Loganair's Dundee-London flight is supported by Public Service Obligation funding, along with many of its more remote routes:
New services from Dundee Airport
www.loganair.co.uk
I wouldn5 sa6 Dundee is Central belt.
Loganair's Dundee-London flight is supported by Public Service Obligation funding, along with many of its more remote routes:
New services from Dundee Airport
www.loganair.co.uk
Sorry, just for clarity, this isn’t correct.Whether or not they do, they can claim it back as rail fares are VAT-exempt.
Not forgetting activities that are out of scope of VAT as well.Sorry, just for clarity, this isn’t correct.
Costs incurred in the course of making sales which are exempt from VAT aren’t claimable.
Costs incurred in the course of making sales which are taxable at the zero rate are indeed claimable. This includes rail fares.
As boring a distinction as it might be, there is definitely a difference between sales which are exempt from VAT and those which are taxable at the zero rate.
This sounds entirely accurate. I can’t imagine that the Glasgow or Aberdeen portions see a great deal of tourist traffic (not that they’re too well patronised these days).I use it for work. I was talking to member of staff in CS Guest Centre at Inverness recently and they told me quite a few business people use it.
My experience over the last 25 years is the Fort William and Edinburgh portions are almost entirely tourist. I can't really remember many passengers heading to Aberdeen in the Northbound lounge car at all. Glasgow does have some business traffic Northbound on Thurs and Friday nights but the traffic has steadily declined since the improved frequencies of the wcml improvement. There are some passengers to the near Highlands who use the Glasgow portion for the later departure from London and to avoid really early arrivals at places like Stirling and Perth.This sounds entirely accurate. I can’t imagine that the Glasgow or Aberdeen portions see a great deal of tourist traffic (not that they’re too well patronised these days).
You’re right- Aberdeen bound passengers are definitely in the minority in the northbound lounge car. It’s never a popular destination and these days there’s not even enough business to fill two sleeping cars some nights.My experience over the last 25 years is the Fort William and Edinburgh portions are almost entirely tourist. I can't really remember many passengers heading to Aberdeen in the Northbound lounge car at all. Glasgow does have some business traffic Northbound on Thurs and Friday nights but the traffic has steadily declined since the improved frequencies of the wcml improvement. There are some passengers to the near Highlands who use the Glasgow portion for the later departure from London and to avoid really early arrivals at places like Stirling and Perth.
But is the accommodation on the new stock unsuitable, or is it just the staff don't like it? Quite some time ago on this thread, it was pointed out that the old stock had pantries with full doors and lockable from the inside, and it was suggested that it was the habit of staff to retreat to said pantries to "read their manuals" once most of the passengers were asleep. This facility is no longer available on the new stock, but that does not necessarily make it unsuitable for staff to perform their assigned duties.Not providing suitable staff accommodation like the old stock was already an issue prior to covid and tied up with some of the industrial unrest, covid has just made the issue boil over.
I've travelled to Garelochhead for work intermittently over the last 25 years. You are right there are some people who travel from Fort William to London but the number is very small. Whilst the Fort William area is the second largest urban area in the highland region by population that's still only 10500. Fort William is only really remote these days in the eyes of romantic rail enthusiasts. It's only just over 2 hours by car to Glasgow Airport.I use them all for business except Fort William. Glasgow most often although I often add a bit to the trip and return on one of the Highlanders.
Fort William isn’t only tourists, it’s also used by people from that area travelling to London for various reasons, some leisure and some personal business rather than work busines.
Maybe in perfect conditions, more like two and a half to three hours in normal traffic. It is over 100 miles by the recommended Google Maps route (A82), you are not averaging over 50 mph on the whole route as a rule (i.e. not driving recklessly). The A82 along loch Lomond is slow going with tight blind bends and buses and lorries using the road means you have to drive with great care. There can also be congestion in places, on my recent bus trip we were caught in traffic on Rannoch Moor. Can't remember the last time I got stuck in a traffic jam in an unpopulated area.Fort William is only really remote these days in the eyes of romantic rail enthusiasts. It's only just over 2 hours by car to Glasgow Airport.
Yeah, it just makes it harder to skive...But is the accommodation on the new stock unsuitable, or is it just the staff don't like it? Quite some time ago on this thread, it was pointed out that the old stock had pantries with full doors and lockable from the inside, and it was suggested that it was the habit of staff to retreat to said pantries to "read their manuals" once most of the passengers were asleep. This facility is no longer available on the new stock, but that does not necessarily make it unsuitable for staff to perform their assigned duties.
Can one or two of the cabins be converted to provide staff rest space?But is the accommodation on the new stock unsuitable, or is it just the staff don't like it? Quite some time ago on this thread, it was pointed out that the old stock had pantries with full doors and lockable from the inside, and it was suggested that it was the habit of staff to retreat to said pantries to "read their manuals" once most of the passengers were asleep. This facility is no longer available on the new stock, but that does not necessarily make it unsuitable for staff to perform their assigned duties.
I've travelled to Garelochhead for work intermittently over the last 25 years. You are right there are some people who travel from Fort William to London but the number is very small. Whilst the Fort William area is the second largest urban area in the highland region by population that's still only 10500. Fort William is only really remote these days in the eyes of romantic rail enthusiasts. It's only just over 2 hours by car to Glasgow Airport.
Even the launch of East Coast Trains in October provides earlier and later departures from London and Edinburgh...FW and Inverness do seem to be the busier ones, though, plus Edinburgh. I reckon HS2 will easily kill the latter off with a suitable early departure from both ends, so that leaves a potential single train with 2 portions and some stock to the GW to replace the Mk3s?
The Northbound Citylink services that serve the airport are scheduled 2 hr 50 mins from the airport terminal to Fort William bus station this includes a 5 min "fag" break at Tyndrum and 13 intermediate stops including Crianlarich Village which is bypassed. All forms of travel involve unplanned delays.Maybe in perfect conditions, more like two and a half to three hours in normal traffic. It is over 100 miles by the recommended Google Maps route (A82), you are not averaging over 50 mph on the whole route as a rule (i.e. not driving recklessly). The A82 along loch Lomond is slow going with tight blind bends and buses and lorries using the road means you have to drive with great care. There can also be congestion in places, on my recent bus trip we were caught in traffic on Rannoch Moor. Can't remember the last time I got stuck in a traffic jam in an unpopulated area.
Inverness airport is under 2 hours from Fort William. Business travelers from Inverness or Glasgow to London may well use it (in numbers tiny compared with flying and day trains), but shouldn't they be paying non-subsidised rates? It's not like the sleeper is the only choice, or the most popular, or the cheapest. Business travelers from Manchester to London pay excessive amounts to subsidise other parts of the network
Air travel is not to be encouraged.
I'm not convinced that Edinburgh will be that affected in normal times there is a big overnight tourist market for travel. Its a different experience and it avoids a nights accomodation which is expensive at both ends. I've seen the overnight London to Edinburgh national express service load 8 relief coaches before in the summer at Victoria and its not all the budget travellers you would expect.FW and Inverness do seem to be the busier ones, though, plus Edinburgh. I reckon HS2 will easily kill the latter off with a suitable early departure from both ends, so that leaves a potential single train with 2 portions and some stock to the GW to replace the Mk3s?
Only 8? Try 10 on an August bank holiday a few years back. And I'm sorry but all the the fantasists on here that think HS2 is is ever going to even reach Scotland
And I'm sorry but all the the fantasists on here that think HS2 is is ever going to even reach Scotland nevermind make a big impact when it does really need to get real.
I may be missing something in which case apologies, but why should staff be sleeping during their duty? Of course they should get rest breaks, and I understand there is a break room for this purpose, but they are shift workers, and they need to sleep whilst they’re off shift. Certainly not whilst they’re supposed to be on call for passengers.Can one or two of the cabins be converted to provide staff rest space?
Someone working over a certain period of time is entitled to a break period, shift worker or not - https://www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-workI may be missing something in which case apologies, but why should staff be sleeping during their duty? Of course they should get rest breaks, and I understand there is a break room for this purpose, but they are shift workers, and they need to sleep whilst they’re off shift. Certainly not whilst they’re supposed to be on call for passengers.
Rest breaks at work
Workers have the right to one uninterrupted 20 minute rest break during their working day, if they work more than 6 hours a day. This could be a tea or lunch break.
The break doesn’t have to be paid - it depends on their employment contract.
The cabin could be converted to another rest area, with the beds replaced with seating.I may be missing something in which case apologies, but why should staff be sleeping during their duty? Of course they should get rest breaks, and I understand there is a break room for this purpose, but they are shift workers, and they need to sleep whilst they’re off shift. Certainly not whilst they’re supposed to be on call for passengers.
They are entitled to those.Someone working over a certain period of time is entitled to a break period, shift worker or not - https://www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work
Whilst I believe on-train staff are exempt from these rules, I have not at any point raised a concern about staff having rest breaks during working hours. I have just pointed out that there should not be an expectation that staff would be sleeping during their time on the train.Someone working over a certain period of time is entitled to a break period, shift worker or not - https://www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work