ORR formalises blinkered view of industry

Good news for fans of an holistic understanding of the railway!

This from the ORR's Long-Term Regulatory Statement, published today...

4.37 ORR will work more closely with the freight industry in CP5 to develop a long-term strategy for freight in approach to CP6, including through the whole-industry Rail Delivery Group that brings together the freight operators with Network Rail, ATOC and passenger operators.

Quite so.

But an interesting definition of 'whole industry', excluding as it does rolling stock manufacturers, equipment suppliers, maintainers, contractors, customers, ports, terminals, investors, ROSCOs, consultants, PTE’s, etc... etc....

Clearly ephemeral groups like customers and the supply chain have no role to play in developing the industry's 'long-term strategy for freight'.

That will go well then. 

Britain's least friendly station?

This from the Mad Hatter... 

Passing through Gainsborough I thought I'd pay a visit to the town's Central station.

Alas!

I was unable to access the platforms or footbridge as station is open SATURDAYS ONLY, although there is nothing to say as much on the outside of the palisade fencing. 

Inside the locked and bolted gates are three notice boards, but because of the angle of the board and the small type size you cant see what time the trains run (on the Saturdays they do run), only a printed part of the timetable that says ‘Saturdays only’.  Even National Rail doesn’t list the station’s opening times.

A contender for one of the most unfriendly stations – with no payphone, no notice with opening times on the locked gate, no easy sight of the notice board for train times, etc...

Oddly, just a few miles up the line at Kirton Lindsay, where the service is the same (Sat only), you can walk on the platform with no restrictions. 

Daft, innit. 

NXEA excels at making photographers welcome

This from a clearly very annoyed Mr Tony Miles...

Station staff at Colchester just told me that it is not permitted to wear a switched off camera, with lens cap fitted, on the station!

No wonder NX haven't retained the franchise.

Customer service from the 'Attila the Hun book on How To Win Friends & Influence People'.

UPDATE: An update from Mr Miles...

On the back of the Eye piece above I've just had a call from Virgin Trains who said:

"You are welcome to remove your lens cap & take photos at our stations whenever you like."

That's the way to get shortlisted for a franchise!

Eye wonders if there are other ways to get shortlisted for a franchise? Not being German certainly appears to be one. Readers may know of others...

UPDATE: This from Our International Correspondent...

I didn't know that being nice or nasty to a railway hack was a way to win or lose anything of consequence, let alone a franchise.

Villiers vignettes - Customer focused franchises

This from Cruella...

Written answers and statements, 18 May 2011

Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, Plaid Cymru)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the Great Western franchise beyond 2013.

Theresa Villiers (Minister of State (Rail and Aviation), Transport; Chipping Barnet, Conservative)

The specification for the new franchise, to commence in 2013, will be developed over the next year in consultation with the railway industry and stakeholders.

No mention of listening to actual passengers then?

Arriva celebrates arrival of on-board WiFi

This from The Man by the Photocopier...

Well, well, well.

With just ONE CrossCountry Voyager finally equipped with wi-fi after years of franchise breach by Arriva in Britain, look what they've managed on the other side of the North Sea!

ARRIVA Netherlands launch on board WIFI service

Arriva Netherlands today launched their complimentary on board WiFi service providing on the move connectivity for the first time, much to the delight of their rail passengers.

As Arriva's Dutch Managing Director said:

"We are delighted to be able to offer our passengers such a high quality on board service, which will only enhance the journey experience."

Quite so.

UPDATE: This from a Virgin Twice Removed...

A Virgin chum travelled with CrossCountry last week and was delighted to see the pretty little light on his PC light up, suggesting that a WiFi signal was available.

Wondering why such a momentous event had taken place without fanfares and celebratory stickers appearing in the saloon he logged on…

Only to discover he was picking up the signal from an adjacent Pendolino set at New Street.

Perhaps in future Arriva XC should just advise "WiFi available when adjacent to Bendydildos."

First for exemplary customer service

This from the Pirate of Penzance...

It's been all action on the 12:06 Paddington to Penzance today ...

A gentleman got on at Reading and after having his ticket checked was told that it was not valid.

The man explained to the customer service executive that his connection was late getting into Reading. The CSA then advised him that he'd be getting a fine, and asked for his details and a signature. The man gave his address but refused to sign. A small polite argument followed where a few people nearby got involved, one calling the CSA a jobsworth.

When the train arrived at Exeter, an officer of the BTP came on board carrying instructions to arrest three abusive passengers. When the officer was appraised by other passengers around of the situation, he told the CSA to leave or be reported for wasting police time. The passenger was allowed to continue.

Incidentally, the ticket he was travelling on had been issued free to him by FGW as compensation for a previous two hour delay.

Is there any chance that 'being reasonable' could be included as a module in First Great Western's training programme?

First for walking by on the other side...

Oh dear!

This from the BBC...

Staff at a rail company gave no medical assistance to a commuter who collapsed, it has emerged.

The man collapsed three weeks ago at St Albans station on a line into London run by First Capital Connect.

But bystanders were forced to give medical help. The company later said even if staff were trained, they were only permitted to help other employees.

Eye wonders whether there is a chapter on rendering assistance to stricken fare payers in Sir Moir's lovely book?

"Moving people is what we do best" claims First.

Perhaps not.

UPDATE: This from the First Capital Connect press office...

I think the piece above about FCC may need a bit of first aid of its own.

It was an FCC staff member who initially was so concerned about the customer's state of health that he encouraged him to leave a train early at St Albans so he could get assistance. He should be commended not derided.

When the customer subsequently collapsed, staff and other passengers made sure the individual was as comfortable as possible while we called an ambulance and made an announcement for any doctor that may have been on the station at the time.

Staff trained in first aid can give assistance to customers, but there was not one available at the time so the guys on the ground did exactly what they're trained to do - they called the paramedics who arrived within 7 minutes.

Having said that, we know we're not perfect so our MD has met the lady who made the complaint to see how we can do things better.

Desperate Times - Milton Keynes

Desperate times require desperate measures.

So Eye salutes London Midland!

This money making sign greeted queues of punters desperate to renew their season tickets on Saturday morning (with a bowler tip to A Frog)...


Thank goodness management attention is being devoted to the important things in life.

Why this must have raised almost all of £100 in additional revenue (before management time, production costs and poster erection and removal are taken into account).

Happily someone was keen to put their name to this witty revenue generating opportunity.

Eye wonders if the Customer Services Manager is related to Eddie?

Hybridballs

Telegrammed by Our Independent Expert
Extra traffic from air disruption seems to have gone to Virgin's corporate head.

Weary standard class passengers on 17.56 Preston to Euston Voyager tonight were evicted with heavy luggage to recreate first class from standard class four-abreast coach they were already sitting in on grounds there were not enough first class seats.

When one passenger complained: "'I've paid nearly 100 pounds for this ticket" he was told by aggressive train member of train staff: "These are the rules mate, you've got to move right away. It's a hybid".

Hybrid?

Doh?

There will be many on tonight's train who will be cheering the return today of domestic air services.

UPDATE: This from the Premier Line Controller...

It is in fact just so - Virgin has returned to the the concept of the Composite coach, with a small twist.

Seating in Coach D is almost entirely table seating with generous legroom and a neat retractable table leaf to accommodate corporate growth (NB = corpus as in Habeas Corpus) and the coach has all the required services to operate as a First Class saloon (with a big on-line nudge and a wink!), as required.

Maybe some similar design initiative can be undertaken with the Pendolino fleet to make up for the non-appearance of coaches J and K, in the foreseeable future.

The 50 steerage passengers counted standing on a Sunday service to Glasgow between Euston and Bank Quay, and joined by a further crowd at Preston (many 'standing' for the full 4 hours 40 minutes) might well have appreciated a reverse regrading of a coach or two at the London end of the train.

Maybe a permanent working for a 12 -coach VT64?

The glorious victory of Jamie's 'Not a Blog'

Regular Eye readers may recall this piece of music:



Original post here.

Meanwhile there is an update to Jamie's sad story here.

Result!

Alas.

And here is the denouement :-(

No matter.

To all Eye's industry friends, a message:

Turn on, tune in, get social!

(Can you also mention that Orange have no idea either? Ed)

Scotrail - 54 days and counting

Remember the YouTube hit United Breaks Guitars?

Now rail users are getting in on the act.

This sorry tale from Jamie Anderson - you can follow the full saga over at Jamie's blog



Don't get mad - get viral!

No smoke without Ire

Good to see that the railway is showing its traditional contempt for the passenger.

First ATOC threw smokers off platforms for no good reason now Network Rail at Waterloo has gone one better - corraling them like cattle.


Presumably this at least prepares them for the journey home with South West Trains.

For Pity's sake can the railway not do better than this for its customers?

What price a canopy and some ash trays?

Smokers may now be social pariahs but they still pay real money.

UPDATE: This from Health and Efficiency...

Smoking is an absolutely disgust... (Owing to shortage of space Eye reserves the right to shorten or edit comments in the interests of clarity.)

UPDATE: This from Ian Rodd (RN) Retd...

The 'new' arrangements for smokers at Waterloo are in fact a long standing (sic) feature, by which NR has tolerated illegal acts on the premises, much in the same way that some cities manage prostitution by having areas where it is tolerated so that the management of the fall-out - in this case 'butts' - is focussed on a single area.

It is a great coincidence that when the ban took effect cycle theft from the adjacent overfilled racks dropped dramatically - so the addicts provide enhanced security on the cheap.

Also the cumbersome structures placed in the roadway to deter terrorist attacks have been removed and there are suggestions that the new security measure is to block the access with concentrated crowd of addicts (or out bacca's) high on nicotine and therefore practically immune to any incoming threat.

Railway the wrong way

This just in from a Mr Wood...

Please see forum entry posted today at 7.29:

“An update...

43321+43357 on 1V50....

Set ran ECS EC - Edinburgh Waverley then Edinburgh Waverley to Berwick on Tweed.
1V50 starts from Berwick on Tweed, 22 late and the reason...

wait for it...

A shortage of available staff to dispatch the train at Edinburgh Waverley!

Don't want to put the poor dears at NXEC out do we?

The dangers of Facebook explained

This from the Evening Standard...

I'm an easygoing Jedi, says Tube worker in abuse row

Twisted by the Dark Side, young Morbin has become.

Alliva Closs Countly

This from the Ninja...

Arriva Cross Country must be getting desperate...

...judging by the enthusiasm of its train managers for excessing any passenger whose knowledge of rail fares falls just slightly short of Barry Doe's.

So far (on 1M46) I've seen one spend the time between Basingstoke and Reading winning a prize for revenue protection - but not international relations - with his treatment of four Japanese tourists unwise enough to use an SWT Groupsave ticket on an AXC "voyager".

Plus the new mobile shopette (or trolley) cornered two girls at Banbury and they got overcarried to Leamington before they could get past to rescue their luggage. Not sure if they got exc'eed though!

Perhaps it's an attempt to reduce overcrowding as I don't expect they'll be back in a hurry.

First pictures of Bowker's new railway

It looks as if Richard Bowker will be right at home running railways in the United Arab Emirates.

Regular NXEC customers will instantly recognise the similarity between these UAE trains and the pared to the bone offering now available on the former 'Route of the Flying Scotsman'.

Perhaps The Fact Compiler is being a little unfair.

Passengers aboard UAE trains probably receive a second helping of biscuits.

For you ze football is over

As Gordon Brown prepares to meet the remaining members of England's 1966 World Cup winning squad at Downing Street today more good news from our passenger focused railway.

This from those nice people at DB owned Chiltern...

Please be aware that we will not be stopping any services at Wembley Stadium Station on 10 June, from 1200 until the end of service. We will unfortunately not be providing a service for those going to see the England game at Wembley Stadium.

The safety of both our regular passengers, and the additional travellers using our services because of the strike, is paramount, and we therefore have taken the difficult decision to withdraw services to Wembley on 10 June. Unfortunately this will also affect the evening journey of those who commute to/from Wembley Stadium station.

Typical of the Germans, bloody sore losers.

Back to the future again

In the bad old days of British Rail the industry was rife with Spanish Practices.

For our younger readers these were "irregular or restrictive practices... not in accord with modern business practice" (Thanks Wikipedia).

Fortunately privitisation swept all this bad practice away and heralded a new dawn of partnership where the needs of the customer come first.

Therefore, The Fact Compiler was surprised to receive the following from a reader:

"Heard an excellent spanish practice from (Toc X) last week.

"Depot standbys can only be used to cover work at their home depot, so even if there is a cross cover agreement, the work has to be covered by the home depot.

"Result trains cancelled and passengers pissed off."

Thank goodness that sort of thing doesn't go on today. (Is this right? Ed)