Stagecoach puts DB to shame!

This from the Mad Hatter...

According to EMT...

In just six months, East Midlands Trains has fitted WiFi onto all of its 27 Meridian trains and 11 HSTs. This means that all passengers travelling from stations on the mainline route to London including Sheffield, Chesterfield, Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Market Harborough, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough can now fully benefit from this new service.

Wifi in 6 months!

So why has the mighty Deutsche Bahn proven unable to do the same?

With the failure of WSMR, the takeover of Evergreen 3 by NR and Arriva Trains Wales now a five day railway is DB all it's cracked up to be?

Rather than assembling bid teams perhaps DB should devote additional resources to solving its current problems?

UPDATE: This from Mr Tuppence Worth...

Good work from Stagecoach.

However, those of us not having the luxury (?) of travelling in first class have to pay high fees for this service.

You can’t use it free for a limited amount of time and can only view EMT propaganda without paying up.

Indeed, if using it on a regular basis it would make far better sense to invest in mobile broadband – and you can use that elsewhere too.

One small thing though: is it the MML or those Meridians which mean mobile signals are dire when you Get On Board with EMT?

ORR dumps on the St David's day party

A very unhappy St David's Day to Arriva Trains Wales!

Without any hint of irony the ORR decided today to announce that it had turned down ATW's application to run services between Aberystwyth and London.

There'll be some Tafia muttering in the valleys tonight!

Meanwhile expect jubilation from Reich Rail's very own WSMR.

Mystic Eye predicts cuts to Welsh CRPs funding

And lo, so it came to pass....

This from the BBC, way back on the 3rd of February 2010:

A group promoting rail travel on rural routes has criticised the withdrawal of £10,000 funding by Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) as "ridiculous".

Meanwhile this from Railway Eye, way, way back on the 5th of August 2009:

The (ACoRP) memo makes the point even clearer by saying:

It is (TOC's name REDACTED) opinion however, that some CRPs are turning into lobbying groups (which they are not prepared to support) whilst others have effectively run their course, having succeeded in their aim to secure a future for the line.

Well just fancy that!

Ieuan Wyn Jones - stop whinging

This from Scotch Corner...

Here is the Welsh Deputy First Minister talking about mistrust in politics.....

Little wonder that there is mistrust when he has spent public money on an expensive loco hauled train from his home town to Cardiff, which has a fabulous first class dining offer on board, but alas is only used by half a dozen people or so each day.

And the subsidy is over a £1m!

Even if ten people used it each way everyday, that's £200 subsidy a journey!!

Not so much mistrust as seeing pork barrel politics for what it is!

ATW hung out to dry over rugger specials

This from the late Nye Bevan...

According to Wales Online...

THOUSANDS of rugby fans could find themselves stranded in Cardiff after Wales’ Friday-night clash with France, after one rail boss warned there will be no extra trains.

Now, a fair cop guv at first sight but as always there is more...

The stadium didn't tell people about the travel plan issues because they were worried about ticket sales, and there is no money in the pot for more trains so the best you can do is make them four coach sets on the Valleys.

But note how nobody takes the blame and the railway is put to the sword because the stadium has to play to the broadcasters (TV) tune and doesn't have the guts to be public about it.

And good to see the civil servants (sic) of WAG showing excellent form in line with their DaFT counterparts!

You quoted Fiennes earlier in the week, and indeed it is no way to run a railway, especially when your supposed friends leave you to face the music alone.

Tafia bans Charter Operators from the Ryder Cup

Exciting news from the Tafia!

Punters keen to see the energetic Tiger Woods at the Ryder Cup had better be aware of the following draconian restrictions placed on those attending the event.

According to an email from ATW's Contracts and Compliance Manager:

Due to concerns of the Ryder Cup organisers and the security arrangements that will be put into place, all trains conveying attendees to the Ryder Cup must use Newport station, where all attendees will be security screened prior to onward travel to the venue. They will then be transferred to specifically approved coaches for onward transportation into the Celtic Manor venue. There will be a 2 mile exclusion area around the venue; no pedestrians, private cars or non-approved coaches will be allowed in that area.

No doubt such extreme measures have been designed to protect what remains of the Principality's female virtue.

But what's this?

Arriva Trains Wales, famed for its desire to provide its own services over other operators routes, is apparently less keen to allow Charter operators in on the Ryder Cup action.

The email continues:

No trains, other than timetabled services, will be permitted to call at Severn Tunnel Junction station during this period. (In any case, there would not be enough space in the car park for coaches to wait and pick up, and the coaches will not be permitted into Celtic Manor). Please also note that we will not be in a position to accommodate steam haulage, deal with the disposal of bagged rubbish or provide facilities for the tanking of rolling stock during this period.

Good to see the Welsh rail operator safeguarding its own patch so zealously!

UPDATE: This just in from Pillbox...

You get more people in Cardiff on a Six Nations weekend than will most likely go to the golf (always 100k plus for Wales home matches).

This looks like overkill and going for the lowest common denominator rather than trying to accommodate demand.

Arriva's London service on track?

This from Eobhann...

Network Rail appears to have withdrawn its objection to ATW’s proposed new London service.

And so have WSMR, judging from this statement in NR's letter to the ORR:

ATW has confirmed to WSMR that it would be prepared to delay the start date of the proposed services until December 2010. WSMR has indicated its support for this.

Which just leaves Virgin’s Moderation of Competition concerns…

ATW class 158 from Marylebone – Shrewsbury anyone?

No! Why ever not?

Arriva Trains Wales premier service on film

Nice bit of video - but what an extraordinary piece of demode music...



With a bowler tip to @andylaird25 via Twitter

UPDATE: This from PZT over at errr.. Peezedtee...

What do you mean, "an extraordinary piece of demode music"?

It's very nice music - PROPER music, for a change.

Presumably to chime with the fact that the chef is talking about it being an old-fashioned service.

Nothing extraodinary about it at all!

Arriva trading statement

This from nebusiness.co.uk...

Passenger revenue growth was 1.3% up on the CrossCountry rail franchise during the 42 weeks to October 24 and jumped by 3.8% in the last six weeks. The figure was even higher at Arriva Trains Wales at 6.7%.

Stand down DOR...

UPDATE: This from City Boy...

Remember that Arriva XC needs annual growth of 10% to maintain profitability on the franchise.

Arriva announces interims tomorrow

City excitement as Arriva prepares to unveil interim management results tomorrow.

But with the market distinctly twitchy the Eye thought it might be helpful to introduce this splendid new logo.

Just in case.

ATW backs steam rail motor

The Fact Compiler compiler has been forwarded the following witty email.

It reads...

"Most of you will be aware of the splendid GWR Steam Railmotor under restoration at Didcot."

"In support of the project, Arriva recently staged an impromptu demonstration of what a modern steam motor might look like..."


Eye apologises to Paul for the blatant plagiarism but this was just too good not to use...

Arriva pessimistic about rail market

This from Reuters...

Shares in bus and train operator Arriva (ARI.L) are down 3.9 percent as the firm warns that the slowdown in passenger growth on Britain's railways is likely to hit its results for the first half of the year.

But fear not - Lord Adonis assures us that the HLOS remains "very" affordable.

Well just fancy that!

This gem from yesterday's House of Commons debate on Railways.

Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham) (Con):
I called Mr. Bob Holland, the then chief executive of Arriva, and kept complaining about the situation so much that he finally agreed to accompany me on an Arriva service between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton.

Lo and behold, all of a sudden, when the chief executive appeared, the train arrived on time for the first time ever.

We had extra carriages and, amazingly, they served tea and coffee and sold cakes, which was an experience that I had never come across before. The whole service was extremely smooth.

It took me back to the days when I visited communist Romania and everything was prepared specially for President Ceausescu, to give him a false perspective on reality.

Eye readers may be interested to know that Spinning Bob avoided dear old Nikolae's grisly end and is currently Arriva's Managing Director UK Rail.

Pillow talk

It is well known that the Welsh Assembly Government and Arriva Trains Wales work closely together. But it took the press to discover quite how closely.

The Western Mail reports today that Tim Bell, MD of Arriva Trains Wales lives with a certain Alison Teague.

Ms Teague, when not living with Mr Bell, is tasked by the Welsh Assembly Government with monitoring the finance and performance of Mr Bell's franchise (ATW).

Defending the slightly unusual arrangement the TOC said “Arriva Trains Wales understands that the Welsh Assembly Government was made aware of this matter when Tim Bell was appointed managing director and has put processes into place to avoid potential conflict of interest.”.

So that's all right then.

The Fact Compiler understands that Ms Teague continues to be satisfied by Mr Bell's performance.