Some Good news for a Change

[marky]

A fifth train from Grand Central has to be a plus in my book.
http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/fifth-london-train-for-hartlepool-1-5011105

[fred c]

Agreed "marky" we have used The Grand Central several times & its a really good service, a definite plus for the town.

[not4me]

Good news yes but perhaps not as long lasting as we'd like.
There are moves afoot to have Grand Central 'absorbed' into the East Coast franchise - it was on the BBC local news this morning. Why? 'because GC is forcing the East Coast mainline to reduce its prices'
It's out to consultation at the moment so I hope the local councils, Hartlepool/Sunderland, have made sure that they have their two-penneth in. I doubt it, though, they're too pre-occupied with teddy bears and Owton Manor.

[steveL]

That's a bit worrying. I often wonder whether HBC appreciates just what a plus a direct line to the smoke actually is - I'll be on it today, actually.

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

Grand Central is brilliant...if you travel 1st on the early train they feed you toast, cereal and a never-ending supply of coffee, tea and fruit juice! All their carriages seem less cramped than the East Coast mainline stock too...

[testing times]

They need to get in their supporting the continuance of this service.

[mk1]

I was on a Transpennine train a few weeks ago and  train staff were having a lengthy coversation about the rumours they heard about TP taking over Northern Rail.
The original Grand Central  has already been taken over by a German firm so it  is no longer a really 'independent' operator.

[rabbit]

"by a German firm"

Grand Central are owned by Arriva,  wholly owned subsidiary of German firm Deutch Barn, who are "the largest railway operator and infrastructure owner in Europe" . In effect, Arriva/DB also operates the Tyneside Metro.

Thanks to Wikipedia,

[eddy]

I would hope that the powers that be would see a popular rail service serving the durham coast and seek to preserve it.  Although that is based on the assumption that common sense is employed in the discussions. 

What will actually happen in the future is an alteration of timetables to make the service look less popular and facilitate a much smoother movement of the axe.  Its a tried and tested technique first pioneered by a certain Dr Beaching. 
If we are really lucky we may also get to pay £40m out the public purse as compensation to Arriva once the whole saga is done and all enjoy going back to our usual hourly cattle truck pacer service to Newcastle, for probably the same price as an advanced ticket to London would cost from GC

[mk1]

I was on the GC from York to Hartlepool on Saturday. The train loaded up at York and my main memory (apart from the shouting and 'mock fighting' between tanked up males) is the overpowering smell of beer both in the station and on the train.
The GC prices have slowly risen over the years and are much higher(as a % of the East Coast prices) now than they were at the start of the service.
In my opinion GC will  keep upping the price with the East Coast price as the 'standard' to which they compare. They have a lot of leeway for increases whilst still claiming to be 'cheaper'.
It is also a fact far more people get on Thirsk-York than those who start out in Sunderland-Hartlepool. If the service is cut I can see out leg being the first to suffer.
If The TP/Northern Rail link up  ever becomes a reality then I see scope for running a direct  TP train to Liverpool starting from Sunderland or a link to a connecting train via Thornaby.  Now that  would be an improvement!