First Virgin beating

[daemonoid]

£5.5bn

I can't imagine passengers are going to appreciate the fare rise to support a bid like that.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19264614

The unions are already threatening strike...
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current: ducati monster 750
past: hyosung gt250r, bajaj pulsar 180, hyosung gt 125 comet
@thomasgarrard | www.straitjkt.com | www.racingseven.com

[Alpha-9]

Misleading title, disappointing thread
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Fzr-600 1999

[LustyLew]

I know Virgin weren't exactly stellar in their performance, but have you seen First GreatWestern?!

The first few years 'investment' will come in the guise of changing signs from Virgin Red to First Group Purple.

I remember when my local train operator (Southeastern SCUM!) changed branding (not even franchise, just the colour). Spent wads of cash painting lamp posts and bannister rails. Didn't even do a proper job in them, just slop a colour on!

This is a pointless venture, just purely a cash source for our illustrious government! CUNTS!
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Like a Yorkie - I'm not for the girls

[Marcg868]

Aslong as they keep the Pendolinos, as i can't Imaigine London Euston to Glasgow being comforable on a crappy train.

Mind you, First Trans Penine express seem to be reliable.
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JACK, MISS YOU LOADS YOU LEGEND.

[Rogerborg]

Rest assured, FirstGroup won't be able to afford to pay the promised bribes. I imagine they're looking at what happened with the banks and proceeding on a "too big to fail" aka "nice industry you've got here, it'd be a shame if anything 'happened' to it" basis.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Frost]

Virgin > Firstgroup > First Great Western > Walking > Poke in the eye with a sharp stick > Arriva trains.
Once i went for a job interview by Arriva train.They only ran once every 2 hours so i was going to end up getting to the interview an hour early. The train got cancelled, the next train was 3 hours late. So that was a 5 hour wait on the platform to be 4 hours late for the job. By way of compensation everyone got a free drink. They only had coffee, no milk & no sugar. As far as i'm concerned once they take over a bit of railway line it disappears off the national network due to being totally unusable.

[iMark]

[Mr.Everready]

[Rogerborg]

That was 2007 and 2009 though, FirstGroup may be betting that things are different now. Look at Vodaphone and their "And what if we don't pay that billion pound tax bill, what then?"

I don't know how else to explain it, their sums appear to be complete fantasy. The All Holy Market thinks so, their share price dropped 10% when they won the bid / hung the albatross around their necks
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[daemonoid]

[angryjonny]