Oxford to lose out on Electrification plans

This from Dreaming Spires...

Much raising of Oxford mortar boards when Lord Adonis announced in July that his alma mater should join the electrified network.

Indeed the Noble Lord rushed back from cabinet in Cardiff to confirm the good news in person!

Magnum cum laude.

However, judging by this ATOC faux pas, at least one Oxon alumnus needs to try harder.


Produced by ATOC's press office to promote additional electrification schemes, it suggests that Didcot to Oxford is now relegated to a 'proposed route'.

Let's hope that St Benets Hall is suitably forgiving of M Roberts MA.

Harper joins AECOM

This from New Civil Engineer...

Former Metronet CEO Andie Harper has joined AECOM as director of programme management for transport and infrastructure.

Is Transport for London planning to takeover AECOM over as well?

The dangers of Facebook explained

This from the Evening Standard...

I'm an easygoing Jedi, says Tube worker in abuse row

Twisted by the Dark Side, young Morbin has become.

XC and LM believe less is more?

This just in from the Wicked Weaver...

Informed yesterday that LM have lightened their HQ by about 100 people during the last week, and that there will be more downsizing before Guy Fawkes Day.

Also: that 'economics' is the reason why two of XC's five HST sets will be stood down at the December TT change.

Harris returns!

Nigel Harris has returned to the blogosphere and he's in fine form too.

Nigel writes...

It therefore shocked me that behind the apparent sharp focus and some very expensive TV commercials, a toxic culture of complacency - arrogance, even – seemingly contaminates NR's approach to this appalling risk.

That'll be one less Christmas card for Iain Coucher to sign.

Pointless signs #15

This from Liss station with a bowler tip to Turbostar...

This was taken in June - anyone know if it's still there?

UPDATE: This just in from SouthWestTrains Guard

Not really a pointless sign, more of an out of date sign.

When Desiros first came to SWT we had both 444 (5 car) and 450 (4 car) stops as well as 442 (5 car) and the older 4,8,12 the latter being for the slam door stock, Desiros and 442's being longer.

These should have all been changed by now to 3,4,5,6,8,9,10,12 and variations of these (4-5, 8-12) and of course 'S' to allow for all the differing formations of our stock.

It is quite possible this one was overlooked

National Express update

Looks like the wheels have come off the Cosmen CVC deal and with it Stagecoach's rescue of the C2C and NXEA franchises.

Whilst this leaves National Express in the brown stuff it may prove even more embarrassing for the Noble Lord.

City lawyers are rumoured to be dusting off wheelbarrows in the expectation of huge fees for sorting out Cross Default.

UPDATE: This from Leo Pink...

So that's 'rescued' as in 'Blackbeard the Pirate' rescued' the passengers on passing merchant ships?

See also 'liberated' as in my dad 'liberated' the Iron Cross in my medal collection.

UPDATE: This from Ithuriel...

So does this mean that wee Brian's court battle against the Department of Dogs' Breakfasts over the timing of cap and collar, the delays to ITSO smartcards and compensation for the missing £200 million is on again?

Will the lawyers have enough wheelbarrows to go round?

Shadow Treasury team fully briefed on Crossrail

Splendid news from the new egalitarian Tory party (with a bowler tip to the Raver).

Only last week Boris was taking supper with the terribly grand Osbornes.

Alas

Over dinner it emerged that Mrs O had never heard of Crossrail!

At least Mr O, the Shadow Chancellor, was better informed.

Although poor Boris was shocked to discover that George thought it ran North to South!

No matter

Presumably it will still call at one's club?

Lookalike - the Dark Chapters

***A depressing entry on Losing Track.***

Save Election Night!

With a bowler tip to Tom Harris MP...

This early day motion has been laid down...

That this House is concerned at reports that growing numbers of Returning Officers are considering postponing the counting of votes cast on the day of the General Election until the day after polling; believes that in the 21st century it would be a regressive move not to announce constituency results as early as possible; further believes that public confidence in the results could be undermined by delays in the counting of ballot papers and that fewer voters would be able to watch the results being announced if this were done on a Friday afternoon; and calls on local authorities throughout the United Kingdom to ensure that all ballot papers are counted immediately after the close of polls on General Election night, as has been the practice in previous General Elections.

Vote early, vote often!

London Midland update

This just in from 3362 Albert Brassey...

As the floors of 102 New Street start to resemble the US embassy in Saigon (circa '75) the next thing to be hurled out the window is train cleaning.

Furthermore the normally supine TSSA has threatened to withdraw the paperclips and has started balloting white collar staff over pay.

Given that they don't usually drive or guard trains and so haven't been bunged money to keep the job on the road, expect a resounding result.

More Govia bods are rumoured to be heading north to sort the sorry mess out.

Rich man robbed - Shocker

This from the BBC...

Scottish transport tycoons Brian Souter and Ann Gloag are alleged to have been stung by a prominent City financier who has apparently disappeared.

Stop sniggering at the back!

NR goegraphically challenged - Official

This just in from Bushy...

Wouldn't you think that Network Rail staff would have some geographic knowledge of their rail network.

My colleague has just received an invite from Nitwonk Fail to an event.

First few details are:

WHO: BOSTON TO SKEGNESS PROJECT TEAM
WHAT: TO SEE THE BOSTON SKEGNESS PROJECT FIRST HAND
WHERE: SIVSEY YARD, STATION ROAD, SIVSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE, PE22 0SA

I just wonder how many guests will struggle to find Sivsey.

At least Google is brighter than NR and asks "do you mean SIBSEY ".

Dreadful, innit!

Can we start a collection to buy NR's Midland & Continental press office a rail atlas?

UPDATE: This just in from an indignant Network Rail...

Ref "NR goegraphically challenged - Official"

Unless I have misplace my irony hat, I hope this is deliberate typo.

It must be a deliberate typo. Mustn't it?

Otherwise you would not have the gall to post such tediously pedantic drivel about a Network Rail press invitation that unfortunately said 'Sivsey' rather than the correct 'Sibsey'.

You may notice just how close 'V' and 'B' are on a keyboard (cont p94)...

UPDATE: This from the late Sir William Pollitt...

Network Rail's 'indignant' response about the 'Sivsey' cock-up speaks volumes about their lax attitude. They really do not 'get it' do they? (to use a phrase of the moment).

It's an invitation. To a place. That doesn't exist! Do they expect their intended guests to be psychic? The fact that 'v' is only the next key to 'b' on a QWERTY keyboard is utterly irrelevant. It explains the cock-up - it does not, as NR imply, excuse their lack of concern for detail.

On a slightly flippant note, a single character out of place can make all the difference. For example, the famous love song would have lost all its mystique if the title had been typed in NR's press office. 'People will think we're in Hove' would just not have cut it. Likewise, Frank Sinatra singing "I've got you under my sink' would likewise have hardly hit the spot, despite the misplacing of a mere single letter!!

More seriously, minor typographical errors could well be the peg on which a libel or defamation case could quite easily hang. As in the expression: 'Network Rail's press office is utterly clueless.' The omission of the three characters forming the word 'not' between 'is' and 'utterly' makes all the difference, eh?

More care, please.

Time to put Frankenstein back in its box

Good news for fans of the IEP (Sid and Doris Bonkers).

This from Leasing Life...

A shortage of liquidity has meant that financing for one of Britain's largest ever rail projects, the Intercity Express Programme (IEP), will be sourced through five or six tranches of debt-raising rather than through one or two lump sum payments as had been originally planned.

While the delivery of the first batch of trains is likely to take place one year late (in 2014 rather than 2013 as was originally planned).

Isn't this all a bit previous?

The Department hasn't actually signed a contract for any of these trains yet.

Seasonal conundrum

When does winter start?

The Fact Compiler likes the old ways and thus marks the start of Autumn from Lammas Day (1st August).

Which means that there are just over two weeks till the start of Winter.

Eye wonders if Moley knew this when he provided the following written answer in Parliament yesterday:

On 23 July, the Government announced a major new electrification programme which radically affects the requirements for train rolling stock over the next decade. In particular, there will be far less need for diesel trains and a greater requirement for electric trains. The Department will publish a new rolling stock plan in the autumn, setting out a revised strategy.

The clock's ticking.

Gordon's mini Pilgrimage of Grice

This just in from the Lobby...

The Prime Minister travelled to Lancashire today by train for a regional visit and will return to London by train, the Downing Street spokesman said.

Let's hope Network Rail and Virgin are behaving themselves.

Pendi' windows and hurled mobiles do not good bedfellows make!

Lookalike - The Agony and the Ecstacy

This from our ecstatic International Correspondent...

Sadiq says...

Via twitter...

In office trying to complete Red Box while listening to Rosie W doing great job at Report Stage of Bill I would be doing but for reshuffle..

Eye hopes the Noble Lord will soon give his Transport Minister something to get his teeth into.

Hello hello hello

Splendid policing from the BTP.

This from the Grauniad...

"He walked over and said: 'Do you know that young man?' I said no. He said: 'Fuck off, then. It's got nothing to do with you,'" Hinds said.

After insisting calmly that he was within his legal rights to remain, Hinds was first threatened with arrest and then marched across the station in handcuffs by two BTP policemen.

But why, when this alleged 'offence' took place in 2004, has it taken five years for Mr Hinds to receive justice?

Good effort though, errr... 'mislaying' the CCTV footage and all.

Cross Country faces significant hurdles

Exciting news from Arriva Cross Country

Click here to visit their new Beta site.

Eye wonders if it will ever make Release 1.0

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

Congratulations to Eye for this link to Cross Country's Beta Site - a classic example of how yield management gone mad is crippling the train operators' finances.

For example, £4.50 for Manchester-Reading?

At a time when the company is engaged on a major cost cutting exercise?

The madness!

UPDATE: This just in from Alex Gill, Account Director at GraphicoDMG...

Hi “Fact Compiler”

Thanks for posting the beta link on your blog. Always a good read!

Hopefully the new beta site will see the light of day (and very soon J) . We listened to what users were telling us, and are trying to improve the experience of searching for cheap tickets, as well as helping them with features like recent and favourite searches.

It works best in Firefox at the mo – we are now adding all of the required “Browser hacks” needed to make sites work across the plethora of slightly different or newly updated web browsers like IE8, chrome, safari…..as well as fixing the usual teething problems.

Would it be possible for you to amend the link to this.

This page explains what works and what doesn’t yet, as well as what’s new, and is a good place for people to start.

Any feedback welcome!