What does the Siemens/Alstom merger mean

Exclusive insight from Eye's man at today's press conference!

Ties abolished.

(You're fired! Ed)

Alstom gears up for UK manufacturing

This from Alstom...

Alstom today opens the biggest and most sophisticated centre for train modernisation ever in the UK. In a major boost to the rail industry in the North West of the country, this facility was officially opened by Lord Prior of Brampton – Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and some of Alstom’s newest apprentices and graduates.

Of course, as any ful kno, Alstom are also hoping that the Widnes facility will give it the edge when bidding to supply new trains into the UK.

So it is good to see Alstom joining Hitachi and Bombardier in putting its money where its mouth is.

Come on Siemens, your turn next. (Unusual for the Germans to be late to a party. Ed)

Alstom obtains ISO37001

Good news from Alstom...

Alstom obtains ISO 37001 certification for its anti-bribery management system

27 June 2017 – Alstom has obtained the first AFAQ ISO 37001 certification awarded by AFNOR Certification following an audit carried out between March and May 2017 at seven sites in France and Europe, confirming its commitment to fight corruption.

The international standard ISO 37001, introduced in October 2016, advocates a series of measures to help organisations of all sizes, both private and public, to prevent, detect and tackle bribery through the implementation of an anti-bribery management system.

Move along people, nothing to see here.

Longsight honours war dead

This from Alstom (who actually bother to send press releases to Railway Eye, other PRs please note)...

Manchester Traincare Centre hosts second annual war memorial service
 
Staff and dignitaries at Longsight joined together to remember the dead of two world wars at a special ceremony at the traincare centre.

The memorial service, again led by the Rev Richard Cook of the National Rail Chaplaincy, remembered the 21 men of the Locomotive Department at Longsight who lost their lives during the Great War, as well as the 89 who served in the armed forces, together with those who served and died in the 1939-45 war.

Present on the day were 30 Alstom employees, including Customer Director Tim Bentley, who laid the wreath, and Bishop of Manchester Nigel McCulloch, Manchester’s Lord Mayor, Elaine Boyes, and the Lady Mayoress, Linda Geoghegan.

The ceremony took place in the Memorial Room at Alstom’s Manchester Traincare centre, which was originally dedicated on 13 November 1921, in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the First World War. In 2011 Rev Cook led a service to re-dedicate the roll of honour.

Alstom refurbished the roll of honour in 2011 and in doing so created the Memorial Room for employees and visitors to remember the former railway workers from the site.

Here Tim Bentley, Alstom's Customer Director, honours Longsight's war dead.

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn...

UPDATE: This from the Vice Marshall...

"I went over to the National Memorial Arboretum yesterday.  

"Couldn't get in initially, until the official ceremonies had taken place, but having got in at about 14.00 we walked down to the Railway Industry Memorial — sadly to find no tributes had been left on it at all, save for a single poppy on a cross resting against one of the surrounding seats.  You can see it bottom right of the attached picture.

"Shame — after all the fuss made about its unveiling back in May.

"Most of the other memorials in the Arboretum featured tributes — some wreathes, but mainly lots of poppies on crosses."
 
Oh dear, this is very disappointing! 

Perhaps coordinating a suitable annual Armistice Day commemoration at the Railway Industry Memorial is something that the RDG can take on?

Welcome to the Redactalino!

This from Capt W E Johns...

Strange goings on at Euston today, where the brave test pilots of 11-car AM90 no 390054 were 'pushing the envelope'.

The day was spent shunting into each platform to see if the set would fit 'inside clear'.

Whilst the gallant crew might have the 'right stuff', are they perhaps sans the Sectional Appendix?

For, surely, that august tome includes maximum platform lengths.

The set will soon make its way to Liverpool, for two vehicles to be removed.

In the process reducing an Extendalino, into a Redactalino.

No doubt tarps will be placed over the excised two vehicles to spare everyone's blushes!

UPDATE: This from Our International Correspondent...

The good Captain makes an interesting point about How We Do Stuff These Days.

The length of the new engorged Pendo is known to within a millimetre or so.

The useable length of the platforms is established in the Appendix to within a few inches. Whether or not it fits – indeed if any train fits - is a table top exercise for a couple of train planners.

The 11 car train had to be bought down from Liverpool, shunted around Euston all day, then sent back. £12,000 of anybody’s money. A table top exercise, even with checking and double checking, would have been two men for one day, perhaps £800.

Frittering away £11,200 is not a tidal wave in the financial tsunami that is the railway. But it does betray a spendthrift mindset.

And the numbers of £50 notes being burned increases exponentially if or when they toddle off to repeat the tests at Lime Street, Piccadilly, and Glasgow Central.

Nice work if you can get it.

Frenchies throw toys out of pram!

This from Yahoo.co.uk...

France has stepped up its opposition to Eurostar's decision to buy trains from Germany's Siemens AG instead of French supplier Alstom by taking the case to the European Commission, a German newspaper reported on Friday

This is going to get very interesting.

Or not.

Eye says Clifton for Rail Regulator!

It's been a long time since a senior industry figure has publicly said that the 'Emperor has no clothes'.

So when one does it twice within the space of a month it is worthy of special mention.

Regular Eye readers may recollect that on the 23rd September a certain Mr Richard Clifton, of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, poured scorn on DB's claims that 'safety bureaucracy' would prevent ICE3s running through the tunnel.

Just three weeks later our brave fighter-for-truth is at it again!

This time exposing high level nonsense from the Frenchies, claiming Chunnel safety concerns, after Eurostar threatened to buy German trains.

According to the Pink 'Un:

Richard Clifton, head of the UK delegation to the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, said no party had raised serious concerns during a consultation launched in July last year about allowing trains with distributed power – motors distributed throughout the train – use the tunnel.

Richard Clifton - good effort.

Alstom directors arrested

This from the BBC...

Three directors of French transport and infrastructure group Alstom have been arrested in a UK corruption probe, the Serious Fraud Office says.

More to follow...

LibDem conference news

Telegrammed by Party Animal
Regular Eye readers will be aware already of the LibDem's decision to endorse 30 year franchises.

A slick piece of lobbying by new ATOC PR supremo Ed Welsh.

Ed's background is in local government, so presumably he had Baker and the rest of the 'gas and water' muesli munchers eating out of his hand.

Whilst ATOC congratulated itself on a spirited performance in Bournemouth the award for the biggest PR coup goes to Alstom!

The French train manufacturer sponsored the All Party Parliamentary Light Rail Group fringe event on Sunday night.

So delighted was Chairman Paul Rowen MP, that he made a passionate speech thanking Alstom, "the UK's last train manufacturer, based in Derby".

Brighton next week - see you there.

Derby lightweight

With an incredibly tight timetable for introduction of the new Thameslink fleet the smart money must be on Bombardier.

The first units are due for testing in Autumn of 2011.

The company already has dual voltage electric trains operating on the Southern and the work done on developing a lightweight Turbostar for London Midland and Loo-Roll could presumably read-across to their Electrostar production lines.

Sources close to Litchurch Lane also indicate that capacity at Derby would not be a problem (despite the company talking up full order books).

Siemens may be in with a chance with the lard-butt Desiros but the Fact Compiler hears disturbing rumours that the company is quoting silly prices for desperately needed Trans-Pennine infill vehicles. Which may explain why no orders have yet been placed.

Alstom looks like also-rans as they haven't yet got a design.

Of course it would be dangerous for Bombardier to get too complacent as the inclusion of Hitachi in the pre-qualification list will require some serious sharpening of Derby pencils.