PART TWO: The WORST rail contract? | Failed Franchises #26: Arriva Trains Wales

[@Vanmanyo]

A huge thanks to those who have allowed me to use their footage for todays video - whom without this video would not be possible to make; antman09ful: www.youtube.com/@antman09ful1 fmnut: www.youtube.com/@fmnut PTUK/video47: www.youtube.com/@video47 theghostontheline: www.youtube.com/@ghostontheline Also thanks to Iain Murphy, who I forgot to add on the members list!

[@stevie156478]

There is a common theme with Privatised train operators of not long past. They make great investments at the start as part of the franchise commitments and make a loss due to all the money poured in at the start. There is always a gross miscalculation in passenger growth (or lack of!) Then midway the investment is slowly being repaid but not as fast as the parent company predicted. Then as a result towards the end of the franchise - thats when you see the ruthless recruitment freezes, cost cutting, sod all invesment, budgets cut, staff wearing scruffy uniforms as they cant order replacements and whatever small profit "earned" retained to the parent company.

[@kaitlyn__L]

Fantastic wee summary Stevie. Those 5-8 year contracts just weren't flexible enough to account for actual passenger growth numbers. They always over- or under-predicted, causing problems either way.

[@Anonymoususer_8823]

I quite like how Arriva Trains Wales operated across Wales and maintained their trains very well.

[@Snaily]

I remember once, I think in 2019, sitting in Manchester Picadilly through 3 consecutive cancelled Northern (then run by Arriva) trains alongside probably nearly 200 other people before a 2 carriage 142, already with few seats remaining, came trundling along - and that's not even getting into all the times I've been squeezed into single carriage sprinters in Wales after cancellations. I don't know what it is with Arriva but they've never been able to run public transport anywhere.

[@memediatek]

I live in London and the most reliable service ive used locally has been the Overground, ran by Arriva Rail London. Since the large investments that need to be repaid over time are covered by TfL, Arriva focuses on running the railway day to day to earn their payments from TfL. This agreement works very well for everyone involved, with TfL and Arriva speaking highly of the model

[@babufrik8112]

Great content as always very much appreciated. Please do old First Great Western/GWR as it’s been a one TOC franchise pretty much since privatisation and undergone many changes over the years

[@Vanmanyo]

That is 100% on the list!

[@ethmister]

One ownership change but I think it had really been 1 company throughout

[@Andrewjg_89]

I would say that Arriva Trains Wales have made rail services more reliable but yes overcrowding was the main issue and that’s why Arriva Trains Wales became a failure for Wales’s railways.

[@luffyusopp]

Loved the 2 videos have noticed that been sub for 2 months but I’m not on the list at end of video am looking forward to next one

[@Vanmanyo]

Thanks for your support and thanks for enjoying the video :) My deepest apologies if you are not on the list - I check regularly so must have accidentally taken you off, this has been rectified! I'll also put your name in the pinned comment as I forgot to put you in the video :))

[@luffyusopp]

@ thank you am looking forward to the next video love the history of the country’s transport network having travelled by train to Wales, midland, North of England, my local east Anglian rail with grater anglia and Scotland with Scotrail , GNER and Virgin east coast hope that a Scotrail will be on the cards for a future video

[@GabrielSilva-x9c3i]

There is chiden rellways by avrria from 2010

[@LadySophieofHougunManor7325]

Awesome video as always

[@Vanmanyo]

Thankjs for joining Lady Sophie! :D Glad you enjoyed

[@StuAnderson90]

Sounds like you got a doosie of a cold there VanManyo!

[@Vanmanyo]

Oh god yeah! Absolutely terrible 😭 have to get the videos out though 🫡 Just recorded next week's video and my cold has recovered so hopefully my voice over is a bit better 😅

[@StuAnderson90]

You had the lergie 🤣🤣. At least your feeling and sounding better ​@@Vanmanyo

[@Vanmanyo]

Literally just a cold nose though! Thanks 😅

[@LadySophieofHougunManor7325]

No your not been harsh 💯 agree with you

[@ThatTransportGirl]

Nice video❤❤

[@kaitlyn__L]

"With the addition of Welsh, UK and EU government funding, they did achieve a lot of their aims" that kind of tells the whole story of franchising, doesn't it? Improvements generally only come when the state funds it, completely undermining the entire argument for privatisation. (Virgin Trains West Coast seemingly being the exception to prove the rule... especially given how Virgin mismanaged their other franchises.)

[@Mark26879]

Tfw are no different. Overcrowding still a big thing. New trains the have should have been more than 2/3cars. Hollyhead to Birmingham still using 2 car 158 sets. Don’t think I’ve ever got a seat on that service

[@StuAnderson90]

Back as a member

[@Vanmanyo]

Thanks Stu!

[@hearingthesmells2500]

More like 100% wallet tax

[@TransportManUK]

2016 RWC??

[@Vanmanyo]

Yes I meant 2015! I went to it so I should know of all people 😅

[@Jimbobthon]

Sorry, £2 plus 10% of your lost wallet monies in order to get the wallet back. No wonder people hated Arriva, that's blatant theft regardless of company policy I never liked Arriva, always finding ways to rip you off. I used to work up Llanishen way, so used the Coryton line. Which was frequently seeing train cancellations

[@gethinbowen2211]

Well both ATW/TFW are both awful, always cancellations, delays, etc. Wales has one of the worst railways in the UK

[@GabrielSilva-x9c3i]

Qhat

[@ILoveBelarus962]

Belarusian ahh comment