Where are they now - Adrian Lyons

Another in an occasional series designed to assist Patrick McLoughlin and Richard Brown determine the way forward for contracted passenger services

Inviting the onetime Director General of the Railway Forum and a former Master of the Worshipful Company of Drapers to support Richard Brown's review would be welcomed by many on the railway and in the City.

Adrian Lyons, was last seen here.

That is all.

UPDATE: This from Sidney Sneak!...

Nonsense!

Wasn't the Fact Compiler most recently seen with General Lyons at the Midland Hotel, in Derby, last Thursday night?

The Fact Compiler, respectfully, pleads the Fifth...

Who killed the Railway Forum?

So farewell to the Railway Forum which shuffled off this mortal coil on the 1st January 2010.

Yes, the grey men have finally done in the invisible man!

Set up at privatisation to give the industry a united voice the Railway Forum was laid to rest by an unholy alliance of Network Rail, ATOC and the Railway Industry Association.

Of course any suggestion that the grey men hoped we wouldn't notice is completely wide of the mark, which is why the Railway Forum website is still up and running.

Sadly the abolition of the Railway Forum is a signal that the industry really isn't bothered about speaking with one voice on anything.

A triumph for narrow self interest and factionalism but a victory for the DfT and the slick lobbyists of the aviation and automobile industries

Eye salutes all involved!

UPDATE: This from the Continuity Railway Forum...

I thought Eye's readers might be interested in the following press release which was almost issued this week:

INDUSTRY UNITED IN ABOLISHING PAN-INDUSTRY ORGANISATION

There was widespread delight today that the Railway Forum which represented all sides of the industry has finally been abolished.

Michael Windbag of ATOC said, "This is wonderful news. Now we do not have to be bothered pretending that we are a united industry and we can get on with feathering our own members' nests."

Paul Faceless of Network Rail added, "This just goes to show that we are in charge and don't you dare forget it!"

Jeremy Bureaucrat of RIA, said "I am delighted that we have finally killed of an organisation that was dangerously enthusiastic, put the case for rail and had several ideas which were not invented here."

The Forum's last Chairman, Richard Tunnel-Chaos, speaking from a broom cupboard, concluded "Basically we lost the will to go on, but I 'm not really to blame. Any news on my pay rise?"

No funeral and no flowers requested!

UPDATE: Wolmar also mourns the Forum's passing...

It was the membership that was the problem.

Bowker - strange but true

Telegrammed by The Velopodist
Top of the bill at today's Railway Forum National Conference was beleaguered National Express Chief Executive Richard Bowker.

There was slack-jawed astonishment around the hall as Bowker not only proceeded to ignore his company's dire financial plight completely but then droned on for ages and ages about improving National Express's green credentials.

As watchers mouthed from the back of the room, "Your company's going bust, Richard", he explained the very pertinent news that National Express was the first large bus operator to switch all its depots to green tariff energy and explained how he'd always been a huge enthusiast for high-speed rail, back to his SRA days (when most people thought he kicked the Atkins report on high-speed rail into the long grass).

It was all really rather strange.

UPDATE: This just in from The Master...

Stock Market rules dear boy, Stock Market rules.

A bridge too far?

Alas, all appears not to have gone well at today's Railway Forum annual conference.

Dr Mike "Death" Mitchell was given a speaking slot and invited to answer questions afterwards.

Death, the rudest man on the railway, left the event post haste to crawl back under his Marsham Street stone leaving questions unasked, let alone unanswered.

Meanwhile event sponsors, Mouchel, were given two bites at the presentation cherry.

Unfortunately their second slot, on 'bridge maintenance', proved so exhilarating that several delegates were seen to drill out their own fillings in a desperate attempt to remain awake.

Richard Brown, Railway Forum Chairman, may well be nursing sore ears tonight, judging by the number of delegates keen to bend them with less than complimentary views of the event.

Off the fence

For several years now the Railway Forum has been near invisible.

However, the Forum's Director General, Paul Martin, today put his 'cohones on the line' by posting a public message of support for Tom Harris on the former Minister's blog.

It reads:

"So sorry to hear this. I’ve greatly enjoyed working with you and genuinely feel that the rail industry has lost a great champion and friend. The whole industry has seen you as the most effective Rail Minister in memory and we feel that your achievements richly deserve promotion in government rather than what has happened."

The Fact Compiler applauds the Railway Forum's Director General for coming "to bury Caesar, not praise him".

But was this wise? Such off message comments do not play well in every quarter.

The temperature at the first meeting between Gende Homo and the Railway Forum may be somewhat cool.