Another gem from Wednesday's PAC:
"Within two years of the formation of the Rail Service Delivery Directorate in 2005, 30% of the staff had left."
Perhaps the figure would be better if Dr Mitchell had led from the front... and gone first.
Dr Death and the Department for Transport knows exactly which TOC's are in the sh1t.
As this under reported session of Wednesday's Parliamentary Accounts Committee shows.
Dr Mitchell declined to say in public exactly how many are close to the wall, for fear of further damaging share prices, but agreed to disclose the information to the PAC in camera.
However, he did confirm that, according to the Department's internal system for tracking franchise health, "A small number of companies are showing red".
Paradoxically DafT's tracking system was introduced following the collapse of previous East Coast franchise holder GNER.
With DafT having form for accepting ludicrously ambitious franchise bids can it be a surprise that history is in danger of repeating itself?
In Memorium National Express
So, Farewell
Then
National Express.
Famous for running buses
Coaches and
Trains.
You asked DfT for help
But they said
No.
Perhaps because Dr Death
Likes restaurant cars
But not on-board crew.
"Making travel simpler"
That was your Catchphrase.
It will be now.
With apologies to E J Thribb
A reader writes...
No student of Britain's railways in the 21st century should miss this gem published yesterday on the ORR website.
It's only 21 pages, so won't take much time to read.
However, comprehending it will take considerably longer.
UPDATE: This from someone, evidently with time on their hands...
My Dear Fact Compiler
It is not so opaque as to be beyond comprehension, although the basis of Beardie Rail's argument probably is.
This document has come about because Virgin based their Moderation of Competition argument without reference to the Railways Act 2005.
Therefore, much time and money has been less than helpfully expended on legal fees in an attempt to define when a train "calls" at a station.
As an aside the 1000 or so front line rail staff awaiting their P45s from Bowker, Ludeman and Souter can draw comfort from the professionalism and added value being delivered to the railway by these £300+ per hour comedians.
To go over the main points
5. informs us that Beardie Rail's Moderation of Competition (MOC) applies to Kenny O - MK flows, even though only XC have ever used it and since 13 December no longer do so at all. A Ghost Bus has been deployed instead.
27. NR says that a train arriving at or departing a terminus station does not "call" there.
33. As does the surviving bit of Beardie Rail, which has never run a train to Kenny O, but is still scared of potential revenue extraction...
44. ORR says this is bollocks.
52 Tells us how the Railways Act 2005 defines a call, the wording of which which accords with ORR.
55 tells us that The Regulator likes cross London services and wishes to protect them, then appears to argue that in the light of 44 above, a train TO Clapham Junction falls under the purview of the protection afforded trains projected beyond Clapham Junc onto WCML.
83 confirms that the Southern service to MK via Kenny O is a franchise commitment.
85. ORR shows us it can spell Kensington. Thank Goodness.
and in 90, ORR tells all concerned to get on with it.
So now someone with dirty hands and an orange jacket can try gauging a Class 375 into the new platforms at MK.
Hurrah!
Lets hope it fits.
I hope this is helpful. My account will be with you shortly.
Many thanks for taking the time to explain this Mr Rumpole
Somebody, somewhere, is not telling the truth.
The consensus amongst the transport hacks (Grauniad, Independent & Times) is that the owner groups told Geoff Hoon that they needed additional financial support or there was a risk of service cuts.
However, according to a 'DfT Spokesman' today:
"No train operating company has approached us for service cuts or additional financial support. This issue was not raised in the meeting with Geoff Hoon yesterday."
Who is doing the spinning? Railway Eye would be grateful for guidance.
Telegrammed by our International Correspondent
The National Railway Museum has its begging bowl out again.
According to the NRM the cost of the Flying Scotsman overhaul has risen as a result of unforeseen problems, including increased prices for raw materials.
The markets appear to disagree about steel prices...
...and aluminium...
...and non-ferrous...
but you'd have to ask Mystic Wolmar about spot prices for unobtainium.
Rail hack Chris Randall writes...
"Thought you might be interested to see a piece in last November’s Rail Professional, in which I predicted that DafT would be forced into an embarrassing policy U-turn if TOCs turned up en-masse at Marsham Street with begging bowls in hand.
"Following yesterday’s showdown between Buff Hoon and the increasingly panicky owner groups it appears it’s just a matter of time before DafT is forced to cave in to their demands and hand over billions more taxpayer pounds to keep franchises from going under.
"So much for franchises being non-negotiable!
"All of which brings to mind the all-singing, all-dancing launch of National Express East Coast in December 2007 when I had the temerity to ask National Express boss Richard Bowker if the TOC was prepared for an economic slump.
"The former SRA boss looked at me as if to say, ‘what sort of fool would ask such a bloody daft question’ and smugly insisted that NX had done all its sums and nothing could blow it of course.
"Funnily enough, I think Christopher Garnett said something very similar when he bid £1.3bn for the East Coast!"
This from the Daily Telegraph...
They include Brian Souter, chief executive, who pledged 24m shares worth £28.7m.
With environmental pressure to end the curse of plastic bags perhaps Souter has used the cash to corner the market?
This from the DfT...
Transport Minister Andrew Adonis and London Mayor Boris Johnson today announced the appointment of Tony Gregory as the new independent Crossrail Complaints Commissioner.
Tony Gregory is the former Assistant Complaints Commissioner for Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the Assistant Referee for Crossrail in which he was responsible for adjudicating on issues arising from the dissemination of information about the development of the Crossrail scheme in its early stages.
Where is Bernard Gambrill when you need him?
This from the BBC...
Gordon Brown is to order Labour MPs to back a controversial plan to exempt details of MPs' expenses from the Freedom of Information Act.
And these wise words from Nick Clegg:
"At a time when families are having to count every penny, it is outrageous that MPs are seeking to hide how they spend their money.
"MPs should stop trying to hide their work in secrecy and accept that the same rules that apply to everybody else should also apply to them."
Readers of Railway Eye who would like MPs to show how they spend OUR money are invited to sign up to the Facebook Group - I object to MPs concealing their expenses
UPDATE: Bloody hell - that was quick!
Telegrammed by Barry Spotter
With the Stourbridge Branch still awaiting the introduction of the comedy Plastic Parry Mover, bustitution remains the order of the day.
However, good news reaches Railway Eye from Cambodia!
For those in a hurry forward to 2mins and 10 secs into the video.
Perhaps this is the new, environmentally friendly, version of the Parry People Mover?
UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...
Railway Eye is to be congratulated on discovering DfT's secret test track for the Bi-mode IEP. No wonder there is so much confidence in the project.
***Is this an omen?***
So London Midland has apologised for their dreadful recent performance.
Read Steve Banaghan's frank admission here.
As Go-Ahead is obviously imbued with a new spirit of honesty and openness perhaps we will soon see Keith Ludeman apologise for threatening to withdraw services if DafT didn't renegotiate their franchises?
Then again perhaps not.
When faced with difficult questions the Department for Transport prefers others to do their dirty work.
Latest to come to DafT's rescue is ATOC.
This written answer emerged from Marsham Street on Monday 19th January...
Bob Spink (Castle Point, UKIP) Hansard source
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent increase in rail fares has been announced by each train operating company.
Paul Clark (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport; Gillingham, Labour) The Association of Train Operating Companies issued a press release citing the average fares rises for January 2009. This was published in November 2008 and is available from their website.
Indeed it is - here.
And yes it does include a list of TOCs and their January fares increases.
But what's this?
The list is incomplete!
Where are the entries for the three open access operators?
Could ATOC's deliberate omission of Hull Trains, Grand Central and Shropshire & Wrexham have anything to do with their embarrasing decision not to increase fares?
UPDATE: Tom over at Blairwatch writes...
It's simple, you're confusing 'Train Operating Companies' with 'Companies that Operate Trains'. Do try to keep up, old chap.
Let us hope that the Honourable Member for Castle Point isn't as easily confused!
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch was formed to help improve railway safety.
It is tasked with investigating accidents and incidents on the railways, without apportioning blame, and publishing the results so that lessons can be learnt and safety improved.
On the 22nd of January 2008 a young man lost his life on the foot crossing at West Lodge, Haltwhistle.
Today, almost exactly a year after this tragic event, RAIB finally published its report.
Why has it taken so long?
UPDATE: J M Gold writes...
A serious point, and there may be a serious answer.
RAIB are frequently advertising for accident investigators.
The pay looks more than reasonable, but they seem to have to offer lengthy training, which suggests that experienced railway people aren't coming forward.
No less worrying is the content of the report.
Network Rail's procedures call for regular review of level crossing safety. The two most recent reviews identified clear shortcomings at this crossing, but no appropriate action was taken.
I think this is a real problem with modern management methods, which respond to problems by creating procedures. This generates a constant stream of reports which are passed into the "system".
Much time is spent filling in paper (or perhaps nowadays a computer database) to provide a record that the procedure has been followed, but all too often nothing is actually DONE.
The Sunday Times has further details on the company DafT has set up to progress HS2.
The business section names top civil servants Bob Linnard and Timothy Wellburn as directors.
But what's this?
No mention of who the Chairman is!
With DafT having read Eye's take on that particular appointment it's perhaps no surprise that they may now wish to play it down!
Good to see The Observer has been paying attention!
Dan Milmo reports today that potless National Express East Coast is planning to charge for reservations
A story broken by the Eye way back on the 6th January.
However, the Observer still appears to have only two fifths of the details correct!
Posts
