Brown like that

With a bowler tip to Obnoxio

Welcome East Coast Main Line

Just thought I'd be first to say it.

At King's Cross a solitary lament...

By the wonders of MMS this from Captain Deltic...


Or, indeed, ever!

NXEC emails goodbye...

Those on the NXEC database should have received the following email by now:

From: National Express Coaches [mailto:newsletter@update.nationalexpress.com]
Sent: 13 November 2009 22:07
To: thefactcompiler@yahoo.co.uk

Subject: The Fact, thank you for travelling with National Express East Coast

If you are having trouble viewing this email, please visit this link

Marketing National Express Coaches to a franchise database should endear NatEx to Lord Adonis, DfT and the Treasury!

UPDATE: This from Carlton Browne of the FO...

I wonder if your readers noticed the “alternative” grammar in the first sentence of the round robin email below from Nat Ex.

I hope it is not indicative of what happens to standards when rail franchises get taken over by the public sector!

FCC Great Northern dispute - it's getting messy!

Fancy a job as a train driver?

Well Jobcentre plus is the place for you!.

Realise your dreams in six easy steps!

Step 1 Visit here - probably best to copy the link and post in a new browser:

Well done. You should now see this:


Step 2. Now tick 'Transport/Vehicle' and press next.

Well done, you should now see this:


Step 3 - Now tick 'Driver' and press next.

Well done. You should now see this:


Step 4. Now tick 'Train Driver' and press next.

Well done, you should now see this:


Step 5. Just press next.


Step 6. Just press next.


Well done!

Now select from any of the locations along FuCC's Great Northern route and bingo...


Here's your job! (click on the image in case its now been removed)

Someone's got to be having a larf - haven't they? (with a bowler tip to railforums.co.uk)

UPDATE: This from Charles Yerkes...

I note that the recruitment agency does work for Birse Civils - perhaps they're recruiting?

FuCC dispute - Loss of MD puts Grant in firing line

This from the Noble Lord's statement in the Upper House yesterday....

I spoke this morning to Mary Grant, the group rail manager of First Capital Connect, who assured me that every effort was being made to run as full a service as possible. I made clear to her our expectation that that would happen.

It is important that First Capital Connect continues to use all reasonable endeavours to restore the service, but this situation could be ended immediately if the concerted action on the part of the staff was ended. That step should be taken immediately.

Is First Group's lustre beginning to tarnish in Marsham Street?

Unhappy talk

Evidently Captain Sensible is unaware that there are more snakes than ladders in the railway industry .

This from thequietus posted on Tuesday...

One of these independent companies, Cotswold Rail, the owner is a punk fan. He called one of his locos Joe Strummer, another one called John Peel, and then there's mine. They invited me along on the unveiling of the name plaque, and we did it on an excursion from Gloucester to Brighton, where I live.

Sadly the problem child was damned.

Battle of the Barriers - update

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away!

This from the Daily Telegraph on the Nobel Lord's plans for state owned East Coast Main Line...

...Withdrawal of the planned gating of York station in order to maintain the existing through access for non-passengers, while accelerating the completion of gating at King's Cross to deter fare-dodgers.

A sort of glass half full moment.

UPDATE: This from Paul Scott...

Er... are you expecting the SofS to win some sort of international prize for all this - 'Nobel' Lord?

The Fact Compiler apologises. A case of posting in haste and repenting at leisure.

UPDATE: This from King Henry...

Does the noble Lord realise that by citing the pedestrian route across York Station as his reason for abandoning gating he has destroyed EMT's case at Sheffield ?

UPDATE: This from a Mr Mallins...

The Good Lord has indeed shafted EMT over Sheffield, where with over 1100 objections to their application for Listed Building Consent, the City must be poised to refuse it.

By citing through access as the reason (not something that planners can consider for Listed Building applications) it must now be accepted that barriers are not a good idea elsewhere too.

Perhaps EMT should be removing their nonsensical scheme at Derby which is an unnecessary obstacle to access across the station, in similar circumstances to York and Sheffield. The place is often full of students trying to get to and from the college on the old Loco Works site.

And as for King's Cross, they will be an ugly and dysfunctional feature of a "World Class" station, maximum inconvenience to boarding passengers and chaos when they alight - take a look at EMT's St Pancras scheme next door.

DafT profligacy knows no bounds

This shameless answer to a PQ from Moley

Written answers and statements, 10 November 2009

Chris Mole (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport; Ipswich, Labour)

There have been a very small number of instances during the last 12 months where tendering exercises have been cancelled prior to the award of the contract and thereby costs have been incurred with no contract awarded. For the Department for Transport, this would normally amount to the effort expended on the procurement exercise before its cancellation. The precise number and costs involved are not recorded.

The occasion where the Department has incurred nugatory costs was for the procurement of a fleet of new build diesel rolling stock which ceased in July, as it was superseded by the Government's announcement on rail electrification. The costs incurred for the use of external advisors was £1.6 million.

The Department has not reimbursed any supplier during the last 12 months for costs that they have incurred as a result of tendering for any contract advertised by the Department where the award process for that contract was subsequently cancelled.

Why for that amount you could have travelled with Arriva Cross Country from Newquay to Fort William almost 1,597 times!

UPDATE: This from Tom West...

So, the Department considers £1.6milllion to be 'nugatory' - a word which Google says means "of little or no importance; trifling, worthless".

Nice to see that it takes more than seven figures to be financially significant in the Department's eyes.

Watch Adonis! - Official

For the first time in living memory a Transport Secretary has won an award!

And not just any award, but one of the coveted Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year Awards which were presented by Mayor BoJo this afternoon.

So stand up Lord Adonis the High Speed Evangelist... you are the "Minister to Watch"!

NR survey - money for old rope

Exciting news from Network Rail!

Network Rail today launched the first ever piece of passenger research targeting stations, as it unveiled its plans to improve thousands of stations across the country in a five year, £3.25bn, programme of investment.

As we know from Coachgate the infrastructure company is keen to save money.

So rather than have NR spend all that lolly on a survey, Eye has the answers to what passengers want from stations here - for free!

Trains. On time. With enough seats. End of.

Today's FuCC disruption

This from Longrider...

It is easy to simply blame the unions... but it takes two to make a dispute and if the unions are to blame for causing the disruption, the employer is to blame for giving them such an easy target.

Words of wisdom and worth a read.

Bob Crow rock star?

Telegrammed by the Archer
Perhaps Eye readers would like to join me in congratulating Bob Crow on his latest achievement.

Sharp suited Bob makes a guest appearance on the track 'Sweet Revolution' on the new Alabama 3 CD.

Whilst this is all very rock and roll perhaps Bob may want to distance himself from some of the bands other activities ('They party like b*stards' - Time Out).

And in particular their vocal support for the 'Free Ronnie Biggs' campaign.

The success of which caused considerable anger in the railway community.

As former Chief Operating Officer Peter Rayner said:

"One can't forget and one has to be clear that driver Mills... died as a result of injuries from criminals.

"Driver Mills was a man who stood against those criminals and said he wouldn't move his train with its valuable cargo.

"Driver Mills paid the penalty in that. So my feeling is one of concern that the perpetrators have been treated as folk heroes rather than the criminals that we on the railway believe them to be."

Indeed.

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

Rather unusually, for someone in the rail business I know the Alabama 3 much better than I know Bob Crow.

The Alabama 3 are fellow Brixtonians and I am good pals with the band's drummer, Sir Eddie Real.

The link between the band and the RMT derives from that some (though not all) band members performed at this year's RMT-organised celebration (if that is the right word) of the 50th anniversary of the Cuban revolution.



The Alabama 3's relationship with the Free Ronnie Biggs campaign is entirely separate and personal.

One of the members of the band, Nick Reynolds, is the son of Bruce - one of Ronnie's co-conspirators, see here.

Anyway, all I'll say is whatever you think of the band's views they make great music. I recommend the album 'Exile on Coldharbour Lane'. Sample their tunes here.

UPDATE: This from John B...

Driver Mills died of leukemia.

That isn't, ever, caused by being bashed round the head, any more than being punched in the chest causes lung cancer.

Not sure where the weird urban myth that the robbery was a factor in his death comes from, but it's certainly not true...

Dean Finch to NatEx?

This from the Daily Telegraph...

Dean Finch, the boss of London Underground maintenance company Tube Lines, has emerged as a leading contender to be the new chief executive of National Express.

That was quick.

Dean only joined the beleaguered Underground contractor in June of this year.

Perhaps a case of frying pan to fire?

Armistice day kettle

Steam Dreams 'Cathedrals Express' put up a good show today.

RAF and Union Flags flying up front and the wreath was made by the Royal British Legion (funds raised aboard the train also went towards this very worthwhile cause).

Best of all the train was timed to stop opposite Big Ben for the two minute silence.


And the engine is a Battle of Britain class too!

Good effort Steam Dreams and Network Rail.

'Nuff said!

UPDATE: Has anyone heard from ATOC, the organisation that supposedly represents those that set the fares?

NatEx at sea as "no steer" on Cross Default intentions

This from Bloomburg...

National Express Finance Director Jez Maiden said the government has given “no steer” as to whether it will rescind the company’s East Anglia and C2C commuter-train franchises.

As National Express today launched a 7 for 3 Rights Issue in an attempt to raise £360m this isn't exactly proving helpful to the struggling company.

Perhaps DafT and Lord Adonis should clarify their position?

UPDATE: Suggestions in the City that Spanish state operator RENFE is keen to enter the UK rail sector.

UPDATE: This from a Mr Saltaire...

That’s a good ruse to bump up the NatEx share price!

11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month

Even Coucher concedes fares too high

The Fact Compiler doesn't know whether to commend Coucher for thriftiness or bang my head against the wall in despair.

This from Her Majesty's Daily Telegraph...

'Trains are too expensive, use coaches instead', rail head tells staff

Yes but no but yes but no but yes but no

UPDATE: This from our man at 222 Marylebone Road...

Did not Mr Coucher consider chartering a train and waving the access charges?

Silly me - there's no spare rolling stock.

UPDATE: This from Albert Kettle...

Why not charter Tornado and a rake of Mk 2 stock?

UPDATE: This from Nigel Harris over at RAIL...

Madness!

This is just what I’ve been warning about in my last couple of editorials!

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

The full statement I gave to the press says:

"Network Rail makes no apologies for getting best value for the British people. Whilst we have no role in setting train fares, we use rail for the overwhelming number of business journeys. Occasionally, if there is a cheaper alternative we will use that.".

We don't get free travel, we pay our own way.

Those Network Rail employees who were there in BR days still obviously have protected travel - but this cannot be used for business trips.

It's not a PR disaster (well certainly not for Network Rail. Ed) to show we are making efficiencies and to point out the basic fact that sometimes rail is not always the most cost-effective option.

I wish it always was.

But rest assured I practice what I preach as regular Eye readers will recall.

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...

I can indeed confirm that there are no gold passes at Network Rail and that Iain Coucher is a thrifty traveller.

The last time we met his first class ticket had cost about the same as the return half of my Standard Class super duper saver!

DNA database

So our elected masters have decided to retain the DNA records of innocent citizens for six years.

Eye fervently hopes that Mr Plod will hasten round to the Palace of Westminster to swab all those crim's who cheated on their expenses?

Fat chance!

Just because you really are innocent doesn't mean you're not guilty in the eyes of the state.