Who Would Want To Run A Train Compa+ny?

One Man Would …

For the moment we go back a bit. One of the early principles of rail privatisation was that competition should be allowed, nay encouraged, to bring down prices and lift standards – just like it had in the bus industry. 

You are permitted to laugh like a drain – although fbb has to confess he has neither seen nor heard a drain in a titter let alone convulsive guffaws.

fbb will not be too concerned about the detailed history of Open Access but wll cover three such operations that he experienced first hand.

London Crosslink

There were six daily departures Monday to Saturday and five on Sundays. Below is an extract of the timetable, showing the service offered on weekdays heading eastbound:

The train was almost empty.

Wrexham and Shropshire

fbb’s journey was to the Bus and Coach exhibition at the NEC Birmingham.  On the outward journey the train passed through Birmingham International without stopping and was not allowed to serve New Street. The Birmingham stop was at Aston from where fbb caught a local train back to International.

The same process was followed on the return journey. 

The staff on the train back to Marylebone were amazed as fbb (and chum) were he first pax they had ever picked up at Aston. On the return, the train stopped at International for ten minutes but the doors were kept locked!

The staff were so-o-o-o committed and attentive and the grub was superb – all “boil in thr bag” but truly delicious …

Of course, in order to promote competition (see above), the regulator prevented competition and, largely, prevented passengers.

When Arriva bought Chiltern, they promptly closed the Wrexham service. Many of the staff wept on the last day.

Understandably.