The Case of the Green Aspect

The scene: A room at 221b Baker Street...

I say Holmes dashed bad luck about Tuesday’s early morning derailment in the middle of the Waterloo possession, eh?

Indeed Watson, the train crew behaved impeccably, but I suspect the consequences of the derailment may impact on the project’s overall timeline.

Quite so Holmes. It was nice of SWT to afford Season Ticket holders 10 days of free travel for putting up with the disruption?

A welcome gesture Watson. Now have you noted the significance of Aslef’s statement on the derailment?

Can’t say I have Holmes, in fact I’m not sure they’ve said anything about it?

That, Watson, is the significance.

Brand Pride - South West Trains

Or should that read South Western Railway?

No matter.

This is the bespoke case that SWT's twitter supremo has had created for her iPhone.

Cool, no?

Anyone else done something similar?

Additional points in this game if it annoys the brand police!

SWT struggles with reliability - Shocker!

This from South West Trains...

PASSENGERS TO BENEFIT FROM £40 MILLION INVESTMENT IN SOUTH WEST TRAINS CLASS 455 FLEET

• Further improvements to country's most reliable train fleet
• 91 Class 455 trains to be fitted with modern traction equipment to help reliability
• Lighter trains will require less maintenance and reduce wear on rail infrastructure
• Regenerative braking will return up to 20% of energy for use by other trains

Passengers using South West Trains are to benefit from a newly-launched £40 million upgrade of its Class 455 train fleet, which is already the most reliable in the UK.

The upgrade will deliver even greater reliability for services which operate on the Metro area from London Waterloo to Reading, the Hounslow loop and the Shepperton branch.

The 91 Class 455 trains, which are already the most reliable trains in the country, will be fitted with new traction equipment which promises to enhance performance and improve reliability even further.

The programme – which will be rolled out over the next three years – involves removing the existing DC traction equipment, including the motors, and replacing it with an even more reliable modern AC traction system.

Christian Roth, Engineering Director for the South West Trains – Network Rail Alliance, said: “Our Class 455 trains are already by far the most reliable fleet in the country, however we are not complacent and we want to make sure these excellent results are sustained and improved even further.

“The new traction motors will help us to improve the reliability of these trains for our passengers at the same time as delivering environmental benefits through the reduced electricity supply.”

The prototype train will be fitted at Wimbledon depot with the remainder of the fleet fitted at Eastleigh depot. The project should be finished by Spring 2014.

The investment is being delivered in partnership with the South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance, Porterbrook and the Department for Transport.

Ends

Eye wonders why this SWT release made so little of the Class 455's reliability?

UPDATE: This from the The Grim Reaper...

It seems that SWT don't know their own train fleet:

Class 458s are the UK's most reliable trains

And Class 455s don't generally operate to Hounslow or Reading (450 / 458 respectively).
 
So the press release isn't that reliable.

Burns Lite - on Waterloo International

An occasional series celebrating the genius that is Simon Burns MP, the Minister of State for Transport...

This from the 4th of February:

Maria Eagle (Garston and Halewood, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department has made on re-opening the platforms at the former Waterloo International Terminal for domestic commuter services; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns (Chelmsford, Conservative)
The Government is committed to bringing the former International platforms at Waterloo station into domestic use, commencing with platform 20 being brought back into use by 2014 to assist South West Trains in delivering additional capacity into this busy station. In advance of this, work to refurbish the roof is already under way.

With regard to the other four former international platforms, previous plans to bring these back into use have now been subject to detailed evaluation which has shown them to be too short-term in respect of the efficient overall expansion of Waterloo station. A more comprehensive and longer term plan is required. On 16 July 2012 the Secretary of State published the High Level Output Specification (HLOS), which included recognition that major works are likely to be required at London Waterloo and made provision for this as part of a wider rail strategy for Control Period 5 (2014-19).

Network Rail published its Strategic Business Plan (SBP) in January 2013 setting out how the rail industry proposes to deliver the Government's HLOS rail strategy for 2014-19. The SBP proposes a £300 million investment to increase capacity into London Waterloo in CP5 as part of a longer term enhancement programme that will deliver significant capacity improvements into CP6 and beyond. During CP5, improvements will focus on suburban routes into London with platform extensions to accommodate longer 10 car trains and the integration of the former Waterloo International Terminal and its platforms to increase capacity within the station.

What on earth does Third Degree Burns mean when he says the four other platforms at Waterloo International station are "too short-term in respect of the efficient overall expansion of Waterloo station"?

Does he think these platforms are planning to move somewhere in the near future? 

Or perhaps, at over a quarter of a mile in length, they will be unable to handle whatever trains SWT can throw at them?

Almost completely meaningless - Cruella would have been proud of him.

A word on today's incident in London...

There but for the Grace of God...

...thought many of us who looked at the pictures from Lambeth this morning, knowing it could have been so much worse. 

Look at the 'Crash site' on the BBC infographic below and see its proximity to the railway.

Without wishing to diminish in anyway those caught up in the incident, the emergency services and the families and friends of those injured or who lost their lives, might Eye extend a very small plaudit to the railway and those who enabled it to keep running throughout today (NR, SWT, The brothers, Met, LFB, BTP, etc...)

This evening many local road users are still experiencing significant disruption.

But the railway kept on running. 

Eye salutes all those involved.

As a wise man once said: Keep calm and run trains.

UPDATE: This from the Wandsworth Wanderer...

As a “PS” to the worthy tribute to the railway in south London yesterday, while Vauxhall station did close yesterday morning, it was open again to passengers within a few hours... and as someone who had travelled in from Hampshire via SWT for a meeting in the West End at 10.30am, I arrived at Waterloo right time.  

So, yes, the railways played a blinder!

And I can also vouch for the ongoing transport chaos on local roads in SW London during this morning’s rush-hour. 

Cars, vans and lorries bumper to bumper clogging up road junctions and several buses on lengthy diversions.

Happily many bus passengers abandoned the road network, walking considerable distances to use the train from Clapham Junction instead!

Blessed to do announcements on SWT?

This from @BrianBlessed...

I'll do the voiceover for @sw_trains if my fee is donated to Samaritans @My6Percent @joekolakowski #MINDTHEGAP

And with the generous offer to donate his fee to the Samaritans, that will do nicely!

Here a gratuitous video of Brian at his best.



The ball, as they say, now lies in SWT's court...

NR & SWT Deep Alliance launched today

This from Stagecoach and Network Rail...

PASSENGERS  TO  BENEFIT  AS  SOUTH  WEST  TRAINS  AND NETWORK RAIL FORM NEW ALLIANCE · Single senior management team now responsible for trains and track · Focus on reduced delays, better customer service, more efficient working · “Deep alliance” is first for the UK rail industry

Train  company  South  West Trains and infrastructure operator Network Rail today  (30  April 2012) announced the launch of a new alliance with the aim of delivering better rail services in the south and south-west of England.

A  single  senior  joint  management  team  now has responsibility for both trains  and  track on the route operating out of London Waterloo in a first for the UK rail industry...

The  senior  management  team has more than 200 years’ experience in the UK rail   industry   covering  train  service  delivery,  rail  infrastructure management and train fleet manufacturing and includes:

• Managing Director – Tim Shoveller 
• Infrastructure Director – Jim Morgan
• Operations Director – Mark Steward
• Fleet Director - Christian Roth
• Safety & Assurance Director – Brian Cook
• Human Resources Director – Kelly Barlow
• Commercial Director – Sam McCarthy
• Customer Service Director – Jake Kelly
• Finance Director – Andy West

A governance board, with equal representation from both organisations, will oversee  the  operation  of the alliance and take major business decisions.

Arrangements  are  in place to ensure the interests of other passenger rail companies  and freight operators are protected. Both companies retain their own  identities and staff.  There are no changes to terms and conditions of employment or collective bargaining agreements with recognised trade unions

And about time too.

Welcome to a new world for the South Western Railway! 

Another bloody nose for DfT Rail.

Telegrammed by Ithuriel
More bad news for the Department for Transport

Having failed to get any money out of the ROSCOs, DfT Rail has now lost its challenge to SWT's cap & collar claim at arbitration.

Still at least they didn't go to court, saving a few millions in legal costs.

How long before someone takes responsibility for these bad judgments and resigns? (Presume this is rhetorical question - Ed)

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.

SWT to open new ticket offices

Exciting news from South West Trains (with a bowler tip to @swlines)

Eye readers may recall the recent furore over SWT's plans to close ticket offices.

In an amazing volte face and obvious attempt to curry favour with the Noble Lord they now look to be opening more!


And here are the lucky towns to benefit...


Although The Fact Compiler is struggling to find 'Surbition' and 'Baskingstoke' in his Baker's...

SWT lets cat out of bag!

This just in from NFL...

Spotted at Southampton Airport Parkway....


So what exactly are SWT trying to tell us?

Pitt stop?

This from TransportXtra...

South West Trains today announced the appointment of Andy Pitt as its new managing director.

As DafT and SWT can't agree when Cap and Collar comes into effect Andy may have a short tenure...

First cut is the deepest

This from SWT...

South West Trains today (4 February 2009) announced it is proposing to make a further reduction of 180 posts at the company as part of its ongoing review of its cost base.

The proposals, which are subject to consultation with employees, are in addition to the 480 job reductions announced last month.

Will the last one out please turn off the lights

Whitewash

***More froth from SWT!***

Feint praise

Good news for SWT passengers

Whilst DfT has prevented the TOC closing many ticket offices there may be no one left to staff them.

This just in from SWT...

...a reduction of 480 roles... 200 to leave the company

Nice touch SWT, slip this out whilst the media are busy with the Heathrow announcement!

Better Housekeeping

As SWT evidently need to save money The Fact Compiler has a suggestion.

Why not fire your media agency?

After all there is not much point in placing an ad on the Hamilton Advertiser website offering £8 SWT tickets to London.


That's probably kept one booking office open an extra hour.

UPDATE: Telegrammed by a geek...

Was that screen shot sent in by someone in Hamilton, or from someone living/working in the SWT area?

A lot of advertising is triggered not by the site but by where the user is located.

Your IP can be used to determine your location, and then appropriate advertising served.

It might not be a phuk-up at all.

Clever chaps these IT johnnies!

Self mutilation

Telegrammed by our International Correspondent
Brian Souter has told London's leading evening newspaper that leisure travel is down due to the credit crisis.


But what's this?

No mention that leisure fares have been all but been abolished by greedy SWT.

Perhaps the perfectly formed, carrier-bag wielding, Clause 28 fan is hoping the Treasury will bail out his franchises on the same, over-generous, terms offered to the bankers?

Cheek

As ever, it is a case of who you know, not what you know.

There have been a growing number of complaints about ride quality on South West Trains 458 (Juniper) units that ply the Waterloo - Reading route

As part of a planned programme of modifications vehicle 8017 has just been fitted with new springs, anti-roll bars and dampers to improve the ride.

Similar modifications are to be rolled out across the fleet.

But what is this?

Priority is to be given to modifying those vehicles with First Class seating.

Could this be connected with the deluge of emails and videos about ride quality that have landed on the desk of SWT MD Stewart Palmer, from a "powerful senior figure in London Underground"?

The Fact Compiler understands that there is no truth to the rumour that SWT staff have been instructed to collate similar evidence of piss-poor track quality on LU's roller-coaster District line.