Eurostar unveils new brand

Eye sees that Eurostar's new branding has gone down as well as might be expected.

Following the merger with Thalys the new logo will be applied by the end of the year to both operators fleets, serving the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

Alas - not all the commentariat welcomed the latest design evolution:

Extremely pleased to see that @Eurostar is using a cat's anus as its new logo https://t.co/XQBM4yZI4U

— Kate Bevan (@katebevan) January 24, 2023

Once viewed, never unseen. You're welcome.

Whelan invades Gussett's table

It's the battle of the Titans!

What are we to make of the growing media rivalry between those two icons of the industrial landscape (shurely, 'wasteland'? Ed) our very own two Micks, who lead the RMT and ASLEF respectively and contrariwise?

The stock of RMT's Mick Lynch has seen a stellar rise across the nation due to some deft handling of frankly rather uninspiring sofa squatters on the early morning tellybox.

Not to be outdone, ASLEF's Mick Whelan took to this Saturday's Torygraph, of all places, to renew his public profile push. 

Pity poor Sir Herbert Gussett and his cornflake festooned breakfast newspaper.

Eye puts this almost sibling-like rivalry down to the two Micks' earliest days - shared at an alma mater subsequently favoured by New Labour's very own Mr Tony - London's Oratory School.

Whilst not a Jesuit institution, Eye is sure the Oratorians of Brompton would echo Loyola's oft quoted sentiment: 'Give me a child until he is seven, and I will give you the man'.

Quite so. Literally two peas from the same pod.

Reshuffle!

Good news for fans of alternative energy!

Eye understands that departmental decks may be shuffled on Monday.

Look out for:

A new Dept for Science & Technical Innovation (DCMS plus BEIS science and innovation)

An enhanced Dept for Trade and Industry (with BEIS business sectors plus DIT)

A new Dept for Energy and Climate Change - hopefully embracing rail electrification and alternative sources of traction.

Even with photoshop, Grant Shapps and Michael Green can't cover all these roles.

RESHUFFLE!

More supply chain woe

As part of the exciting DfT Annual Business Plan process swinging cuts are in view.

Eye readers will be aware that all TOCs have had to submit submit Annual Business Plans (ABPs) to DfT for 2023/24. 

The Requests for Business Plans (RfBPs) issued by DfT to all TOCs at the end of last year mandated budget cuts of circa 15% (and in some cases even more) against already demanding 2022/23 budgets.

DfT is due to give its final determination on individual 2023/24 TOC budgets in February.

Expect your local railway to get much grubbier with poorer customer service as TOCs cut back on anything other than absolutely essential activity.

More good news for an increasingly hollowed out supply chain.