Serco and ClogRail have appointed Ian Bevan as Northern's interim managing director.
Bevan is currently Finance Director.
The new interim Deputy MD will be Steve Butcher, who is currently Northern's Area Director East.
NedSeagoon was unavailable for comment.
What on earth is going on over at London Midland?
Industry jungle drums suggest that Captain Permatan's second worst performing TOC (No1 South Eastern) is busy shedding staff.
Meanwhile, beleagured passengers actually trying to find out how the doomed franchise is operating its piss-poor train services have to negotiate a list of impertinent questions; including a request that they divulge their age and 'gender'.
Quite what that has to do with how trains are running is anyones guess.
Alas - the overactive web-monkey who designed the form has dropped a clanger.
In the Age of Change the options male and female are only appropriate to a question demanding details of a person's 'sex' - as any fule kno.
But a question on Gender must include at least the following options: Straight, Gay, Bi, Harperson or Permatan (below the rank of Captain).
Hopefully at least one p45 will be winging its way to the originator of this distasteful example of politically incorrect passenger profiling.
Now this looks exciting.
The Social Media Train - Weds 10th February 2010 - 6:36pm - 9:41pm - The Penistone Line between Sheffield and Huddersfield
The world's first Social Media Train will depart Sheffield Station at 18:36 on Weds 10th February 2010.
Full details available here.
Eye wonders if there is a hashtag for this and whether passengers will be twittering en-route?
UPDATE: This, via twitter, from @technicalfault...
The hashtag is #smtrain
And I'll be on it.
Remember the YouTube hit United Breaks Guitars?
Now rail users are getting in on the act.
This sorry tale from Jamie Anderson - you can follow the full saga over at Jamie's blog
Don't get mad - get viral!
More exciting news on the proposed East Coast "Eureka" timetable.
Regular readers will recollect that the new SLC2 timetable has provoked howls of indignation from other operators on the route, whose passengers will suffer extended journey times and piss-poor connections so that nationalised operator East Coast can get the timetable Lord Adonis wants.
But never let it be said that the Department doesn't listen to rail users.
DafT has instructed East Coast to undertake the consultation on the proposed timetable for the whole industry - a move, which in the words of one peeved operator, is akin to "giving your squiffy uncle the keys to the drinks cabinet".
No matter.
Obviously entrusting such a task to Passenger Focus, the body which has a statutory responsibility to represent all rail users, is just too risky.
After all they might come up with the wrong answer.
This from PR Week...
The Eurostar Independent Review has appointed Bell Pottinger to help manage the publication of its findings this week.
Just how bad can it be?
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