Give new rail firm a chance (From Gazette)
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Give new rail firm a chance
11:25am Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Letters
The Greater Anglia rail franchise has now commenced and, thankfully, National Express is no longer involved. However, I have my reservations, given all the rebranding which our trains have undergone, from Great Eastern and Anglia Railways to One and then National Express East Anglia and now to Great Anglia, which I am sure comes with some extra gofaster stripes for our trains!
Think how much of our taxpayers’ money and passengers’ money will have been wasted on all this nonsensical rebranding in the last few years, and yet nothing improved. Great Anglia will still consist of the same staff, the same tardy and antiquated trains and the same track.
So, what, in reality, will change? Fares will continue to rise, we have 36 carriages being removed and have only been promised improved customer services and a deep clean of the trains.
However, the Dutch are an efficient and likeable bunch, so let’s give them a chance.
I think Jimmy Saville was right, this is the age of the train. But, in the case of our line, our trains really are of an age – clapped out!
Martin Goss
Dickenson Road
Colchester
Arthur Fonzarelli says...
12:13pm Wed 8 Feb 12
ABELLIO are new and can only really deliver a change customer service, this approach may actually delay more trains. NATIONAL EXPRESS used the little known performance target called 'PPM' to its advantage by running on time trains without passengers and cancelling trains to help achieve their targets.
Hopefully ABELLIO will resist temptation to fudge the figures and actually treat the paying passengers with some respect, for example holding connections and giving truthful communications in times of disruption! If ABELLIO can do this then only an idiot would not award them a longer franchise in 2 years....oh bugger!