FCC

Entries Tagged as 'FCC'

Mirror, mirror on the wall, which is the dearest train fare of them all?

January 6th, 2012 · 4 Comments · Sandy's blog

I am quoted in a story published today on the BBC News website investigating which is the most expensive rail journey in the UK – see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16390608. I have always argued that St Albans must be up there at the top based on comparisons with other commuter stations at a similar distance from their London [...]

Do you have £100 million spare cash? Do you want to run a railroad?

December 23rd, 2011 · 4 Comments · Sandy's blog

I am indebted to the informative regular newsletter from the local branch of the Association of Passenger Transport Users for alerting me that the Department for Transport has formally asked for expressions of interest in running the new Thameslink rail franchise from 2013.
What this means is that they have issued an “OJEU Notice” – ie [...]

Meeting with Rail Minister about First Capital Connect

December 15th, 2011 · 1 Comment · Sandy's blog

Very useful and wide-ranging meeting this afternoon with Rail Minister Norman Baker MP in the House of Commons. I was accompanied by Caroline Pidgeon AM, chair of the Greater London Assembly Transport Committee, and by Chris White, leader of the opposition on Herts County Council.
We took with us a dossier prepared by two St Albans [...]

Is First Capital Connect waking up and smelling the coffee?

March 24th, 2010 · 1 Comment · Sandy's blog

I received an e-mail from Neal Lawson, Managing Director of First Capital Connect.
He wrote that he and senior colleagues “have spoken to and corresponded with many customers as well as meeting with a high proportion of MPs along the route.”
And guess what, they have decided to improve the compensation package for season ticket holders [...]

A new vision for our railway

March 17th, 2010 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

It was rather an irony that we had to slightly delay the start of last night’s public meeting on FCC’s lamentable performance and what steps can be taken to hold them to account or even remove their franchise. This was because main speaker Norman Baker’s northbound train was delayed. You couldn’t make it up.

The picture [...]

“Should FCC lose its franchise?” – Public Meeting 16th March

March 9th, 2010 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

I am still being inundated daily with e-mails and telephone calls about continued erratic performance from First Capital Connect. And their mean and overly complex compensation offer is leaving people frustrated and angry.
The mechanism exists for rail franchises to be handed back if franchisees fail to deliver the promised service. FCC seems to have had [...]

Would our trains always run on time if radio, television and the FCC top brass came to St Albans station every evening?

February 5th, 2010 · 3 Comments · Sandy's blog

It’s just a thought.
The arrival and departure boards at St Albans City gleamed with on-time trains tonight. How different from recent months. And what a coincidence that the FCC top management were doing their Meet the Managers (or “Face the Music”) session, not to mention more radio and television crews as well as local media [...]

“FIRST – Transforming Travel”

February 2nd, 2010 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

I had not consciously logged First Group’s strapline until I was sitting this afternoon in a Palace of Westminster committee room seeing a set of slides produced by Mary Grant, chair of First Capital Connect and managing director of all First Group’s rail operations.
FCC certainly has “transformed” travel but not perhaps in the way that [...]

We apologise to passengers for late-running and niggardly compensation

February 1st, 2010 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

First Capital Connect is making a dog’s breakfast of its compensation offer for the months of hopeless service. Why am I not surprised? I am joining Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker MP in a meeting tomorrow with Neal Lawson, the new occupant of the FCC managing director’s office, and I will be saying that [...]

“First Crapital Connect”? – heads they win, tails we lose

December 17th, 2009 · No Comments · Sandy's blog

I have just received the latest newsletter from our local Association of Passenger Transport Users (APTU). It makes fairly dismal reading.
The 14 December temporary timetable still shows a reduction of 30% in the advertised train service – hardly an improvement on the previous timetable which was a reduction of 38%.
Apparently drivers at two of the [...]

Sandy 4 St Albans

Sandy Walkington campaigns with the Liberal Democrats across St Albans