Shaken and stirred - Murdoch to head NR Comms

A big Eye welcome to Caroline Murdoch, NR's Group Communications Director designate.

Caroline steps into the shoes vacated by Barney Wyld who left NR's top comms role for Rolls Royce last month.

Caroline currently works for the National Crime Agency, heading up the Corporate Affairs function. She has previously worked at the Met and TfL and brings over 20 years’ experience to Network Rail from national communications, public affairs, crisis communication management, marketing and internal communications within both public and private sectors.

Scot Marchbank continues as interim, until Caroline joins NR in late February/early March 2018.

Extension of Young Person's Railcard - A nation speaks!

Today the government announced that the YP's railcard would be extended to 26 - 30 year olds.

.@Conservatives have set out plans for a new discounted rail card for 26 - 30 year olds - helping to keep the cost of living down for around 4.5 million more people pic.twitter.com/wKmZgIuIQb

— CCHQ Press Office (@CCHQPress) November 21, 2017

The Chatterati on twitter appear underwhelmed by today's exciting announcement…

So The Treasury is now determining rail marketing approaches. More evidence of govt micro management (extending the YP Railcard not a bad idea, mind) https://t.co/GGgXNRcTKm

— Michael Holden (@holdmch) November 21, 2017

Declaring an interest. But rail card policy seems to be going down like a cup of sick with 31-35 year olds. Hammered for a decade by fees, rent and graduated into the crashed job market.. What is in it for them, Chancellor?

— Harry Cole (@MrHarryCole) November 21, 2017

26-30 railcard is a good policy (and maybe good politics: cheap and popular, tho doubt it'll move many votes).

But it *will* piss off a good few people our age for the reasons Harry lists. https://t.co/DnX9PqrlVi

— James Ball (@jamesrbuk) November 21, 2017

Maybe we should just cut rail fares by a third for everyone instead of giving increasingly large groups railcards

— Ned Donovan (@Ned_Donovan) November 21, 2017

Fine. Won't help with their commuter fares, but fine. However, needs to be alongside a British equivalent of German BahnCard, or Swiss Halbtax: a bit more expensive (or smaller discount), but universally available. https://t.co/qoWw4fhKwL

— [Restricted] Animal (@politic_animal) November 21, 2017

You worry about the scale and breadth of a Budget when the drop two days out is extending the young person's Railcard

— steve hawkes (@steve_hawkes) November 21, 2017

"Young people aren't voting for us". "Chuck them a new railcard. That'll do the trick". British politics, 2017. We're all screwed, aren't we.

— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) November 21, 2017

Tin-eared Hammond does it again!