EC Pendolino - There is more joy in heaven...

A perfect run last night from Edinburgh Waverley to King's Cross!


Operated by Virgin Trains...

Controlled by East Coast...

Burying IEP!

UPDATE: This from, a somewhat twitchy, East Coast...

To be clear, East Coast’s fleet of High Speed Trains (HSTs) are already earmarked for replacement by new trains procured via IEP from 2018.

The Pendolino test runs have no consequence for the IEP programme – they are not relevant to IEP.

UPDATE: This from Mr Tony...

According to Railway Herald an East Coast spokesman also said:

That the company was "now concluding the desktop study to test our findings in practice, in line with the wider strategic aims of the industry going forward.

Doomed?

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...

Clearly a very carefully worded statement from the Industry's fifth column at York.

Note the reference to IEP replacing HST, while Pendolino is a potential replacement for electric IEP.

So it is strictly true that The Pendolino test runs have no consequence for the IEP programme – they are not relevant to IEP - but only in an East Coast context. Great Western is a different matter

All that was missing from the trial run were bodyside stickers saying 'You can have this proven train for £20,000 per vehicle per month less than IEP'!

11 Car Pendolino Whitewash - Shocker

This with a bowler tip to Eastwood Ho!



How typical!

These Hollywood Blockbusters always manage to avoid mentioning the real heroes.

Stand up Marsham Street!

You got there. Eventually.

Barbielino confirmed!

This from the FT...

Britain’s most profitable train franchise could be taken back into state hands following a government decision to delay the auction of the West Coast service amid an overhaul of the rail system...

Virgin may have its franchise extended for the intervening nine months but, with a deal yet to be resolved, the government is considering handing the management of the service to Directly Operated Railways, the taxpayer-funded organisation that runs the East Coast line.

Eye presumes that the Competition Commission will take a close interest in one operator running both East and West Coast franchises...

UPDATE: This from Leo Pink...

Good to see the Pink 'un catching up with the story in Sunday's Observer by Dan Milmo confirming the suspension of the Intercity West Coast Franchise bidding (actually a story Eye broke last Thursday! Ed).

And even better to see that the FT stylebook still mandates the adjective 'lucrative' in the first reference to any franchise.

Sooo 1990s.

Barbielino - Petrol-head unlashes the attack dogs!

This from the Birmingham Post...

Virgin, which runs West Coast Main Line services from London to Birmingham and Manchester, is refusing to use the trains or carriages....

A spokesman for the department said: “We would like any train company to come forward and use it.

“We would like Virgin to use it, but Virgin has said they wouldn’t want to do so unless they get a franchise extension.”

Blam! Splat! Kerpow!

UPDATE: This from the Mad Hatter...

The new train is in Virgin colours but without Virgin logos.

Will Beardie Rail cry ‘breach of intellectual copyright’ if anyone else tries to use it?

UPDATE: This from SN Barnes...

So the DfT would like "any train company to come forward and use it"?

Can it be long before Yoghurt Rail comes knocking at Marsham Street's door?

UPDATE: This from a Mr Tony Miles...

Theresa Villiers in Alstom's press release (06/12/10 re. the delivery of 11-car Pendolino 390054) said:

“From April 2012 it will form part of the rolling stock for the new West Coast Main Line franchise."

The Birmingham Post article to which Eye links says:

“...as a result, the train has been delivered - but will not be used. Instead, the Department for Transport has told other rail companies they are welcome to borrow the Pendolino for the next 18 months if they want it."

Alstom explained, as the train was being delivered to Edge Hill depot for commissioning, that it will take until the end of May or early June 2011 for the set to be fully tested and commissioned.

So that makes it available for only 10 or 11 months maximum.

Factor in testing on any route other than the WCML, signaling immunization, driver training etc. etc. and that might just give a new operator six months 'quiet enjoyment' with a good headwind!

An awful lot of money would need to be spent for such a short loan, a bill no doubt that will be picked up by the taxpayer.

Welcome to the Age of Austerity!

Villiers vignettes - On the Barbielino...

This from Sinoda...

In a telephone interview just broadcast on BBC Radio 4's 'You and Yours', Cruella de Villiers appeared to suggest that Virgin Trains could lease the additional brand new Pendolino carriages, currently planned to sit in store, to help alleviate their current "Friday afternoon" overcrowding problems.

Perhaps I was just imagining it!

UPDATE: This from Transol...

I think Sinoda must have misheard.

The minister was quite clear that the new trains and new coaches to extend the old trains were not to be unwrapped until Christmas ....2012.

What she did suggest was that Virgin could simply go off and find some OTHER trains to lease!

Great more Pretendolinos, struggling to run a 125mph diagram with 110mph traction, and put on the Wolverhamptons so they can be turned back at New Street to recover the lost time.

Oops forgot everyone else is grabbing every last Mk 3 for open access or charter sets - still we could get a train with excellent provision for catering - every coach a RUB?

UPDATE: This from Billy Connections...

Villiers didn't say Virgin could lease the additional brand new Pendolino carriages - she was far more inaccurate and her lack of understanding of her brief was breathtaking.

After VT Head of Communications, Arthur Leathley said: "We need more trains, we put to the Government a proposal to introduce many more carriages next year. Unfortunately that’s been declined so those carriages won’t now come in until the end of 2012."

Villiers commented:

"What Arthur said was very misleading – he said that I’ve been stopping Virgin from putting on extra carriages or extra trains. They are entitled to do that, if they want to do that, they can go ahead. They can go out and lease new trains tomorrow if they want to and there’s nothing in their franchise agreement that stops them doing that. The government is supportive and will help deliver new trains from April 2012 but in the interim the train operator has the freedom to go out and lease new trains and put them on the network."

So - there are trains available to be leased tomorrow, that will run on non-available paths on the WCML, and with only 16 months of a franchise left Virgin can lease these fictional trains and run them without the ROSCOs wanting any government support?

Did she dream that up on her own or was she merely badly informed by her officials?

Meanwhile on Tuesday her boss, Hammond, said that VT couldn't use the new Pendolinos and confirmed that they won't enter service until late 2012!

Is there no communication between ministers in the same Department?

Oh - and Virgin asked permission to run a relief service from London to Manchester on Fridays, which could have started yesterday if the DfT had agreed.

Sadly the dead hand of the Department prevailed so no relief ran, no doubt to the delight of cheek by jowl passengers travelling to the North West (but as it's north of Watford who in Marsham Street cares?).

Perhaps time Theresa gave up the rail brief and went back to saving British biccies from Eurocrats, a task much more suited to her... errr... evident gifts!

Virgin's view of Barbielino and Eastern Promise

Clearly confusion reigns over today's exciting announcement from Directly Operated Railways about plans to operate 'Barbielinos' on the ECML.

Virgin were clearly unsighted on DOR's plans as this statement, released yesterday afternoon, by Virgin Rail Group reveals

"We have no knowledge of any plans to use new Pendolinos on East Coast and have not been asked for any advice. The new Pendolinos were ordered for the West Coast based upon a robust business case and are due to start arriving in the UK later this year.

“As has already been reported, we have made a proposal to the DfT to seek an extension to our West Coast Franchise and one of the many benefits would be to assist the DfT with the tricky integration of new vehicles and offering options to put the new 11-car trains into revenue earning service earlier than previously envisaged, to provide maximum capacity before and during the Olympic Games in 2012.

“We cannot go into too much detail as this is still a matter between us and the DfT, but we can confirm broadly that our plans are to put the first new Class 390 on Scotland - Birmingham services in 2011, of which many are now full and standing (nearly half of all trains on Fridays and Sundays). Then we would extend the trains to London, restoring some direct Milton Keynes - Scotland links, and free-up a Super Voyager to start a new service linking Manchester with Heathrow ( Hayes ). Another set would also enable hourly London - Glasgow services throughout the day by the end of 2011.

“Furthermore, we have developed a new business case that pays for the placing of an order for another 42 vehicles, at no additional cost to Government. This would bring the complete Pendolino fleet of 56 trains up to 11-car with 2 additional standard class coaches per set.

“We are sure the DfT will not dismiss out of hand our revenue earning proposals over an experiment on the East Coast and we are just waiting to discuss our proposals in more detail.

"Given the record rates of growth we seeing on our West Coast services (three times higher than the East Coast) we really need to get the trains and cars into service as soon as possible to handle the growing passenger numbers without worsening overcrowding."

Eye understands that the DfT press office were also unaware of the DOR release until it popped into their inboxes this morning.

Not bad considering that DOR is part of the Department for Transport.

Three Railway Eye cheers for joined up government!

UPDATE: This from Our Man at 222 Marylebone Road...

Virgin say: “We are sure the DfT will not dismiss out of hand our revenue earning proposals over an experiment on the East Coast and we are just waiting to discuss our proposals in more detail."

Virgin mean: 'We put in our proposals yonks ago and from the deafening silence it's pretty clear that DfT Rail is continuing its vendetta against us despite the change of government.'

UPDATE: This from Jumbo...

Is there any circumstance in which Virgin could resist telling us how good they are?

With investment of over £10 billion on the West Coast, and a massive increase in the train service, it is no wonder that growth is three times higher than on the East Coast.

Still with all their exciting plans, no doubt the DfT can expect Virgin to offer lots of lovely lolly in premium payments in the near future.

But is it too soon to tell Sir Roy McNulty?

UPDATE: Ithuriel responds to Jumbo...

As any fule kno, DfT Rail felt that it had been taken to the cleaners by those nasty capitalists at Virgin when the revised West Coast franchise deal was struck.

Virgin even sweet-talked the gullible civil servants into early eligibility for revenue support under cap and collar (Like those public spirited entrepreneurs at First Group?. Ed).

But despite Virgin's worst efforts, ridership and revenue is booming, so that it is all cap and no collar on the West coast and the public purse is taking 80% of earnings over the revenue profile in the revised franchise agreement.

Meanwhile East Coast is still relying on the collar.

Clearly DfT Rail believes that no commercial good deed should go unpunished

More on the Barbie-lino

Much excitement following Sir Humphrey Beeching's revelation yesterday that the DfT plans to run a Pendolino on the ECML between Glasgow and London.

Eye reader and uber-blogger Tom Harris MP has submitted the following parliamentary question:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his department has to use Pendolino rolling stock for service on the East Coast main line and if he will make a statement?

Expect a statement from either the Department or state owned East Coast today.

UPDATE: And here it is...

EAST COAST ASKED TO COMMISSION NEW 11-CAR PENDOLINO TRAIN

Directly Operated Railways Limited, the company established by the Government in 2009 to manage Train Operating Companies that come back to the public sector, today announced that it is in discussion with industry parties concerning the possibility of commissioning a new 11-car Pendolino train on the East Coast Main Line.

Elaine Holt, Chairman and Chief Executive of Directly Operated Railways, and Chairman of East Coast, said:

“I’m very pleased that East Coast has been asked to commission the new Pendolino on the East Coast Main Line. Whilst a final decision has not yet been made, if it goes ahead, the train would add extra capacity to our fleet – and we’re sure our customers would appreciate the comfort and facilities that the new Pendolino has to offer.

“We’re currently talking with the manufacturers Alstom, and other key industry partners to understand the challenges and opportunities involved in the commissioning and certification of the Pendolino on East Coast.”

Under the plan, East Coast Main Line Company Limited (East Coast), the publicly-owned company which operates Anglo-Scottish services on Britain’s premier long-distance rail route, would take delivery of the new train in July next year. East Coast would operate the Pendolino in daily passenger service, principally between London and Edinburgh, for a period currently estimated to be nine months.

The new 11-car Pendolino Class 390 – which is being built by Alstom at its facility in Savigliano, Italy – forms part of an order for four such train-sets. Alstom started work on the new order in early 2009. The units will be very similar to the 52 Pendolino Class 390s, each of 9 cars, currently in service on the West Coast Main Line.

These train-sets were built by Alstom between 2001 and 2004 and are capable of speeds of up to 140 miles per hour*.

The 11-cars of the new Pendolino will be only slightly longer than trains in the existing East Coast fleet, enabling all current station stops to be utilised by the train without the use of Selective Door Operation.

Whilst the new 11-car Pendolino is being commissioned with East Coast, it would be fully integrated into the East Coast fleet and timetable – and would be maintained by the Alstom train care centre at Polmadie, in Glasgow.

ENDS

Note to editors:

*Speeds are limited to 125 miles per hour on both the East and West Coast Main Lines, due to infrastructure constraints.

UPDATE: This from The Shunter...

Someone must be having a laugh - this has disaster written all over it.

East Coast can't even manage their current fleet at the moment - judging by PPM and the fact they've had to hire in an HST set from EMT.

So what happens when the Barbie-lino fails on the ECML - what will East Coast use to rescue it?

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...

If the service ever gets off the ground it will be interesting to see whether a Pendolino, no doubt with riding techie monitoring every thyristor through a lap top and tilt switched out, can match IC125 reliability on the same route.

Period 4 NFRIP results: East Coast IC125 27,000 miles per casualty. Class 390 fleet, er, almost exactly half that figure.

East Coast news - prepare for the Barbie-lino!

Telegrammed by Sir Humphrey Beeching
Summer recess allows our Civil Service to get on with their pet schemes unencumbered by ministers meddling in matters they really don't understand.

Over an excellent Rules luncheon yesterday a former DfT colleague told me of the latest Big Idea to emerge from the department's very own, but much misunderstood, professional railwayman.

Code named 'Eastern Promise', the plan is to operate the single return Glasgow to King's Cross service, contained in the 'Eureka!!' timetable, with one of the four new Pendolinos ordered by Virgin Rail Projects.

As my luncheon companion put it, in the modern parlance that all members of the First Division Association must now use: "A Pendolino on the East Coast 'would tick a lot of boxes'!"

First it would counter the spin from that awful oik Branston that £100 million of brand spanking new trains will be left sitting idle in sidings simply because the department refuses to give him, and the unspeakably off-message McSouter, an extension to their West Coast franchise.

Secondly it will provide the fragrant Elaine at our East Coast Main Line franchise with more baubles to play with, where of course my DfT Rail colleagues can keep an eye on them.

And finally, if ministers do accept the reactionary views of naive bankers on the Intercity Express Programme, it will show that DfT Rail is proactively looking for alternatives to replace the IC225 fleet.

Of course all this depends on slipping the Pendolino service into the Eureka!!! timetable whilst Cruella is on holiday, so naturally I was sworn to secrecy...

UPDATE: This from Driver Bill Hoole...

With twice the power of a Deltic I'm sure I speak for all East Coast Main Line Top Link Men when I say we are all for this proposal.

Climbing Stoke at 140 will be a new experience.

But in today's risk averse culture has anyone thought about a safe walking route to signal post telephones?

I note that Pendolinos don't have a cab door, so when you climb down you're half a vehicle length from the SPT.

Presumably provision of safe walking routes has been written into the business case?

UPDATE: This from Billy Connections...

So DfT Rail continues inventing outrageously expensive projects in the Age of Austerity!

Whilst most civil servants are "re-chipped" at the change of Government so as to conform to the thinking of their new masters the DfT Rail team still appears high on the hog in the land of statist intervention, merrilly wasting millions on plans which have no business case.

When will Cameron and Petrol-head remind them that there just isn't the money to waste?

The East Coast Pendolino plan will cost millions of pounds in infrastructure and testing work, take Network Rail experts off more important work and deliver no benefits for the WCML where trains between Birmingham and Scotland are worked by 5-car Voyagers which are regularly full and standing.

So - a frugal DfT would put the four new Pendolinos onto the Birmingham - Scotland trains they were designed to work and, if needs be, facilitate the transfer of the 221s to East Coast.

These sets are already route cleared from Glasgow to Kings Cross (in non-tilt configuration), would provide much needed extra capacity and the move would cost almost nothing.

I though the DfT had been ordered to stop micro-managing the national train fleet? Ministers, wherever you are on your holidays, time to put that call in now!

UPDATE: This from The Archer...

Back in the last century (about 1999 I think) GNER wanted to buy Pendolini as part of their new 20 year franchise bid.

A well known technical consultancy from the Derby area was contracted to ‘Easternise’ the train’s specification, given the wider operating temperature range that would apparently be encountered on the East Coast.

The repeat order was therefore no such thing so the price shot up and the 20 year franchise didn’t get awarded anyway.

So unless the Eureka timetable is going to run this service in the summer months only, don’t expect 'Eastern Promise' to tick any of the reliability boxes.

UPDATE: This from The Major...

I trust that even now Alstom's engineers are busy disabling the tilting equipment on the trains destined for East Coast in order to form a specific sub-fleet purely for Barbie Rail.

And that the trains are booked into Doncaster Works to allow a repaint into the specific shade of silver that is now fashionable around King's Cross.

Finally, they will of course need a special dome to feed East Coast's feeble wi-fi signal into the passenger coaches.

Fortunately forthcoming cuts to the Royal Navy may release a few cheap second hand domes from various unwanted frigates and destroyers.

UPDATE: This from Reginald S Potter...

Sir,

Regretfully I have to take up my pen once again to correct Railway Eye.

Why oh why can't so called railway people get the spelling of Eureka! right?

Punctuation marks play a vital role in modern brand management.

In fact, might I humbly suggest to Ms Holt that an umlaut over the 'u' might further strengthen the impact of Eureka!?

Yours etc

UPDATE: This from our International Correspondent...

Why has Driver Hoole become so unhelpful since his death?

Many engines with cab doors half a vehicle length from the front end have operated over the ECML in recent years - Duchess of Sutherland, Bittern, and even Tornado with Jeremy Clarkson on board, to name but several.

So Elaine's new Barbie-lino will be fine.

And if the cess is too catastrophic for sensitive Knights of the Iron Road to walk in, a simple 10m SPAD will put the door handily near the SPT, or "Confessional".