Good news for passengers on GoAhead's dire franchises.
This from StockMarketWire.com...
The bus and train company, Go-Ahead, has appointed Keith Down, formally Finance Director of pub group, JD Wetherspoon plc, as its new Group Finance Director.
He takes up his position in March.
At last!
Fall-Behind has finally managed to recruit a director with experience of running a piss-up in a brewery.
This from Go-Ahead...
The Board of Go-Ahead Group plc (‘Go-Ahead’ or the ‘Company’) today announces that Keith Ludeman has decided to retire as Group Chief Executive of Go-Ahead after 15 years with the Company. He will retire on 4 July 2011 when he will be succeeded by David Brown.
As part of the orderly succession plan, David Brown, currently Managing Director, Surface Transport of Transport for London, will join the Company as Deputy Chief Executive on 1 April 2011 and will succeed Keith Ludeman when he retires.
So Tim O'Toole departed for First Group, then Ian Brown announces his retirement and now David Brown announces he is going to Go-Ahead.
Clearly retention of TfL Managing Directors is proving a challenge for Boris.
This from the Gruaniad...
Transport group Go-Ahead has gone into reverse after it warned that recently introduced contracts for its regulated London bus business would hit profit margins.
This downturn in performance was of course inevitable.
And happily Eye can pinpoint the precise moment Go-Ahead's fate was sealed.
When you sup with Jonah...
This from Sussex Driver...
Is there something that I'm missing on Railway Eye?
Southern certainly seem to think so...
The Fact Compiler is perplexed by the suggestion that Eye is pornographic.
Although it is possible that Southern's ever vigilant net-police might have taken offence at some recent pictures we published.
In particular this one, of a highly unnatural lovefest containing some deeply suggestive glances and a pair of perfectly formed orange orbs...
Truly disgusting.
This from the Commuter...
They're making staff redundant...
They're cutting back at 102 New Street...
They can't afford to put station staff and train crew under equal conditions...
...but they can afford a flashy new sign to replace one that Centro put up less then less than two years ago.
UPDATE: This from The Archer...
Could the Commuter just check-in with Eye so we all know he / she's OK after taking such a dangerous photo.
I can only hope that the Commuter took refuge in that railway friendly shopping plaza just opposite Snow Hill station; the Great Western Arcade.
I'll get my coat.
UPDATE: This from Chionanthus Virginicus...
Shurely that's not the good Captain D at the entrance, about to "Shooter" back south ?
UPDATE: This, apparently, just in from Josef Pilates (but The Fact Compiler has his doubts)...
With that posture? Certainly not.
Any further slurs on the efficacy of my system could result in legal proceedings.
(With a bowler tip to the latest edition of New Transit magazine...)
This just in from Sussex Driver...
Southern are being a bit naughty and refusing to recognise the 28th Dec as a Bank Holiday and so the brothers aren't best pleased.
Cue a ballot for industrial action... and the results from ASLEF (633 Votes Cast)...
Yes 94.8%
No 5.2%
Big Bob is also balloting his members over the same issue.
Happy Christmas!
Perhaps cost conscious Capt Permatan is merely being careful, having just splashed out on a brand new Aston Martin and all?
Telegrammed by Golden Connection
Exciting news from the latest splendid edition of New Transit magazine.
In an insightful piece Permatan Rail supremo, Keith Ludeman, reflects on London Midland's Sunday and Rest Day working problems:
"What I find disappointing is it was not sorted out by the time we took the business over. In Southern and Southeastern we dealt with the issue of Sunday working and rest day working years ago, and I don’t know why [previous franchise holder] National Express did not.
"It beggars belief but there you go."
Indeed it does Keith, indeed it does.
But what's this?
Wasn't it London Midland that did a deal which meant all new guards no longer had to work Sundays?
And didn't London Midland also rescinded the long standing arrangements whereby drivers could also work as guards?
And wasn't it London Midland that offered crews double time to work Sundays, then removed the bung and had to promptly reinstate it as Sunday working evaporated?
Nor was Central Trains or Silverlink ever issued with a Remedial Improvement Notice as happened to London Midland only today.
Keith finishes off his puff piece with the self evident truth that "Chief Executives make or break... groups".
Indeed they do Keith. As Richard "call me a villain forevermore" Bowker learnt to his cost.
Disastrous GoAhead franchise London Midland has been severely chastised by Moley and crew:
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Chris Mole):
My right honourable and Noble Friend the Secretary of State for the Department for Transport (Lord Adonis) has made the following Ministerial Statement:
The performance of London Midland on 6 September 2009 fell short of its customers’ expectations and was unacceptable to both passengers and Government.
I can now outline the measures I have taken, and the actions I have agreed with London Midland in respect of London Midland’s breach of its franchise agreement.
First, I have issued London Midland with a Remedial Plan Notice for exceeding the Franchise Agreement threshold on cancellations. This requires London Midland to submit to me a Remedial Plan for addressing the level of cancellations. Discussions are at an advanced stage on a range of measures to be implemented within the Remedial Plan.
The Remedial Plan will be contractualised as a Remedial Agreement.
Second, a package of additional benefits for passengers has been agreed, including:
An additional franchise agreement obligation to invest in new, and additional, high-quality information equipment, spending no less than £4.4 million over the life of the franchise in addition to the investment that has already committed in the franchise agreement; and
A promotion for 50,000 day rover tickets for travel over the Christmas period and London Midland will also make available an additional 400,000 Advance Purchase tickets over the next two years on some of the most popular routes.
That should have Permatan Rail quaking in its boots!As predicted by the Eye there have been further developments at beleaguered London Midland.
Yesterday LM errr... misplaced its Ops Director, Andy Thomas.
Steve Law has been drafted in as acting replacement.
Sources suggest that the axe hasn't stopped swinging yet...
UPDATE: This from 37422...
It gets worse.
Thanks to the train crew payments farce, Station Managers are now unable to buy any stores without finance director sign off.
Bring your own bog roll!
The RMT company council have advised LM that all station grade RMT members will be re-balloted for the Sunday payments.
Vacancies remain unfilled and stations remain closed as a consequence.
Happy days.
I give it until December before LM joins the WNXX pool.
Eye welcomes the new South Central franchise which began operation yesterday
The franchise was awarded to current operator Govia (a Go-Ahead and Keolis joint venture) and will see the continuation of the Southern brand.
But what's this?
The winning bid was based on 4% revenue growth over the first two years of the franchises life.
Alas.
What looked a 'toppy' bid may now turn into a Herculean challenge.
This from the BBC...
London Underground (LU) has been hit by a fall of 190,000 journeys a day, with the recession and job losses blamed... August journey figures were 6.4% lower than the same month last year, Transport for London (TfL) said.
With loadings down on LU no doubt similar pain is being felt by NSE TOCs as well.
Watch out for eye-watering increases in unregulated ticket prices and car park charges as Govia struggles to balance the books.
Has the Silver Fox lost his touch?
Commenting on tomorrow’s widespread cancellation of services by London Midland, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Theresa Villiers, said:
“London Midland needs to get their act together. They really should have contingency plans for a situation when their regular drivers don't put their names down for Sunday shifts.
“Given the importance of Sunday services to passengers, particularly families, it is just not good enough to cancel virtually every train for the whole day just because of driver shortages. And passengers should have been given much longer notice of this problem.
“Why didn't the company see this problem coming sooner?”
No matter.
Eye gives you Mr Eccles in full flow (in French of course)...
London Midland: Be afraid, be very afraid...
***Govia signed the South Central franchise agreement late last night. Announcement expected this morning.***
UPDATE: DafT press release here
***Rail Business Intelligence suggesting Govia has retained South Central, formal announcement expected after the Local/Euro elections***
Extraordinary rumours from London Midland
Apparently uber-operator and railwayman's railwayman, Graham Eccles, is to join the TOC as Deputy Chairman.
It's always a good idea to keep expert Southern knowledge close to hand...
As the downturn bites owner groups are coming up with ever more Ludicrous reasons for cutting back on catering
This from UK Railway...
Travelling today on a 350/2 from Liverpool, the Trolly Dolly informed me that hot drinks cannot be served to standard class passengers for safety reasons.
Will Permatan Rail be the first to abandon on-train catering for 'elf'n'safety' reasons?
Go-Ahead must still think they are in with a chance on the South Central franchise.
This from the Kent News...
Train company U-turns on carriage cuts
Fat chance, what with their splendid performance on London Midland and all.
So London Midland has apologised for their dreadful recent performance.
Read Steve Banaghan's frank admission here.
As Go-Ahead is obviously imbued with a new spirit of honesty and openness perhaps we will soon see Keith Ludeman apologise for threatening to withdraw services if DafT didn't renegotiate their franchises?
Then again perhaps not.
Timing as they say is everything.
Smart money suggested that Go-Ahead would keep it's head down after turning London Midland into a disaster zone in recent weeks.
So full marks to Go-Ahead for deciding to announce 300 job losses on the South Eastern today.
A move designed to gladden the hearts of Ministers battling growing unemployment figures, especially after Go-Ahead recorded profits of £131.1 million last year.
With DafT due to announce the winner of the South Central franchise in the summer, Go-Ahead must hope Ministers have short memories.....
Things are not going well over at Go-Ahead franchise London Midland.
Serious train crew shortages are leading to daily cancellations - with up to a 100 services a day being caped.
So annoyed are passengers with LM management's piss-poor performance that they have started taking it out on staff, leading to a disturbing rise in assaults.
Even lacklustre DafT has started to make veiled threats about the franchise's future.
The situation is so bad that one regular contributor to an internet news group now signs off his posts with:
"London Midland does NOT have a staff morale problem.
Most of the staff have no morale - NO PROBLEM."
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