Friday, 29 May 2009

TSC Snow Report is slush

This just in from Sim Harris over at Rail Management...

Today's HoC Transport Select Committee report on the effects of snow on public transport will be a great read for bus fans, because railways are hardly mentioned, even though hundreds of trains from south of the Thames were cancelled on 2 February.

Ms Ellman and chums went into the withdrawal of all London buses at some length, interviewing operators, council people and of course Peter Hendy.

Mayor Boris was also dragged into the evidence chair and didn't like it. So that's all right, then.

But who explained why and how the railways were affected?

Only Gary Backler of the DfT, who was permitted to say a few words about lack of information to rail commuters (which didn't even make it into the final report).

No one was called from any of the TOCs, nor Network ("our little conductor rails are frozen") Rail.

Neither did the Committee know that Southeastern is one word (if you are referring to the TOC), and also seems to think that main line trains from north of London can be referred to as "Overground" (nothing to do with the actual TfL Overground).

What a bunch of nothing.

Come back Gwyneth - all would be forgiven, if there was anything to forgive.