More Stobart cancellations

I see that all the Stobart charters for the rest of this month have been
cancelled, and its Web site just says, "Our site is currently
unavailable. Apologies for any inconvenience."

I'd imagine that bookings have been catastrophically low -- will Stobart
stay in this business? It certainly can't continue in this way.

"Recliner" <nigelp@clara.co_dot_uk> wrote in message
news:1216065054.9750.0@proxy01.news.clara.net...
>I see that all the Stobart charters for the rest of this month have been
>cancelled, and its Web site just says, "Our site is currently unavailable.
>Apologies for any inconvenience."
>
> I'd imagine that bookings have been catastrophically low -- will Stobart
> stay in this business? It certainly can't continue in this way.


The road haulage side will stay in business because hes tied the fuel costs
into the contracts.

McK.

"Recliner" <nigelp@clara.co_dot_uk> wrote in message
news:1216065054.9750.0@proxy01.news.clara.net...
>I see that all the Stobart charters for the rest of this month have been
>cancelled, and its Web site just says, "Our site is currently unavailable.
>Apologies for any inconvenience."
>
> I'd imagine that bookings have been catastrophically low -- will Stobart
> stay in this business? It certainly can't continue in this way.

A thought - perhaps they'll realise that given a choice, charter passengers
want to travel in carriages in traditional liveries, even 'rail blue', but
not in mobile adverts for the Stobart group?

Paul

"Paul Scott" <notvalidpmscott@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:8ZidnVgbTL00VeDVRVnyvgA@bt.com
> "Recliner" <nigelp@clara.co_dot_uk> wrote in message
> news:1216065054.9750.0@proxy01.news.clara.net...
>> I see that all the Stobart charters for the rest of this month have
>> been cancelled, and its Web site just says, "Our site is currently
>> unavailable. Apologies for any inconvenience."
>>
>> I'd imagine that bookings have been catastrophically low -- will
>> Stobart stay in this business? It certainly can't continue in this
>> way.
>
> A thought - perhaps they'll realise that given a choice, charter
> passengers want to travel in carriages in traditional liveries, even
> 'rail blue', but not in mobile adverts for the Stobart group?

Yes, I think they certainly overdo the Stobart branding, not just on the
carriages, but in the brochures, Web site (when it works), etc. They
don't seem to realise that strong brands in one field aren't
automatically strong in a completely different field.

But it also doesn't help that they aren't offering many interesting
routes, and are trying to run too many from Scotland. How many Scots
really want expensive days out to Lancashire? Also, being all first
class, they are further limiting the market. And with all these
cancellations, would anyone trust them to honour any booking (as John
Farrow is fast to point out)?

Recliner wrote:
> "Paul Scott" <notvalidpmscott@btinternet.com> wrote in message
> news:8ZidnVgbTL00VeDVRVnyvgA@bt.com

>>> I'd imagine that bookings have been catastrophically low -- will
>>> Stobart stay in this business? It certainly can't continue in this
>>> way.
>>
>> A thought - perhaps they'll realise that given a choice, charter
>> passengers want to travel in carriages in traditional liveries, even
>> 'rail blue', but not in mobile adverts for the Stobart group?
>
> But it also doesn't help that they aren't offering many interesting
> routes, and are trying to run too many from Scotland. How many Scots
> really want expensive days out to Lancashire? Also, being all first
> class, they are further limiting the market. And with all these
> cancellations, would anyone trust them to honour any booking (as John
> Farrow is fast to point out)?

Suggestions on a couple of rail forums that the plug has been pulled. Who
owned the coaching stock - Stobart themselves?

Paul

"Paul Scott" <notvalidpmscott@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:SfKdncExnI76a-DVRVnyuAA@bt.com
> Recliner wrote:
>> "Paul Scott" <notvalidpmscott@btinternet.com> wrote in message
>> news:8ZidnVgbTL00VeDVRVnyvgA@bt.com
>
>>>> I'd imagine that bookings have been catastrophically low -- will
>>>> Stobart stay in this business? It certainly can't continue in this
>>>> way.
>>>
>>> A thought - perhaps they'll realise that given a choice, charter
>>> passengers want to travel in carriages in traditional liveries, even
>>> 'rail blue', but not in mobile adverts for the Stobart group?
>>
>> But it also doesn't help that they aren't offering many interesting
>> routes, and are trying to run too many from Scotland. How many Scots
>> really want expensive days out to Lancashire? Also, being all first
>> class, they are further limiting the market. And with all these
>> cancellations, would anyone trust them to honour any booking (as John
>> Farrow is fast to point out)?
>
> Suggestions on a couple of rail forums that the plug has been pulled.
> Who owned the coaching stock - Stobart themselves?

DRS own the Mk 3 carriages and locos, and are the official operating
company. It's odd that they would do this for what is effectively just a
tour promoter, which must cut the chances of leasing the train to anyone
else.

They would surely have done better to have used a smart, anonymous
livery, with discrete DRS logos (as they do internally). I assume
Stobart must have paid for the re-branding, without having retained any
of John Farrow's expertise in running a charter tour company of this
type.

On Jul 16, 8:19 pm, "Recliner" <nig...@clara.co_dot_uk> wrote:
>
> But Stobart did pitch their prices at the high end, presumably on the
> basis that people would pay premium prices for a smart Mk 3 train and
> the Stobart brand. They also set the same £149 price, regardless of tour
> distance, unlike the other charter companies.  But that was only one of
> their many mistakes...

The elegance of Pullman travel combined with the over-stated brand of
a trucking company... chalk and cheese to say the least.

"EE507" <ee507@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:010dfdbc-fd7f-4e9e-90eb-d0661f34cdac@z72g2000hsb.************.com...
On Jul 16, 8:19 pm, "Recliner" <nig...@clara.co_dot_uk> wrote:
>
> But Stobart did pitch their prices at the high end, presumably on the
> basis that people would pay premium prices for a smart Mk 3 train and
> the Stobart brand. They also set the same £149 price, regardless of tour
> distance, unlike the other charter companies. But that was only one of
> their many mistakes...

The elegance of Pullman travel combined with the over-stated brand of
a trucking company... chalk and cheese to say the least.

Exactly. the name of a lorry-operator would IMHO put most people off.

Peter Fox

"EE507" <ee507@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:010dfdbc-fd7f-4e9e-90eb-d0661f34cdac@z72g2000hsb.************.com
> On Jul 16, 8:19 pm, "Recliner" <nig...@clara.co_dot_uk> wrote:
>>
>> But Stobart did pitch their prices at the high end, presumably on the
>> basis that people would pay premium prices for a smart Mk 3 train and
>> the Stobart brand. They also set the same £149 price, regardless of
>> tour distance, unlike the other charter companies. But that was only
>> one of their many mistakes...
>
> The elegance of Pullman travel combined with the over-stated brand of
> a trucking company... chalk and cheese to say the least.

This is what the now defunct website said: "The Stobart Pullman is the
latest addition to the UK's iconic superbrand and an extension of the
legendary Stobart reputation for service, style and immaculate
transportation... taste the elegance and splendour of our newly
refurbished Stobart Pullman carriages"

While Stobart-spotting is a popular pastime among bored families rolling
along the motorways, I'd never previous seen it described as an "iconic
superbrand". I suppose they got carried away with their own hype.

In message <1216237637.21750.0@proxy00.news.clara.net>, at 20:46:49 on
Wed, 16 Jul 2008, Recliner <nigelp@clara.co_dot_uk> remarked:
>This is what the now defunct website said: "The Stobart Pullman is the
>latest addition to the UK's iconic superbrand and an extension of the
>legendary Stobart reputation for service, style and immaculate
>transportation... taste the elegance and splendour of our newly
>refurbished Stobart Pullman carriages"
>
>While Stobart-spotting is a popular pastime among bored families rolling
>along the motorways, I'd never previous seen it described as an "iconic
>superbrand".

Or "Immaculate Transportation" (is that anything like Immaculate
Conception??)

>I suppose they got carried away with their own hype.

Yes, they have.
--
Roland Perry