Greater Anglia - not with a bang but a whimper

Abellio has published the names of directors of its new Greater Anglia franchise which starts on February 5th.

They are:

• Ruud Haket, Managing Director
• Andrew Goodrum, Customer Services Director
• Adam Golton, Finance Director
• Thijs Jan Noomen, Projects Director
• John Ratcliffe, Engineering Director
• Nanouke van ‘t Riet, Operations Director
• Andrew Camp, Commercial Director
• Simone Bailey, Asset Management Director
• Dave Welham, Interim HR Director

Meanwhile, according to the latest edition of Rail Business Intelligence, the launch of the franchise on Sunday next will be a low key affair.

Perhaps just as well, as Eye understands that media management may not be the new franchise's forte.

Indeed, even the World's Greatest Living Transport Correspondent has struggled to penetrate Clog Rail's wall of silence.

Last week Wolmar (for it was he) made the mistake of calling the PR on the number given in an Abellio press release, only to be told that it was nothing to do with her and that he should jolly well go away and call the main switchboard! Sadly not a word has been heard since.

Oh Abellio, Abellio, wherefore are thou Abellio!

Greening grounds Maglev

Glad tidings from the Captain of the Netball Team...

Steven Baker (Wycombe, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the potential of magnetic levitation technology for use in the next generation of high-speed trains.

Justine Greening (Economic Secretary, HM Treasury; Putney, Conservative)
Work by the Department for the 2007 White Paper, “Delivering a Sustainable Railway”, found that magnetic levitation technology would be significantly more expensive than high speed rail and would not enable trains to run seamlessly onto existing inter-city routes, serving a wider range of destinations.

The few instances of magnetic levitation systems in use around the world operate on a relatively short point-to-point basis and scaling the technology up to a national network is unproven.

There are no plans to further consider magnetic levitation as an alternative to a high speed rail network.

Good effort.

Bombardier changes its PR team

Sad news reaches Eye from Derby.

Uber PR's Neil Harvey and Heidi Lee have left Bombardier.

They will be missed.

In happier news and clearly reflecting the Age of Austerity the Canadian company has downsized its UK comms team from two to three people (Is this right? Ed).

Oh, and a further three bodies from RLM Finsbury Global Strategic Communications.

Does this burgeoning PR empire reflect Bombardier's growing confidence in the UK market?

Pointless signs - Posh standing

UPDATE: This from Strawbrick

The "1st Class" reminder in the door lobby may not be that pointless.

It is actually "against the rules" to be in a designated 1st class area without a 1st class ticket whether or not you are occupying a 1st class seat, i.e. if you are standing. It has been like this for years, for example it applied to the corridors outside any 1st class compartments. (You were of course permitted to pass and re-pass through 1st class sections to get to the Restaurant Car or to look for a seat at the other end of the train.)

Bearing in mind the possible penalties for not having a 1st Class ticket perhaps the sign is actually not that pointless.

Of course, if the train is full and standing the Conductor / Guard / Train Manager can, at his / her discretion, make an announcement that he / she has declassified one or more 1st class sections (and that 1st class ticket holders can apply for a refund of the excess).