This particular entry is the subject of some debate amongst the judges of the Railway Garden Competition.
Is it a Railway Garden or a Station Garden?
The foilage says Railway but the even spacing suggests Station Garden.
Either way a commendable effort by Network Rail's new Midland and Continental team.
The railway garden is no different to those apogees of the Horticulturalists' art - the gardens at The Royal Hospital Flower Show, Chelsea.
Too little water and all your best endeavours are in vain.
At Crewe this particular problem has been overcome.
Such is the shiite state of the guttering that it pours endlessly over pillar, platform and passenger alike.
Lest Network Rail protest that the image above was taken during abnormal levels of rainfall (in August!) the Fact Compiler would like to point out the verdigris - attacking brick and dissolving 'gobbo' alike - a clear sign of long term neglect.
There was much angst in the media over Linda Buchanan who rebuked two young men for smoking on a platform and was thrown onto the railway for her troubles.
Victoria Coren in today's Observer took a different view.
Good on you Victoria!
Regular readers of Railway Eye will be aware that Captain Deltic has offered his services to Network Rail, as a Public Member, on more than one occasion. His spin doctor should have pointed out that if you really want to look credible with an AK47 you should have a spare magazine gaffa taped to the one in use. and the version with the folding tubular stock is even more warry. So not impressed. What’s your weapon of choice? You’re a strange and disturbing man, Captain
They will also be aware that for the third time this selfless and gracious offer has been declined.
Those who know the good Captain had assumed he had taken this set-back with his customary sang-froid and that even now he is steeling himself to respond once more to the nations call, should Network Rail allow.
Alas! Great sadness and shocking news!
It would appear that Saturday's rejection has had more than a passing effect upon that English Electric heart of gold, if a recent thread on Tom Harris' blog is to be believed.
As a service to the industry the Fact Compiler reproduces the disturbing exchange below:
The Fact Compiler fears that the good Captain may be preparing his very own unique route-and-branch reformation of NR's corporate governance!
Telegrammed by our man at 222 Marylebone Road
The Competition Commission report into the ROSCOs makes more and more interesting reading.
Providing of course that you can read between the commercially confidential lines:
a) Fifty-five of Angel’s 70-vehicle fleet of seven-year-old Class 180 Adelantes were returned by First Great Western following replacement by HSTs - [REMOVED] of these vehicles have been subsequently placed with [REMOVED], leaving [REMOVED] off-lease at the end of April 2008.
April?
It's now August and H*ll Tr**ns has got f**r on a t*n year lease. and V*rg*n Tr**ns signed a lease for two on J*l* 18th.
That leaves **ght still up for grabs. So Gr*nd C*nt*al is still in with a chance then?
Telegrammed by our man at 222 Marylebone Road
Today the ORR published the report it commissioned into aspects of Network Rail’s governance.
Entitled "Network Rail: Membership aspects of governance", the KPMG report drew attention to a number of serious structural weaknesses in the role of Public Members including:
Rob Holden has been lobbying hard in the dead tree media over recent months to secure the top job at Crossrail.
Only last weekend the Independent on Sunday ran yet another puff piece saying the "Crossrail chairmanship interested Holden".
Alas it is not to be.
As predicted in Railway Eye last month BoJo will pay his electoral debt of gratitude to Steve Norris by making him Chairman of Cross London Rail Links; the TfL subsidiary tasked with taking the project forward.
With the top job sorted the next big question is who Shagger will bring with him to beef up the current Crossrail team. The Fact Compiler has a premonition that the supply chain may be in for a surprise!
Pre-recorded announcement on an SWT Juniper at Richmond station this morning.
"The door buttons are now activated"
Our correspondent wonders what particular problem this is a solution to?
Meanwhile no mention that the train is 12 late.
More fatuous on train announcements please
Read and weep:
SUMMARY: POO HIGH ST LC CCTV FLR
SOURCE: TSID, CCF, CCIL
FULL DETAIL: CCIL REF 320760
13:14 Advised by Poole signaller that he has no CCTV picture from High Street LC. He has tried swapping the cameras and monitors to no avail. Unable to lower the barriers until an attendant is onsite due to the volume of pedestrian traffic over this crossing.
1W29, 1105 Waterloo to Weymouth trapped.
13:20 1W31 1135 Waterloo-Weymouth will be held in platform 4 at Bournemouth pending developments at Poole.
13:33 Advised by Poole signaller that he now has the CCTV picture
1W31 1135 Waterloo-Weymouth will be held in platform 4 at Bournemouth pending developments at Poole.
13:33 Advised by Poole signaller that he now has the CCTV picture and trains are on the move again. Signaller had tried hitting the monitor to no effect but the late shift signaller has just arrived and hit the monitor a bit harder, now has a picture again.
START TIME: 1314LINES AFFECTED: UL/DL
TRAINS AFFECTED: 1W29/1W31
EQUIPMENT INVOLVED: CCTV
REPORTS REQUESTED Y/N: NO
*** 06/08/08 01:47 #QCIAM05 *** AMENDED
*** 06/08/08 08:46 #QCTDA10 *** AMENDED
FMS 131870
End of report
Angel Trains issued the following terse statement at 12:18 today:
“Angel Trains is studying the document and will be responding to the Competition Commission in connection with the proposed remedies in due course”. ENDS
And here is the missing last line of the release:
"Yesssss... Mr Brown, Ms Kelly, Dr Mitchell - your guys took a hell of a beating!"
The CoCo's Provisional Findings into allegations that the ROSCOs abused their market position was published this morning at 07:00.
Section 20 of the Provision Findings Summary gives a flavour of the rest of the document.
20. This lack of alternatives arises from the factors identified in paragraph 10. Some of these factors arise from the DfT placing restrictions on the choice of rolling stock in franchise ITTs, or because of obligations to retain particular rolling stock as a result of section 54 undertakings. We expect that the DfT’s Rolling Stock Plan will result in further limitations on the TOCs’ choices when negotiating with ROSCOs as the DfT seeks to influence the deployment of existing and new rolling stock to enhance capacity on the network.
Who will carry the can for this embarrassing debacle?
Perhaps the same Civil Serpant who originally promised he could shave £1bn off Rosco annual lease costs and when he couldn't suggested taking this to the CoCo in the first place.
We suspect not.
The Fact Compiler is grateful to Arriva Cross Country for sponsoring Railway Eye's first Bullshit Bingo Challenge.
CROSSCOUNTRY APPOINT HONEYCOMB AS CRM PARTNER
Software specialist Honeycomb has been appointed by CrossCountry as their CRM partner.
As one of the
CrossCountry’s CRM Manager
“We believe that Honeycomb is in a position to deliver an holistic approach and implement appropriate solutions that meet our needs.”
Further information etc...
The Fact Compiler would like to save Arriva a couple of bob by explaining that what customers "want from a train operator" is something called a train; preferably one which runs on time and goes where the timetable says it should go.
Was the PR monkey who wrote this tosh paid in money or bananas?
Guido Fawkes points out the dangers of being indiscreet on a train.
View Guido's post here.
The Fact Compiler rather enjoys listening into other people's on-train conversations.
Only last week two ladies were discussing a business meeting with a client.
"I was only 10 minutes late and they gave me a really hard time!" moaned one.
It transpired the meeting was with London Underground and the ladies had been commissioned to work on a new staff campaign.
The name of the campaign? "Valuing Time"!
There was much media interest at Darlington this weekend for the first steaming of the splendid new Peppercorn Class A1 Pacific locomotive 60163 "Tornado" (pictured below).
As the newest vehicle on the railway network The Fact Compiler thought it might be instructive to compare the 60 year old A1 Peppercorns with the the brand new IEPs.
Readers are therefore invited to guess which of the following statements apply to Tornado and which to the Frankenstein train
1. The vehicle's design assumed that carbon based fuel was cheap and plentiful.
2. It avoids the need for further electrification
3. These vehicles were originally to have a 30 year life. This soon became only 20 years.
4. Not many suppliers were willing to work on this design - which added dramatically to cost
5. Just one vehicle of this type will set you back £3m
6. It's jolly slow compared to its European equivalents
Tie breaker
I believe the Department for Transport is qualified to specify a new InterCity train for Britain because
A. I am Ruth Kelly
B. I am Mark Lambirth
C. I am bonkers
The winner of this competition will receive two first class tickets on the first revenue earning service of the IEP (as currently specified) or a guided tour round the Strategic Reserve as a guest of Sir Ernest Marples.
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.
Telegrammed by The Raver
Telegrammed by The Master
Intending bon viveurs aboard today's 12:06 Paddington to Penzance soon wished they had packed their sarnies.
The train had just reached Reading, 30 minutes into the five hour journey, when the Chief Steward announced the "last and final" call for luncheon!
As the next stop was Exeter and the train was near full it was a pretty piss-poor show.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, plucky National Express East Anglia manage multiple sittings on their London - Norwich services (with more stops and a shorter journey time).
It has come to a pretty pass when the little Great Eastern can show the mighty Great Western how on-train catering should be done. Mind you with Worst in charge of the latter nothing should come as a surprise.
Much excitement in the freight community.
According to HM Courts Service there was a hearing on the 16th July into winding up Advenza Freight, the Cotswold Group's railfreight arm.
The reference for those keen to learn more is: 3369/2008 Advenza Freight Limited.
As the company is still trading it appears that the case was dismissed.
The Fact Compiler is unsurprised. Cotswold is often better known by its sobriquet 'Cost-loads'.
Telegrammed by our independent expert
Now is the time of year when that brave band of railway experts who apply to become public members of Network Rail's board receive their ritual rejection letters.
NR Directors, of course, don't want any outsider with rail expertise on the board, because they might get found out.
One applicant, who is a leading railway journalist in the national press, received a mealy-mouthed letter of rejection saying the selection panel's "focus was not confined to an appreciation of railway-related issues."
So what on earth should Public Members "focus" on, if not "railway-related issues"?
Presumably the continued approval of fat bonuses for NR's porky top team despite the company's shiite performance?
It's a bit like Tesco recruiting Directors who have no interest in retail.
Posts
August 8, 2008 at 1:05 pm