Network Rail calls time on Quagmire commute

This from Billy Connections...

I note that Railnews is reporting the following:

A REQUIREMENT that Network Rail staff must not live more than a certain distance from the company's new HQ in Milton Keynes has angered the white collar rail union TSSA, which is accusing the company of acting 'illegally'.

Hmmm...

It's all very well Network Rail mandating a maximum of 75 minutes commuting time for employees at the new Milton Keynes headquarters, but has management thought through the details of the rule.

For a start does it apply to home-front-door to office-front-door? Is it station to station, is it wheels rolling to wheels stationary?

Is it based on the Working Timetable or the GB Public Timetable? The WTT, produced by NR's timetablers has shorter journey times than the GBPTT which includes allowances determined by the TOCs.

Will the timetablers at MK suddenly become very popular when a minute cut from a schedule means that you can continue to live in your agreeable six bedroom detached house rather than a three bed semi in MK's concrete city?

Will the civil engineers suddenly become everyone's best mates, when lifting a PSR that has the same effect?

Will the HR department face claims for constructive dismissal backed by Timetabling Consultancies?

And, finally, who is to head up the new, 20 strong, Commuting Range Analsysis Group?

Planning for the future

Telegrammed by the Master
NR's reputation for customer service will take a great leap forward from 2010 when the Leeds train planning office moves to, err... Milton Keynes.

Scotrail and TPE are reported to be non too impressed.

NR have acquired premises in this 'world class' town and are intending concentrating many more functions on the site.

But few staff seem keen to make the move to the land of concrete cows.

That's one way to reduce headcount.

UPDATE: This just in from DOS at Rugby...

The move to Milton Keynes, and planned centralisation of functions currently carried out in other locations, may well be connected to Mr Coucher residing near by.

Perhaps even he is finding a daily commute to Euston too expensive!

UPDATE: This just in from the Major...

I suspect Mr C has few problems with the cost of his MK commute.

Whether he's quite so happy at his train being late so often is another matter.