Two new fleets AND ran to Manchester?! | Midland Mainline - Failed Franchises #17

Hello & welcome to the seventeenth episode of Failed Franchises. In this series I look at train companies that have failed at their franchise agreements or have been criticised by passengers & industry alike to decide whether or not an operator is a failure or not. Today is the first episode of my Midland Mainline operators series where I look at the first privatised operator of the MML, creatively named Midland Mainline!
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[@Vanmanyo]

Thanks for watching! I hope you enjoyed this first episode of my MML series :D 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; Class313: www.youtube.com/@class313 Tony (Anthony Rispoli): www.youtube.com/@Tonysrailvideos Another huge thanks to my new members who joined after I uploaded this video: Callum Martyn Bell (First Class) and Honarata (Standard class). You can get your name in my videos from £2.99/month!

[@Coloribus2004]

Midland Mainline was I believe one of the few privatization companies that succeeded. I mean interviewing customers for what they wanted on their trains, and then following through on their requests, pro business operations

[@Eric_Hunt194]

Unlike Northern (Arriva version) who did a "seat survey" and ignored the results!

[@DKS225]

Slightly more interesting is that MML and EMT not only ran Summer Saturday Specials including the Nottingham-Skegness but also ran Christmas Specials to Lincoln Central.

[@Vanmanyo]

I heard about the summer services to Skegness (EMR are doing them this summer), but a winter service to Lincoln is interesting!

[@grahamallen1970]

And summer Saturdays trip to Scarborough

[@CB-OnTheGo]

@@Vanmanyo The Christmas Specials were for the Lincoln Christmas Market. Of course, now the market has been scrapped for being too busy; we'll not see those (or as many charter trains) in the city.

[@quintuscrinis8032]

Scrapped for being too busy? Now that's a new one 😂​

[@garfstiglz3981]

Midland Mainline did not have its contract stripped from it. It was actually stabbed in the back by National Express who gave the contract up in favour of the NXEC franchise out of Kings Cross, which ultimately failed.

[@Vanmanyo]

I never mentioned their contract being stripped to be fair! That was just an example of what could classify an operator as 'failed' - however I don't believe MML was failed really! Sorry if it wasn't clear :(

[@TransportGeekery]

It was called Project Rio because Rio Ferdinand had recently transferred from Leeds United to Manchester United, and it was the erstwhile Leeds services that were transferred to Manchester Piccadilly.

[@beardedmonkey1320]

when stagecoach took over fare prices drastically increased and made little to no investments, many former main stations became stopping servive stations where hst class 43's would not stop at, i can recall waiting in leicester many times having to wait while hst's would stop at market harborough then straight to st pancras while 4 car 222's would stop at every station and be overcrowded, EMR has made more investment since introducing class 360's serving corby kettering wellingborough bedford and luton with either 4 or 8 car formations and soon replacing class 222's with iet class 810's and the line recieving 25kv electrification to leicester by the end of 2025. if i had to name a franchise that failed it most definately would be stagecoach.

[@Eric_Hunt194]

It's a shame the Barnsley service didn’t succeed, I'd have liked to see it extended to Huddersfield rather than cut back. Though once the 222s came in they would've been awkward to run to Huddersfield as the final viaduct before Huddersfield station had a severe weight restriction on it. At the time only units that were classed as DMUs (which 22x aren't) could use it, even now anything heavier is restricted to 10mph. The MML 170s were surprisingly comfortable for a Turbostar, especially in First Class. After they moved to Central Trains they briefly ran with the first class seats still in place, but declassified as CT was a standard only TOC.

[@keithrussell9834]

I do miss Midland Mainline. The 09.27 departure from sheffield was the train I would normally travel on to London in which it used to arrive in Bedford early enough for a smoke stop (before the smoking ban) before arriving in London a few minutes early. This TOC had a lot of potential but it had the wrong owners and it would be nice to see a relaunch of MML if the railways get renationalized

[@CB-OnTheGo]

I often used the MML when travelling between Nottingham & London. Free tea and coffee for everyone was a game changer back in the day. Nowadays on EMR you are lucky to get a cup in 1st class. Especially on the 2 early departures from Lincoln to St Pancras. I've got some footage of the first day of operation of the Hykeham to St Pancras service somewhere on the hard drive that you can use if it's of any use.

[@thomascundy5665]

Due to being a young youth at the time of MML, but I only remember seeing HSTs, 222s and not the 170s. But my interest peaked in my 20s so by which time, I had missed a lot of interesting things

[@THEKEITHVALERAILWAY]

first nonmember again, i really enjoy the failed franchises series and this sub-series is going to be very interesting, i also think MM had one of the best liverys for pre-2010 operators

[@Vanmanyo]

Thank you! 😆

[@paulinegeorge289]

I also liked MML and there operations around Leicestershire.

[@EuroDC1990]

I live in Sheffield and really miss Midland Mainline. I have fond memories of them from when i was younger. Their customer service was fantastic, the onboard experience was great and the free tea and cofee on board was a nice touch. The lime and orange colour scheme was a bit out there but i liked it, the rebrand looked good though, the refurbished HSTs looked smart both inside and out, the Meridians had the best on board atmosphere of any of the new generation of trains (though quite why they went for purple and orange seat covers, I've no idea). East Midlands Trains i absolutely hated, their interior refurbishments just seemed tacky and over the top, their customer service was appalling and prices seemed to go through the roof. I'll grant them though that two trains an hour from Sheffield was definitely a good thing. EMR showed promise initially, I'm yet to be fully convinced on them but I'll reserve judgment until their regional trains are refurbished and the new ones enter service. Ultimately though, if i want to get to London these days i normally travel from Sheffield to Doncaster and use LNER/Hull Trains. I find the service is better, normally cheaper, often takes no longer, and I'd much rather use Kings Cross then St Pancras any day. The EMR platforms at St Pancras really aren't fit for purpose at all. And finally, on a completely unrelated note, look at that Thameslink livery! Eye catching but classy, can we have that back please rather than the dire nothing of a livery we have now?

[@Vanmanyo]

Thanks for your bumper comment! Do stay tuned for my videos on EMT and EMR, and yes the thameslink livery looks very royal doesn't it!

[@AFCManUk]

I always got confused between Midland Mainline and London Midland, lol.

[@Eric_Hunt194]

Were those two ever in operation at the same time? Don't think there was any overlap as MM ended at the same time that Central Trains was split up.

[@Andrewjg_89]

I do remember Midland Mainline and I have been on Midland Mainline from Norwich to Ely and Peterborough when I used to live in Norfolk.

[@tomheadington4762]

Some of these services are really interesting such as the direct service to matlock. Would love to see some of these reinstated.

[@craigymarsh941]

Please do a failed franchise video about First North Western.

[@JackGourdon-je4ze]

great video Vanmanyo!

[@JoeK25301]

I am glad that I grew up during the National Express franchisee era.

[@j0seph_keep]

I know they are not gone but i would love to see a video on SWR

[@anonymousperson26223]

SWT

[@Axolotl-25]

Another great video; i wish i could be a member.

[@Vanmanyo]

Thank you! Don't feel like you have to join or donate or do anything - literally just watching my videos and subscribing means a lot to me so thank you! 😆😆

[@kieranstravels]

I actually really liked the gen 2 MML livery. It was really stylish for it's time, although, I still definitely have a soft spot for the original bambi livery too. Great video as always van :)

[@Vanmanyo]

Thank you! I'm not a huge fan of the second version livery but I think it's cause the first one was so cool!

[@Eric_Hunt194]

The 2nd gen livery was more modern and sleeker, the orange stripes on the original looked a bit rubbish in my opinion. They should have kept the deer logo though!

[@gavlptvbk8665]

They were pretty good. Only negatives that I remember were the awful low back seats in their HSTs, not great for tall people and quite a lot of mechanical issues with the class 43s which left them down on power.

[@DeanBall75]

Yes their HSTs somehow had a bit of a commuter train feel from what I remember

[@AberdonaiBrum101]

Another great video! They sound like a decent operator,OI didn’t travel on them tho

[@kevanhubbard9673]

I got their Scarborough bit under the belt although i can't remember what kind of rolling stock they had on it.Shame it doesn't run anymore although i don't suppose many passengers used it.

[@andrewgee5449]

Slight mistake. The Robin Hood line is between Nottingham and Worksop. It was also ran by Central Trains. But as always its an interesting video. I always enjoyed going on Midland Mainline going to Sheffield or London

[@Vanmanyo]

MML ran a daily service to Worksop I believe! Thanks though 😆

[@Stuartalison]

Rio ferdinand moved leeds to Manchester United

[@PressPlayStudio_Official]

they where easily the best Franchise that ran on the MML on par IMO with EMR but being a purely intercity operator, I feel there contract should have been extended but chances are they would have lost it if they still owned it by the time of NXEC and EXEA By far they the MML was the best Franchise ran by NE

[@chandlerbstransport422]

Ironic that the Island Line was top reliability. I wonder why? 😂 😂

[@PressPlayStudio_Official]

that fact it was SWT subserdary and only a single train

[@Eric_Hunt194]

It was a separate franchise originally, it just happened to be won by Stagecoach who also ran neighbouring South West Trains.

[@rpmillam]

Master Cutler was to/from Sheffield.

[@Vanmanyo]

@@rpmillam ah - what did I say!?

[@rpmillam]

@@Vanmanyo Leeds,Sheffield was known for stainless steel.

[@Vanmanyo]

Sheffield definitely! Sheffield United springs to mind for that.

[@user-vj6op6zi2n]

The service to Manchester was a temporary service while the West Coast Mainline trunk route to Manchester was upgraded.

[@northernblue1093]

Some poor quality (low resolution?) video sequences, otherwise very informative.

[@Vanmanyo]

Well if you have any tips on how i can get high resolution footage (with permission of the owner) from an operator that last ran when the first iphone was still a baby I would love to know!