Someone jumps the gun on IEP award?

Oh dear!

Following the ConDem's decision to leak almost all the details of the HLOS days before it was announced in Parliament, someone has taken it upon themselves to jump the gun on announcing the first order for IEPs.

According to ITV News...

Train company, First Great Western, is expected to announce a billion pound order for new trains which are to run between Paddington and Swansea.

The ITV piece even includes a nice video about constructing the new trains filmed in errrr... Japan (shurely Newton Aycliffe? Ed).

So presumably the DfT's own dire strictures against anyone saying anything before the 20th July no longer count?

And as for suggesting that First Great Western will announce it - talk about spin - this is a DfT project thru and thru!

Which may explain why, even though preferred bidder status was granted as long ago as 2009, the final confirmation of an order for the unpopular rolling stock will actually be announced just days AFTER the Commons had risen for the Summer Recess. 

How convenient! That should stop any embarrassing question being asked about the deal in Parliament.

Come on Speaker Bercow, give 'em hell!

Pinky and Perky announce the HLOS

Despite having been extensively leaked over the weekend, Cameron and Clegg were in the West Midlands today to officially launch the HLOS.

It would be churlish not to recognise that the proposed investment plan for the period 2014-19 contains some good news for passengers, freight and the industry, but the devil remains in the detail, so a cautious welcome from Eye.

Of perhaps greater interest to students of the railway scene are the revised directions and guidance that DfT has issued to the ORR, which were also published today.

Section 24 should make Open Access chums a little nervous...

Concern over Greater Anglia announcement

So congratulations to Abellio for winning the Greater Anglia franchise.

Meanwhile Eye understands that there is growing concern within the Department about how the news reached the market.

Sid Spiv, Director of Leaks at the DfT, said "My team has worked extremely hard to ensure that the winner of this franchise was well known before we had to go through all that boring, old, official announcement stuff. Even the Guardian had it two weeks ago for God's sake. Therefore, I find it completely unacceptable that scarce government resources were wasted on making a formal announcement this morning. Mark my words, heads will not roll for this."

A clearly angry Mr Spiv ended by saying "Did I mention that Virgin will get their franchise extension?"