WCML - frying pan to fire

Exciting news from DB owned Alliance Rail.

The putative Open Access Operator is proposing a range of interesting new services on the West Coast Main Line, once Moderation of Competition restrictions designed to protect Virgin end in 2012.

But what's this?

Eye thought Open Access was all about bringing competition and customer choice to the railways.

But a quick glance at Yoghurt Rail's Track Access Application reveals the following:


Perhaps no surprise that Alliance Rail's state owned parent is happy to see the dead hand of a monopoly restored to the route.

Colour by numbers

This from Maarten Otto...

How on earth Ian Yeowart came up with green on a GNER branding is a complete mystery to me.

So I took the liberty to give him a more appropriate livery for his new east coast rail company.


If you can recycle a name you must have the balls to steal their colours as well.

Greetings from Amsterdam.

UPDATE: This from Mike Altro...

The cynical amongst us would note that most of NXEC and East Coast's stock STILL look like that apart from one or two units re-liveried just to show willing.

West Yorkshire to get 140mph trains - Official

Exciting news from Yoghurt Rail!

It would appear that the putative Open Access Operator, Alliance Rail, has already stolen a march on Sir Roy McNulty.

Whilst the 'reality based' community is busy working out how joint ventures between NR and TOC's might work Mr Yeowart and his Arriva backed team have apparently solved the problem.

According to the Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

A rail operator has revealed plans to introduce new 140mph inter-city services between Bradford and London and major cities in the north.

Upgrades in CP5? Pah!

Forget NR, let's give the whole network to Yoghurt Rail!

DB expands Open Access offering

This little gem from the latest edition of Rail Professional...

Yeowart was reluctant to name the company that is funding Alliance, which, he explained, was happy to remain in the background for now. But a look at the Companies House website reveals all. The mystery backer is Arriva, which, of course, has just been bought out by Deutsche Bahn.

Eye wonders whether DB will bundle Alliance Rail into its other open access undertaking WSMR, or vice versa?

Perhaps WSMR will remain stand alone?

No doubt by Christmas all will be clear.

Yoghurt Rail goes multimodal?

First there was Yoghurt Rail...

Now there's Yoghurt Air!

Coming to an aerodrome near you soon.

Yoghurt Rail curdles?

A bowler tip to Sim Harris and King Henry for this...

An exciting weekend for Yoghurt Rail watchers.

This press release emerged from Grand Central yesterday:

Grand Central statement on Alliance Rail Holdings Limited

On Thursday 24 September 2009 Alliance Rail Holdings Limited (Alliance Rail) issued a press release containing details of a submission to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) of plans for new "Open Access" services on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) by the Great North Eastern Railway Company (GNER) and also plans by the Great North Western Railway Company (GNWR) for new high speed services on the West Coast Main Line (WMCL).

The board of directors of Grand Central Railway Company Limited (Grand Central) wish to clarify that:

1. Ian Yeowart, director of Alliance Rail, was dismissed from his position as an employee and director of Grand Central on 27 May 2009. His dismissal is currently the subject of proceedings in the Employment Tribunal.

2. Certain of the routes identified by Mr Yeowart in connection with Alliance Rail's proposed new Open Access plans include routes in which the Grand Central group has registered an interest with the ORR and on which Mr Yeowart worked in the course of his duties with Grand Central.

3. The board of Grand Central considers that Mr Yeowart remains bound by certain post-employment obligations owed to the company by virtue of his former employment. Mr Yeowart also remains subject to obligations imposed upon him pursuant to the terms of the agreement relating to his investment in Sula TOC Limited ("Sula TOC"), Grand Central's holding company (which obligations will continue to apply for a period of twelve months after he ceases to be a shareholder of Sula TOC). Grand Central is concerned that, by reason of his recent actions, Mr Yeowart may be in breach of certain of these obligations, and is undertaking further investigations in this regard.

4. Mr Yeowart is currently a shareholder in Sula TOC. His dismissal by Grand Central, however, entitles Sula TOC's board of directors under the terms of the articles of association of that company to require Mr Yeowart to sell his shareholding in Sula TOC. The steps required to effect such a transfer of his shares are currently in process.

5. Grand Central is currently considering its legal position regarding Alliance Rail's proposed new open access services and particularly Mr Yeowart's involvement therein.

Meanwhile, King Henry advises that "if you google Mr Y's personal company 'OA Consultants' (which apparently stands for Open Access) you find 'Orecchia and Artieri Consultants', tax planners in Monaco."

Has Yoghurt Rail gone offshore already?

UPDATE: This from Charles Yerkes...

Old news!

This press release was on both the WNXX Forum and UK.railway yesterday!

Has The Fact Compiler been asleep?

Yoghurt Rail returns

Exciting Open Access news!

Two new open access operations have been proposed for the East and West Coast Main Lines.

Branded GNER (haven't we heard that somewhere before? Ed) and GNWR they are the brainchild of Ian Yeowart, late of Grand Central fame.

The new Yoghurt Rail services will call at virtually every station in the country using Chinese built trains.

Yoghurt Rail's proposals have already been welcomed by Passenger Focus:

Anthony Smith, Passenger Focus chief executive, said: “Open access operators have brought to the network competition, lower prices, and quality services. Our latest National Passenger Survey revealed that passengers are very satisfied with the services they receive from Grand Central and Wrexham & Shropshire Railway."

Expect DafT to be a little more sanguine however...

UPDATE: This from King Henry...

Does Mr Yeowart know what happens if you visit www.gner.co.uk ?

UPDATE: This from the man in the Pendo....

Is there some competition with Virgin to spell station names wrongly?

Virgin's Wifi intro is still misspelling Manchester Piccadilly and Llandudno Junction.

However for Yog(h)urt rail it's the residents of Alderley Edge and Hebden Bridge who will be irked.

Still I don't suppose they will ever need to spell them correctly on a destination board.