PAC - Thameslink offers bright future for Pacers

This from The Man by the Photocopier...

Eye readers might be intrigued to learn that the new Thameslink rolling stock will be unrefurbished Pacers!

And all the time we thought it was going to be some wizzo-super new version of the electric Desiros from our chums at Siemens.

But the Public Accounts Committee knows better, judging by this highly appropriate picture on its website which accompanies the Committee's latest Thameslink moan (shurely "carefully researched and insightful report"? Ed).



An additional exclusive is an ERTMS semaphore. Another British first?

And where was this charming picture taken? Must be Radlett. There are certainly no overhead wires to spoil the view!

NR public or private - PAC weighs in

This from today's Public Accounts Committee report into Reducing costs in the Department for Transport...

It is unacceptable that Network Rail is not directly accountable to Parliament and not subject to National Audit Office scrutiny.

Network Rail spends billions of pounds of public money each year, , its debt of over £25 billion is underwritten by the taxpayer and international accounting conventions show that it should be considered as part of the public sector.

Yet the Department continues to hide behind the Office for National Statistics classification of Network Rail as a private company which keeps Network Rail's debt off the public balance sheet and its spending from direct NAO scrutiny. We also note that an additional £950 million borrowing through Network Rail formed part of the Government's plans in the Autumn Statement, further undermining the Department's argument that it is an "essentially private sector" company.

As we have previously recommended the Department should provide the Comptroller and Auditor General with full access to Network Rail so that Parliament can scrutinise Network Rail's value for money.

No doubt last month's decision by the Captain of Netball to over-rule NR's Management Incentive Plan will allow the ONS to resolve this particular anomaly...

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...

Given that DfT can't or won't provide me with a simple spread sheet of current franchise/premium profiles in existing franchise agreements I think the PAC is barking up the wrong tree.

A quick call to ORR should provide more financial data than the geekiest of NAO wonks can handle.

DafT's abysmal PPM

The Commons' Public Accounts Committee has published its report into the Department of Transport: Letting of Rail Franchises 2005-2007.

Predictably the media focused upon the PAC's call to make discounted fares more easily available to those without internet access.

However, as those without internet access won't be reading the Eye probably not worth focusing on this overly much.

Of greater interest is the criticism the PAC reserved for the Government's endless spin over the alleged 1,300 vehicles the department keeps promising the network.

The PAC report stated:

The Department promises of bringing 1,300 new rail carriages into service by 2014 look over-optimistic.

There are only 423 on order so far, and another 150 carriages are the subject of negotiations. It takes 30 to 36 months to mobilise the supply chain, suggesting deliveries running into 2011–2012 for the current work in progress.

If Daft were an owner group, and this piss-poor rate of delivery were translated into a Public Performance Measure, it would forfeit its franchises.

Now there's an idea!

Camera unobscura

Dr Death and the Department for Transport knows exactly which TOC's are in the sh1t.

As this under reported session of Wednesday's Parliamentary Accounts Committee shows.

Dr Mitchell declined to say in public exactly how many are close to the wall, for fear of further damaging share prices, but agreed to disclose the information to the PAC in camera.

However, he did confirm that, according to the Department's internal system for tracking franchise health, "A small number of companies are showing red".

Paradoxically DafT's tracking system was introduced following the collapse of previous East Coast franchise holder GNER.

With DafT having form for accepting ludicrously ambitious franchise bids can it be a surprise that history is in danger of repeating itself?