Full services to all airports - by rail

Whilst the industry boasts about strengthening services to cater for increased demand it appears that dedicated airport links are running nearly empty.

This from AirRail News...

At 13:30 Monday Heathrow Express and Gatwick Express PR spokesman Stephen Forster reported that they are running normal services to the airports, but people are asking – is it necessary?

“Heathrow Express just went by. I counted 3 passengers on board. Why not run a restricted service?” asks one twitter user.

Now in the bad old days of BR someone would have taken the decision to shift some of those wasted resources to help provide additional capacity elsewhere (either directly or by freeing up trains and crew on other routes).

Alas, with today's myriad of operators and their micro-managed contracts all that matters is meeting PPM - even if the passengers have gone elsewhere.

UPDATE: This from The Master in cynical mode...

To be fair to HEx, trying to use their EMUs on reliefs West of Airport Junction wouldn't be too smart an idea.

UPDATE: This from Billy Connections...

Hangonnamo Mr Compiler...

Thought you understood PPM?

1) Heathrow Express doesn't publish PPM scores and AFAIK doesn't have a legal obligation to run anything - so as long as whatever does run keeps to time (to avoid disrupting other TOCs) they don't have to run at the usual frequency.

2) Gatwick Express & Stansted Express are measured for PPM on the timetable that is loaded into the "system" - which can be changed up to the end of the previous day. Their PPM would be measured against that.

Of course the two operators have a franchise commitment to run a certain level of service but if the DfT (prop. The Thin Controller) wants to gain a few brownie points then it can grant them permission to temporarily reduce the service and then make a boast about how green it is being by not forcing two TOCs to run empty trains around all day.

As long as they run to the temporary timetable they'll get a good PPM score (and Gordon Brown gets a better PM score...)

UPDATE: This from @BBCTravelAlert, via Twitter, at 15:25 on Tuesday...

with no flights in/out of Gatwick, the G Express tween Gatwick & London Victoria will run hourly both ways from 19.30 this evening.#ashtag

This frequency will remain in place until further notice. Morning & evening peak not affected & Brighton -Gatwick Express running as normal.

Once flights resume at Gatwick,the Express will return to its 4 trains per hour. to help incoming airline passengers to onward destinations,

trains will run though the night on a half-hourly basis each night until the backlog of passengers has ceased. yay for the Gatwick Express!

Good effort!

Ashballs - Noble Lord rewrites diagrams and TTs

Much hilarity in Rosco land.

As any fule kno Virgin has invested billions in new trains (omitting to mention of course that it was the Roscos what done it!).

Evidently sauce for the goose is jus for the gander.

On Friday ATOC claimed that Virgin had laid on an additional "2,000 extra seats", largely on Anglo-Scottish services.

Well done.

A triumph for market forces and common sense, what with NR cancelling planned engineering works and all.

But what's this?

Viewers of yesterday's Andrew Marr show heard no less a figure than Gordon Brown claim that Lord Adonis was responsible for laying on the extra trains (as well as more ferries and Eurostars)!

With the above spin in mind Eye can exclusively reveal that The Fact Compiler instructed The Thin Controller to suspend his electioneering Pilgrimage of Grice and return to London immediately to sort the crisis out.

Meanwhile aviation-head Captain Deltic is understood to be chairing COBRA at this very moment.

Further examples of blatent ashballs welcome.

UPDATE: This from Capt Clarence Oveur...

Kindly note that the term is Total Aviation Person (TAP) not "Aviation Head"!

UPDATE: This from Bulldog Drummond...

So with no aircraft flying what about getting on with high speed Paris to Peking (or is it London to Lhasa) that was floated by the Chinese earlier this year?

I'm sure if we even seemed half interested Chinese State Railways would be at the Calais before HS2 even gets to hybrid bill stage.

Ash cash

Not content with buggering up our financial system and selling cheap frozen vegetables Iceland has now screwed up our aviation industry.

Below Agincourt International last night - displaced aviation passengers queuing for unavailable Eurostar tickets.


Good effort!

Update: This from the Major...

Awfully nice of the CAA (prop Andrew Haines) to give his former rail industry colleagues such a lovely financial boost.

Update: This from Jumbo...

Let's hope that our politicians were too distracted by last nights beauty parade of their leaders to notice that a high-speed rail network is unnecessary to reduce the number of passengers making domestic flights in the UK.

An Icelandic volcano appears to be far more effective.

UPDATE: Network Rail speaks...

Network Rail's director of operations and customer services, Robin Gisby, said: "Network Rail is doing everything it can to help passengers whose journeys have been disrupted by the volcanic ash cloud.

"We have reviewed all engineering work we have planned for the next few days and where it will allow train operators to run existing or extra services, this work has been cancelled.

"This mainly applies to long-distance operators on the east and west coast mainlines and on routes to the Channel ports.

"I would like to take this opportunity to assure the public that the volcanic ash cloud is having no material impact on the safe and punctual running of passenger and freight trains.

UPDATE: Eurostar speaks...

This from the BBC News website:

Eurostar said its train services between London and Paris and Brussels were sold out on Friday, and urged people not to come to St Pancras station in London to look for tickets.

BBC Radio News at 13.00 reported "Eurostar's ticket office at St Pancras is closed".

But according to a Eurostar tweet at 15:07: We're adding additional #Eurostar trains over the weekend. Please see eurostar.com for availability & booking.

Anyone have a clue what's going on?

Aerodrome news - No HS2 for Heathrow

This from the Gruaniad...

No Heathrow direct link in high speed rail plans

Looking good for Birmingham International then.

RAF Elmdon scrambles the Flying Spokesman

Telegrammed by the International Correspondent
The dogfight between High Speed Railers and the Aviationists hotted up over Birmingham last week when the Birmingham Post provided the oxygen of publicity to RAF Elmdon (better known as Birmingham International Airport).

The airport authorities, anxious to be seen to protect their customer base of small domestic airlines scrambled their crack fighter ace to strike at the heart of high speed rail's environmental claims:

Mr Morris said: “I think what you will see is companies like Flybe changing the way they operate, adapting, and improving their service.

“The Eurostar did not put an end to cross channel ferries and in the same way I think a high speed rail network will not put an end to short-haul and domestic flights.

“There’s no doubt that travelling from Birmingham to London is best done by train - that is why we have no flights there from Birmingham. “But getting to Glasgow and Edinburgh is better done by air.

“You just have to look at the lower carbon emissions for the journeys, the quicker journey times, and a noise footprint that is significantly less than the 300-mile one left by trains”.

But who is the Flying Spokesman?

Surely the sharp-shooting and combatative Baron Von Richtmorris of the airport is not the same Class 40-loving John Morris who was for many years Chief Apologist for Cross Country, and who became dis-invented after daring to suggest that Virgin's Voyagers were a less than optimum transport solution?

And who supported the Red Revolution from the inside by painting a XC Class 86 engine in, er, chic but very retro Caledonian Railway 1920s blue livery?

Perhaps we should be told.

Fantasy island II

Man congratulates boss on good idea!

This from NCE...

Crossrail executive chairman Doug Oakervee said today that he was 'encouraged' by the idea of an island in the Thames Estuary to replace Heathrow.

Now there is a surprise!

Fantasy island

***Boriswatch has the latest details of Estuary Aerodrome - including proposed links into the rail network***

Meanwhile, on the real railway...

Telegrammed by our Independent Expert
Transport Secretary Geoff "Doom" today announced grandiose plans for a new "HS2" from Heathrow to Birmingham in his Commons statement giving the OK to Heathrow's third runway – and global warming meltdown.

Back in the real world of travelling to the West Midlands, Beardie's lieutenants are counting their blessings, as trains to and from Euston this week have been merely "late" rather than running as "buses" or not running at all.

But as a precaution, Virgin's canny PR people are givng away Chiltern Railways' Birmingham timetables in prominent displays alongside the Euston booking office.

Always hedge your bets, as Bernie Madoff used to say!

Unacceptable face of capitalism

First has come out in support of a third runway at Heathrow.

Moir Lockhead, the charmless Chief Executive of First Group, says the airport should be expanded.

Words that have delighted First's Thames Valley customers who have expressed near universal dismay at the scheme.

Presumably Lockjaw's damescene conversion to Heathrow expansion has nothing to do with DafT's soon to be announced decision that electrification of the Great Western will be a priority?

Penny counting

Today's early morning press call at Paddington saw Lord Adonis announce a £240m commitment to Crossrail from BAA.

In return, according to the press release, there will be 'four fast-train services an hour' to Heathrow.

These will apparently run direct from Heathrow airport to the City and Canary Wharf and out to Shenfield and Abbey Wood (stations omitted by these fast trains were not mentioned in the release).

So with the government offering £5.6bn to the project and BAA £240m that leaves only another £9bn to find!

Shoots foot

Oh dear - the Tories grand plan to replace additional runways at Heathrow with a new High Speed line is already coming off the rails.

According to today's Financial Times several speakers at last week's Integrating High-Speed Rail conference poured scorn on the plans.

Not least because BAA revealed that only 'three per cent of the 480,000 annual take-offs and landings at Heathrow were for flights to, or from, Leeds or Manchester', with none at all for Birmingham.

Who on earth is advising Teresa Villiers? (Answer here)

Wimp

Geoff Hoon today approved plans to expand Stansted Airport in Essex.

Planning permission for the expansion was originally refused by Uttlesford Council in November 2006 on grounds of noise and environmental concerns.

Of course, former defence secretary, Gende Homo is renowned for his bravery.

Therefore, Railway Eye readers will be unsurprised that he choose to sneak the announcement out via a Written answer, rather than delivering it on the floor of the House.

Looks like Labour is now resigned to loosing all their seats south of the line from the Wash to the Severn.

Aviation big bang

The Fact Compiler has received a communication from a concerned resident of Sheppey, which is soon to become a hole in the ground.

It would appear that before BoJo's brand spanking new Heathrow airport replacement can be built, a large volume of unexploded war time ordinance needs shifting.

The proposed airport is to be created on an artificial island in the Thames Estuary off the Isle of Sheppey, near the site of wrecked liberty ship SS Richard Montgomery.

The ship sank in 1944 carrying 1,500 tons of explosives.

"He's mad, we're doomed!" screamed my correspondent.

Sounds like it, which ever way you look at it.

Horley aerodrome

***BAA have announced plans to sell off Gatwick Airport***

View BAA announcement here