National Express makes best of bad job

Good news for fans of owner groups that are shadows of their former selves...

Dean Finch, Group Chief Executive, said: "We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the Berlin Ringbahn. Following on from our recent success in winning two contracts to operate regional rail services in North-Rhine Westphalia, it confirms that our experience as the operator of the UK's leading franchise is recognised internationally.

That would be just the one, single, sole, solitary UK franchise held by National Express would it?

How the mighty have fallen. 

That Eurostar 'private sector' bid for ICEC in full

Of mere passing interest, no doubt. 

A quick glance at wikipedia, here and here, reveals the following...  

Eurostar International Limited (EIL) is the parent company of the Eurostar service operating between London, Paris and Brussels. Eurostar was previously operated by three separate companies in Belgium, France and the United Kingdom, but this structure was replaced by EIL as a new single management company on 1 September 2010. EIL is owned by London and Continental Railways (40%), SNCB (5%) and SNCF (55%).#

London and Continental Railways (LCR) is a company that was involved in the construction of High Speed 1 (HS1) in the United Kingdom. Originally established in 1994 as a private consortium to build HS1 under a contract agreed with the UK Government, it subsequently ran into financial difficulties and has been owned by the Department for Transport since 2009 

So Eurostar, 40% owned by HMG is allowed to bid for franchises, but DOR (100% owned by HMG) isn’t.

Of course DfT is perfectly happy for overseas state owned railways to run as many of Britain's trains as they want, whether passenger or freight.

Eurostar's ICEC bid partner, Keolis, is 56.7% owned by French railway SNCF.

None the less, Eye wonders at what percentage point does UK state involvement in running a competitively tendered franchise suddenly become unpalatable? 

Answer from the Treasury and DfT came there none...

UPDATE: Eye issues unreserved apology to Keolis!

According to a press release on the Keolis website from April 2012...

"SNCF increases its shareholding in Keolis to accelerate the next phase of the company’s development
 
"At the closing of this transaction, SNCF will hold a 70% stake of Keolis alongside a long term investment partner."

Eye wishes to apologise for misleading readers into thinking that the Keolis/Eurostar bid for ICEC might, in anyway, have been considered to be 'private sector'.
 

Eye gives you Christian Farage!

The leader of UKIP had better look to his laurels!

This from Mayoral candidate Christian Wolmar, reflecting on the impact of EU policy on Croatia's railways:

So the net result of EU interference is precisely the opposite to what it was supposed to be set up to do, improve international relations and cross border trade and passenger flow.

I have always been against the Euro but in favour of the European Union. However, this type of imposition of a neo-liberal agenda on the railways does make me hesitate about what we should do about the EU. 

Clearly, the Eurocrats still have a naive federalist agenda that they are trying to impose and they need to be stopped.

There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents...

Directive 91/440/EEC - Just fancy that!

This from Reuters...

The European Union's Transport Commissioner wants rail companies to separate their passenger and freight train business from their railway network management activities by 2023 to make it easier for new entrants to compete, a German newspaper reported.

So obviously not a requirement in 1993, eh Mr Major?
 

Georgian Railways show the way forward?

This from Mrs AP Tis...

I don't know if you've seen the FT today (of course, Ed) but Eye favourite Robert Wright has a piece on Georgian Railways' plans to be the first state controlled railway monopoly to list on the London Stock Exchange.

The last two lines of Mr Wright's piece in the Pink 'Un are most interesting:

Mr Ezugbaia said the company was listing itself as an undivided, integrated organisation to mimic the structure of large, North American railroads, such as Union Pacific and CSX. Those companies own their own track, locomotives and wagons, instead of dividing the infrastructure and operations as normally happens in the European Union.

“We found that this exact strategy is the way to be oriented to successful growth for the railway operations,” Mr Ezugbaia said.

Says it all really.

ATOC levels the Euro playing field?

This from Ithuriel...


Is this a cunning plan by ATOC to apply the McNulty apporach to mainland European railways, inflating their costs to UK levels thus closing the efficiency gap?

Exciting privatisation news from abroad

Good news from The Zimbabwean...

HARARE - The government is considering opening up the railway network to private players, says State Enterprises and Parastatals Minister Gorden Moyo.

The move could put an end to the National Railway of Zimbabwe (NRZ’s) monopoly as it is drowning in a ballooning $274 million deficit of depleted fleet and recapitalisation costs.

What a marvelous opportunity for Britain, the former colonial power, to give something back.

With the help of DfT, ATOC and NR 'experts' that measly deficit could be trebled in no time.

Rail privatisation has failed - Official (again)

Oh how we laughed!

The last time the current lot were in power we were assured that Nationalised industries were woefully inefficient at running railways and that what was required was the sharp suits and shouty braces of the private sector.

And lo, so it came to pass, the railways were flogged off and costs trebled (shurely the tax payer achieved better value for money? Ed)

So what are we to make of this information briefed to most of the Sunday papers?

Deutsche Bahn, Renfe, Albellio and Trenitalia are interested in bidding for the InterCity West Coast franchise.

DafT - have you no shame?

Perhaps Cameron, Petrol-head or Cruella might care to apologise, on behalf of the "back to basics" adulterer Major, for having got it so terribly, terribly wrong?

No good deed goes unpunished!

Telegrammed by Leo Pink
Chile, having stood by Britain during the Falklands War, is now being targeted for retribution by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office - which would rather the Islands had been taken off the bottom line and handed back to the Argies.

A crack team of accountants, lawyers and regulators is being sent to Chile to persuade them that they ought to follow Britain's example and privatise their railways.

Leading this elite force will be Michael ('Mad Mike') Beswick packing considerable 'heat' in the form of the Treasury's new Mk4A (enhanced) Power Point presentation which is alleged to provide a totally convincing explanation as to why paying five times as much for your railways is a small price to pay for the benefits of privatisation.

If this fails, no doubt the FCO will parachute in Lady Shriti (Grannies) Vadera to help explain why it is such a good idea to have "thinly capitalised equity profiteers of the worst kind" running Chilean rail services.

That will teach them!