisation, BR spun off freight into commodity sector-based "shadow franchise" organisations;
    Rail Express Systems for parcels and post
    Loadhaul, Mainline and Transrail were theoretical regional "trainload freight" operators, i.e. hauling a complete train of bulk goods from point A to point B.
    Freightliner for "intermodal" container freight

    All good and well on paper, except the first 4 were promptly snaffled up by Wisconsin Central and merged into EWS thereby becoming the dominant freight operator! So it seems that privatisation leads to consolidation and quasi-monopolies forming. And when it's a toss-up between a foreign railway or one of our own dreadful homegrown bus companies running the franchise, I personally think it hardly matters. After all they are only in it to get as much money out of passengers and government and put as little back into it as possible, in the name of "shareholder value".

    EWS itself was largely owned by Wisconsin Central railway of the US, itself a subsidiary of Canadian National Railway. First it was the Canadian-owned Yanks then it was the Germans. Plus ca change.

    Now where was I?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  8. LaidBack
    Member

    I've just met a customer who is involved with campaigning for the West Highland line(s).
    He's campaigning for easier booking methods so people can actually use the sleepers - plus better bike carrying. Having been frustrated by how hidden the operation has been in past any improvement would be welcome.

    Also promoted the idea of the recent summer trains from Edinburgh to Oban to tap into tourist potential.

    This is site he's involved with - some classy pictures of the railway in action amid stunning landscapes. Even if you think you know the route please have a look.
    Friends of the West Highland Lines

    Posted 11 years ago #

  9. Dave
    Member

    After all they are only in it to get as much money out of passengers and government and put as little back into it as possible, in the name of "shareholder value".

    While I can't say I'm a great enthusiast of many big corporate things, it's probably fair to observe that the shareholders are often our pension funds...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  10. chdot
    Admin

    "increasing the number of people cycling would also be part of the next ScotRail franchise from 2015."

    Link at http://www.citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=11581#post-131872

    Posted 11 years ago #

  11. kaputnik
    Moderator

    it's probably fair to observe that the shareholders are often our pension funds

    The principal shareholders of First Group are listed as;

    * Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC (US Hedge fund)
    * Orbis Holdings Ltd (US Hedge Fund)
    * Sandell Asset Management Corp (US Hedge Fund)
    * Majedie Asset Management Limited (UK Hedge Fund)
    * JP Morgan Chase Bank (US, Worlds 2nd largest bank)
    * Lloyds Banking Group Plc (UK, bank)
    * Standard Life Investment Ltd (UK Pensions & Investments)
    * AXA S.A (French Penions & Investments)
    * Artemis Investment Management Limited (UK Hedge Fund)
    * BlackRock Inc (US, world's largest hedge fund)
    * Norges Bank (Norwegian. Bank. Obv.)
    * Universities Superannuation Scheme Ltd (UK Pension Fund)

    There's quite a few in there that I don't think the Scottish rail passenger should be squeezed to provide profits, given the Scottish Government pays large subsidies to First Scotrail anyway.

    Although I believe that First Group overall is performing badly enough to be thoroughly hurting the above shareholdings...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  12. crowriver
    Member

    "Remember, the value of shares and investments can go down as well as up."

    Posted 11 years ago #

  13. Bhachgen
    Member

    I've probably said this before but I never properly appreciated how good (OK - how not bad) Scotrail is until I moved to Lancashire and experienced Northern Rail. They proudly state on the side of the trains that it's "a Serco and Abellio joint venture" - I'd be keeping my involvement quiet if I was Serco or Abellio.

    The few Northern trains where I have spotted a dedicated bike space I have found that it is only long enough to actually fit a bike in if you are 12 years old and your bike is a BMX. Or if you have a folder but then of course you should be able to put it in a luggage rack. Which are also often minimalist at best.

    We even have competition on some of our services here in the form of First Trans-Pennine-Express. TPE have newer, shinier trains than Northern but this is of no consolation when you spend your whole journey standing and squashed - which happens irrespective of time of day as they run less coaches outside rush hour. This competition does not seem to have done anything to encourage either party to sharpen up their act.

    Posted 11 years ago #

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