Re: Connex set to lose UK rail franchise

[matthew@mail.usyd.edu.au (Matthew Geier)]

In article <39F538C0.FE966712@latrobe.edu.au>,
Chris Bell  <cbell@agtester.agr.latrobe.edu.au> wrote:
>
>
>David Bromage wrote:
>
>> Connex is expected to lose its south central franchise after criticism of
>> its management and performance.
>>
>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_987000/987683.stm
>
>Somehow that doesn't surprise me.  When I was there last month I noticed that
>the rolling stock on the line from Bognor was the same swing-door stock as
>when we originally moved to the area in 1979, and even then it wasn't
>anything like new. 

 I think some of those franchises were for only 7 years as well. With fares set,
track access charges set, rolling stock charges set (via a rolling stock
leasing company) the only room to move on costs was to pick on their staff. 
With all their operations staff all ticked off and leaving the job, they can't
run trains....

 Those franchises were almost set to fail from the start....

>Having said that, my impression from travelling around the UK was that almost
>all the infrastructure was getting rather decrepit.  Even Virgin is using
>quite old rollingstock, with some peculiar hybrid HST sets with a diesel loco
>one end and a class 86 electric on the other!  I've no idea how that works.

 Sure the other end wasnt just a 'DVT' (Driving Van trailer). Some of the DVTs 
may even be stripped HST power cars. They have this thing about people riding
in the lead car of a 200km/hr train, so a 'cab-car' is ruled out.

 Virgin is supposed to by buying Tilt trains, but in the privatisation model 
they can't own the trains. They have to get a rolling-stock leasing company
to provide the trains they want, thus they have no direct control over the
financing...
 They don't own the track. They have to convince RailTrack to make the
infrastucture changes to support higher speed operation. RailTrack appear
to be to busy trying to milk access charges than to actually maintain 
any thing. (Sounds like NSW....)