RMT flies a kite... out of control

This from a Mr Ivy... 

I guess you've seen this from the RMT: 

Nothing highlights the growing rail fares scandal more than the fact a walk-on return fare from London to Newcastle costs £301, more than a round trip flight to New York. Skyscanner are advertising return trips to the States for £298 today.

I'm sure the 'Eye' would like to point out how blatantly misleading the RMT is being – by comparing a walk-on rail-fare with an advance booking air fare! It's appalling how they spin. Trouble is, people will believe them….

Out of interest I've checked Skyscanner now, and 'walk-on' fare (I.e. For travel today is £1,133 (the headline price of £796 is not available). I'd like to give Bob Crow £298 and tell him to get to New York with that as a 'walk-on' fare.

Is ATOC fuming. I'll bet not….!

New Franchising Policy - McLoughlin speaks!

Some comforting words on the future of the industry from the SoS in no less a place than Conservative Home!

"The passage of time has proved Dr Beeching was wrong about British railways. Far from being on the way out, the industry has never been stronger, with passenger numbers at record levels."
 
Very good, tick!

But what's this?

Further down the encomium are the following weasel words justifying flogging off East Coast:

"But the service was last upgraded in the 1980s and needs revitalising now. And with new trains, which will be built in the North East, on order it is right that we invite bidders to put forward proposals for investing in and improving services."

Oh dear.

Let us cast our minds back to the heady days of May 2011 and Project Eureka.

These wise words from a certain Karen Boswell:

A new timetable is being developed by the rail industry which will improve services on the East Coast Main Line. It represents the biggest change on the East Coast Main Line for 20 years.

The new timetable will deliver 25 extra East Coast services, more than 9,000 extra seats each weekday, etc...

Are McLoughlin's words perhaps the greatest investment in puffery since the Victorian era?

UPDATE: This from Alecto...

Clearly Mr McLoughlin is either being misled or is badly advised, quite possibly both.

The 'new trains' are mainly replacements for Intercity 125 and even that part of the IEP deal is yet to reach financial close.

The future of the mid-life IC225 fleet, delivered at the end of the 1980s, is still being considered with a range of options available. One of the options is IEP, but the cost of this solution is considerable compared to some of the alternatives.
 
Or is the Minister pre-empting that decision, even though his department is claiming that the choice of future rolling stock for the franchise will be down to the incoming franchisee as part of their proposals for "investing in and improving services"

It seems difficult to escape the conclusion that Whitehall still thinks it knows best.

HS2 failure rewarded by success!

This from ITV News...

The company behind the new high speed rail link through Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire is at the centre of a major new row after it emerged it is up for a top award for its consultation on the scheme, despite failing to consider hundreds of responses due to technical errors. 

No doubt the DfT team behind the Incredibly Expensive Procurement are already counting their plaudits from the Public Accounts Committee? 

So fess up Greening - exactly how many IEP jobs?

Compare and contrast.

This from the DfT press release on IEP in which Greening claimed '730 new jobs' would be created at Newton Aycliffe...

With this from Hitachi which said 'at least 500 jobs' would be created...

As @L_Jameson pointed out: "at this rate they'll be laying people off by dinner time".

UPDATE: This from Our Man at 222 Marylebone Road...

May I congratulate Fact Compiler San for helping Hitachi to amend the wording of their on-line press release so that it now reads:

Just fancy that!

A hot weekend for Eye's favourite spinner...

Good to see a PR at the top of his game!

Eye favourite the soi disant 'veteran' observer managed to sink in the mire of the twitterverse this weekend.

Bluster-Brown, for it was he, was left floundering as the hashtag #trainonfire lit up Sunday's internet, at one point being viewed by 22,500 'tweeps'.

And where in this alleged conflagration was the great spin surgeon?

Left forlornly punting emails to a twitter based Guardian hack...


Happily no fire, no story.

No matter!

Eye advises all TOCs (with the following noble exceptions who Actually Do Twitter)....

"Get with the program, get a corporate Twitter account, get your team on-line and engage".

'Nuff said.

Miliband abolishes First Class!

This from Guido...


Note the missing antimacassar.

Full story here...

Eurostar leaks report to friendly media

Looks like Bell Pottinger has been busy earning its fee.

Today's FT contains details, in advance of publication, of Chris Garnett's report into Eurostar's pre Christmas Chunnel debacle.

The rest of us mere mortals (and indeed those unhappy legions trapped below ground) will have to wait until tomorrow for its official publication.

One piece of good news.

The Pink 'Un confidently predicts "that senior resignations look unlikely".

Good news indeed for Eurostar chief executive and broom cupboard star, Richard Brown, who can stay in place and keep counting the money.

Shurley "...stay in place while inquiry recommendations are implemented." Ed?

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic, via The Gruaniad...

"The central thing seems to be that the management didn't handle the incident very well. They seemed a bit vague about how the snow was going in.

"There wasn't the technical depth that I've seen at other organisations I've been to."

Arriva Cross Country - HST update

Last October Eye suggested that two of XC's five HST sets would be stood down at the December timetable change.

Of course this was subject to a firm denial by the operator when subsequently picked up by the trade press.

So Eye is grateful to several members of the 125 Group who have been in contact to provide an update.

This, in particular, from Storm Force:

I can confirm that set XC01 has not operated since 12 December, and set XC04 has only appeared at weekends – suggesting mileage limitation on this set.

Just fancy that!

UPDATE: This from Fourth Estate Jobber ...

This is why the "informed" parts of the railway press made sure that the "denial" of this story was clearly attributed to a CrossCountry spokesman.

Alas, this sort of spin is soon exposed by events, leading to the PR's credibility going west and diminishing the reputation of the organisation they represent.

The truth will always out!

New Thameslink fleet doomed - Official

It looks like the Eye is not alone in distrusting our political class.

This from Captain Deltic's latest ePreview...

Meanwhile the new Thameslink train procurement could be linked to politics. It may be coincidence, but DfT Rail has set a deadline of 25 March to choose the supplier. If the General Election is held on 6 May, 25 March marks the start of the six weeks of ‘purdah’, during which the Government can’t make major announcements.

No shit Sherlock.

Mystic Adonis anticipates High Speed Two report

Telegrammed by Le Flaneur
Do not trust him gentle maiden!

According to a DfT press release, embargoed for 01.00 Wednesday 30 December:

Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis has predicted 2010 will be the year of high-speed rail in the UK on the day he received what could prove to be a landmark report for the future of transport in this country.

High Speed Two - the company set up to advise the Government on the development of high-speed rail services between London and Scotland - delivers its highly-anticipated report today.

But what did I see whilst strolling along Victoria Street this very day, 31 December?

Outside No 55. the former home of the Strategic Rail Authority and now containing the offices of HS2L, but reports and engineering drawings galore, bearing the HS2 logo, being loaded into vehicle.

When asked where the load was going the driver replied 'Marsham Street, Guv'.

So why did the Noble Lord claim to have received the report a day early?

Presumably to avoid it being lost in the New Year's Eve news dead spot.

Pilgrimage of Grice sets ministerial precedent

Telegrammed by our man at 222 Marylebone Road
Exciting news from Labour Party HQ in Victoria Street!

Eye understands that following the success of Transport secretary Lord Adonis' whirlwind one-day whistle stop tour of England's 10 worst stations in Labour constituencies, the party's Election 'Grid' now includes the following:

Andy Burnam, Secretary of State for Health to visit the top 10 hospitals in Labour constituencies with the worst post operation fatality rate (Mode: Air Ambulance).

Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to visit the top 10 schools in Labour constituencies with the worst GCSE results (Mode: First Yellow school buses).

Baron Mandelson of Foy in the county of Herefordshire and Hartlepool in the county of Durham, First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, Minister of Information, Lord President of the Council (cont. p94) to visit the top 10 car factories in Labour constituencies making the most unreliable/any cars (Mode: Ministerial Jag)

With friends like these...

Pamphlet of ill omen

Telegrammed by our man at 222 Marylebone Road
Lord knows how long it took for the Agglomeration of Totally Obstreperous Cats (ATOC) to agree the text for its 'Passenger Rail the way forward' pamphlet.

So a tip of the bowler to Michael Roberts for his cat-herding skills - but it really is industrial strength tosh, not least in confusing subsidies and grants with investment.

And is it really a good idea to boast about operating from more places than 'Tesco or McDonalds' and then claiming that 'over 80% of you are satisfied with our services'?

If 20% of Tesco or McDonalds' customers were dissatisfied with their services managerial heads would roll.

And guess what?

The £5.4bn 'invested' annually by the public sector in the railways represents only 1% of total public spending and 'must remain a priority to maintain service levels'.

Well no shit Sherlock!

UPDATE: This just in from J Alfred Prufrock...

And this egregious lobbying document has the nerve to call for non-executive directors and members of Network Rail to play a 'stronger role' in challenging the organisation's senior management.

If the TOCs were industry members they could have been calling the Network Rail board to account with informed rigour for the last five years.

Reform is long overdue.

(Shome mishtake shurley! Aren't TOC's already NR Public Members? Ed)

UPDATE: This from Chionanthus virginicus

Come on FC

Shurley even your Ed knows that several TOC's ARE "Industry Members" of NR.

No bonus for him this year then?

UPDATE: This from J Alfred Prufrock

Apologies to the FC for not asking him to set my comment in Heavy Irony Bold type face.

Still, to the virginicus all things are pure.

UPDATE: This from NR's Internet Rapid Rebuttal Unit...

There appears seems to be some confusion about the difference between 'public' and 'industry' members:

Network Rail has two general classes of membership:

Public Members are drawn from the public.

Industry Members are made up of certain rail industry companies (principally the passenger and freight train operating companies and some rail contractor companies), who are automatically eligible to be Members of Network Rail upon meeting certain criteria.

More info here.

UPDATE: This also from NR's Internet Rapid Rebuttal Unit...

PS Here is the current list of Network Rail members

UPDATE: This from our International Correspondent...

Under the cover of “promoting rail” ATOC seems determined to prod the Treasury with a pointed stick....

To quote...

• Those who seek renationalisation are trying to recall a golden age of British Rail that never existed.
• Last year, 1.27 billion journeys were made on Britain’s railways, up by 59.2% since 1996
• You pay an average of just £4.71 each time you use us
• 80% of passengers travel on discounted tickets
• The £5.4bn invested annually by the public sector on rail represents less than 1% of total public spending

Er, that’ll be about £60 billion since 1996.

More in 13 years than BR got in the years 1947 – 1996 – the “golden age that never existed”.

According to my back of the fag packet calculation, growth since 1996 amounts to 0.5 billion journeys.

The current level of investment (subsidy) amounts to £4 billion per annum more than the mythical golden age, so that’s an extra £8 from the taxpayer per journey to generate growth revenue of £4.71 per head and 80% of those sales had to be discounted...

Nice work if you can get it. Trebles all round?

McBride of Frankenstein

There are certain Parliamentary exchanges that beg more questions than they answer.

This from the 20th July...

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport on what date the Secretary of State last met Mr. Damian McBride in the course of his official duties.

Chris Mole: The Secretary of State for Transport has never met Mr. McBride in the course of his official duties.

Oh to have been a fly on the wall at those non-official meetings...

A good day to bury piss-poor news

Telegrammed by The Raver
The NAO report on Metronet's collapse is due to be published tomorrow morning.

As Brown and Vadera are personally responsible for the disastrous PPP, which has cost Londoners billions and nearly brought the Underground to its knees, no doubt the report will receive an appropriate level of media coverage.

After all Friday is bound to be a slow news day...

UPDATE: Wolmar takes up the tale...

NatEx clutches at straws

So what exactly is happening at National Express?

A number of 'NatEx' friendly stories have been appearing in the media recently.

Three weeks ago it was rumoured that NatEx and Stagecoach might merge.

The story was strenuously denied by Stagecoach.

No matter - NatEx shares reacted positively to the 'news'.

And only this weekend the Sunday Times claimed that NatEx's troubled East Coast franchise would move to a management contract.

A story given short shrift by the DfT, who quickly reaffirmed that rail contracts won't be renegotiated.

Even so the mere rumour reinvigorated NatEx's dire share price by 11.8%

Could these Alice in Wonderland ramblings have anything to do with the National Express annual meeting this Wednesday, a £400m rights issue and threatened boardroom shake-up?

Surely shareholders won't be so easily taken in?

UPDATE: This just in from Sim Harris...

Not sure that DafT defines the termination of a franchise and its replacement by a management contract as "renegotiation".

DafT has NOT given this story short shrift -- indeed, it has consistently declined to deny it over the past couple of days. If it is not true, or at least well-founded, why not say so?

More follows, I suspect.

More spun than spinned against.

Someone's been a naughty boy!

This from The Grauniad on the 13th April:

The government is considering a £250m stimulus package for the railways aimed at boosting revenues and passenger numbers...

Nothing in the budget as far as we could see.

Qui bono?

DafT treats regionals with contempt

Two DafT press releases.

Both issued yesterday (Friday).

The first received at 14:50, the second at 23:30.

14:50 Rail passengers are set to benefit from a project costing more than £50 million to redouble one of the worst performing routes on the Cotswold Line, Transport Minister Andrew Adonis said today.

23:30 Rail passengers are set to benefit from a project costing more than £50 million to double parts of the Cotswold Line, from a single track service to two lines, Transport Minister Andrew Adonis said today.

Using your skill and judgment can you guess how many of today's newspapers were able to amend their copy in time?

Adonis ruled "out of order"

Lord Adonis received a dressing down from the Transport Select Committee yesterday for having leaked his evidence beforehand.

"There's extreme concern in the committee that today there was extensive coverage in the media of what it's alleged you are going to say," Louise Ellman said.

"This is really out of order".

He claimed he thought that, since he was merely restating government policy, it wouldn't be a problem.

He's frankly lucky Gwynneth Dunwoody is no longer around to rip him limb from limb.

UPDATE: Meanwhile Nigel Harris excoriates the TSC for piss-poor performance...

Our tune

Today's FT has come out firmly in favour of 'The Frankenstein' train as a means of accurately describing the IEP.

'The IEP has been nicknamed the “Frankenstein train” because the specification brings together so many irreconcilable parts' asserts the Pink'un confidently.

But what's this?

The quote emerges from the mouth of soi disant 'veteran observer' Rupert Brennan Brown, who fails to give Railway Eye due credit for originating the term.

Fortuitously The Fact Compiler was recently sent a clipping from a July 1991 Railnews which pictures carpet Bagger-Brown in a less than flattering light.

The so called "veteran" (on the right) is pictured alongside a "dinosaur".

Simon Bates, for it is he, was once mainstay of Radio 1, alas he is now serving out his twilight years on Classic FM.

All together now: Ner ner ner nerrr...

And no one at home

The Fact Compiler has received an intriguing invitation to the Weardale Railway's 1940's themed 'War on the Line' event this weekend (2nd & 3rd of August).

Entering into the spirit of the occasion the Weardale's website promises gunfire, unexploded bombs and air raids.

Unfortunately the railway is one kettle short of a service and is therefore having to use a modern diesel as traction over the weekend.

Unabashed by such operating vicissitudes the website offers the following creative explanation:

"Trains: NB: Due to a direct hit the steam engine is out of commission. The Class 73 diesel will be operating the service between Wolsingham and Stanhope. (Diesel engines were used during the war – the advantage being that during air-raids the lights on the whole train could be switched off all at once)."

Perhaps a perfect illustration of the danger of trusting your PR department to dig you out of a hole. The Fact Compiler fears that the train may not be alone in having its lights out...

UPDATE: Telegrammed by our man in the flying goggles: The main use of loco sized diesel engines during the war was to power the vessels of our gallant submariners (and of course the despicable Hun U-Boats). Warming to his theme Capt. Biggles claimed that replacing a kettle with a class 73 is similar to replacing a Spitfire with a Hawker Hunter!