50% gritting cuts signal opportunity for the railways

According to the Downing Street spokesman in the Lobby today:

Councils have been told by Transport Secretary Lord Adonis to cut salt-spreading by up to 50%.

As this risks making road travel less safe isn't this a perfect opportunity for the TOCs and NR to work together so as to generate some additional traffic?

Providing, of course, intending passengers can actually reach their local stations...

UPDATE: This genius solution from Tom West...

Surely the obvious thing is to persuade councils to only grit the side of the road leading *to* railway stations.

WTF?

NR appoints new Non-Execs

This just in from Network Rail...

Network Rail announces today enhancement of its board with the appointment of two new non-executive directors - Lawrie Haynes and Janis Kong.

Lawrie Haynes is a successful chairman and chief executive with a heavyweight CV that includes:

• currently the president - nuclear, Rolls-Royce
• former chief executive of White Young Green plc (2007-2009)
• BNFL plc (2003-2007), main board director and former chief executive of British Nuclear Group
• ex-chief executive of the Highways Agency (1994-1999)

Mr Haynes is also on the board of trustees for the RAF Benevolent Fund and chairman of its pension fund.

His general business experience and, in particular, his mission-critical project and safety management expertise will be a valuable addition to the Board.

Janis Kong has a long history of operating businesses where customer relationships have been critical to success and has held non-executive directorships with large plcs:

• non-executive director at Kingfisher plc, Visit Britain, Portmeirion plc, Forum for the Future
• former main board director of BAA plc (2002- 2006)
• former chairman Heathrow Express 2005 to 2006
• former chairman of Heathrow Airport (2001-2006)
• managing director of Gatwick airport (1997-2001)
• previous non-executive directorship : RBS

Announcing the appointments, Network Rail’s chairman, Rick Haythornthwaite, said: “I believe that the current cadre of non-executive directors has done an excellent job supporting and counselling the executive management team in the journey from bringing Railtrack out of administration to a functioning, capable railway that is operating at record levels of safety, punctuality, reliability and capacity.

“Today we face new challenges and opportunities and the composition of the board must reflect that. The appointment of these highly-experienced and capable individuals give Network Rail renewed corporate oversight. This will be vital as we continue our job to deliver a high-performing, bigger and better railway."

Recognising the need to contain the size of the board and in order to effect a smooth transition, it is planned that Ian Buchan and Yvonne Constance will stand down from the board between now and the AGM in July.

UPDATE: Over at Tunnel Vision they remain to be convinced...

Cynics will conclude that both Kong and Haynes offer Network Rail a ’safe pair of hands’ who will not upset NR’s senior executives by relating their remuneration to real performance...

Weardale and East Lancs receive Golden Eyeballs

Eye is delighted to announce the award of Golden Eyeballs to the following:

The Weardale Railway

and

The East Lancashire Railway

Both railways provided a special "snow service", free of charge, to their local communities during this week's adverse weather.

Magnum cum laude and good effort!

DB retains interest in doomed Eurostar

This from Bloomburg...

“Our goal is to go with the ICE to London, but only if we make money in the medium term, otherwise we’re not going to touch it.”

No ICE in Chunnel. Continent cut off.

First for pisspoor Thameslink performance

From the Velopodist
Does Railway Eye have any idea why so many FCC trains failed all of a sudden today?

The TOC is running a very restricted version of its already restricted insufficient-drivers timetable.

The press office say the problem is that the traction motors conked out after Wednesday's snow.

They say the Thameslink route imposes special strains on the trains.

Is this poor performance down to defective Class 319s...

Or defective management?

UPDATE: This from Charles Yerkes...

On the Thameslink route FuCC have been running a 2 train per hour service since Friday, it would normally be 12tph.

Of course an OHLE failure last night didn't help.

UPDATE: This from the Waterbaby

Can we officially confer the title of "the Misery Line" upon the Tooting - Wimbledon - Sutton route?

FCC gave up running trains this way on January 7 apparently due to the 'poor weather', effectively closing the line until further notice.

Somewhat inconveniently, Southern trains between Dorking and London through Sutton and SWT trains through Wimbledon seem to be running broadly normally.

Given the Sutton loop sits entirely within Zones 1-6, what price some TfL TLC?

The contrast with the new rolling stock and increased frequencies coming to both the dilapidated GOBLIN and North London Lines is all too stark...

UPDATE: This from Thameslink Tommy...

The high casualty rate amongst the Class 319 fleet strengthens the case for ordering a replacement Thameslink fleet and quickly.

No doubt the provinces will be delighted to receive these knackered hand-me-downs.

UPDATE: This from Flatcap and Whippet...

We're not complaining about getting the 319's tup North

They can join our queue of knackered 323's waiting to be fixed on shed.

Waterloo to be moved 50 miles north - Shocker

Good news for the worthy burghers of Milton Keynes!

Evidently the town's 1980s built railway station just isn't smart enough for the new home of Network Rail and a much grander edifice is set to replace it.

Or so it would seem judging by this page on ATOC's website (with a bowler tip to A Frog):

Of course there is no surprise that the ATOC sleepy heads haven't yet noticed this pictoral howler.

What with their depressing habit of defenestating anyone with even a scintilla of railway knowledge...

UPDATE: This from swlines via Twitter...

Moved further north than that actually... it's moved all the way up the Far North to delightful Wick!

UPDATE: This from cbuchanancubed via Twitter...

Every station on the network is Waterloo on this website - station investment fund is making good progress!

UPDATE: This from Driver Potter...

See as the third rail advances into the howling wastes of the North.

Spread the Holy Word to The Heathens, My Son.

Latest news from the Eurostar broom cupboard!

It's Nick Mercer this time, with a bowler tip to the Railway Gazette via Twitter...



A reminder to PR's everywhere.

Put them in a HiVi, get them to a station or trackside and for God's sake lock up the broom-cupboard and throw away the key!

Harris on Hilton on a train

Uber-blogger Tom Harris MP on Tory Director of Strategy, Steve Hilton, upsetting train staff:

The real story behind the Channel 4 News revelation about Steve Hilton’s arrest in 2008 is: who dobbed him in?

Fascinating!

Chris Bryant MP on Eurostar

Chris Bryant MP has posted the following on twitter...

I am rapidly developing a very severe hatred of Eurostar as we are travelling at about a mile a year.

For those desperately interested the Daily Telegraph takes up the story.

Eye hasn't much to add to this other than pointing out that Mr Bryant is renowned for his wisdom and judgment.

With this in mind Eye thought that readers might enjoy seeing the Europe Minister in all his glory.

'Nuff said.

Railway remains open for business!

This just in from the soi disant 'veteran' observer...

Just thought Eye readers might like to know that as at 11:00 today, and despite the bad weather, 86% of all timetabled services are running, and more than half of these are running normally.

The railway - getting you there and back safely!

UPDATE: This from AMonkster via Twitter...

More likely that 86% of trains bid to run as of 10pm last night were running!

Not many TOCs still advertising full SX t/t.

Angel appoints Rowlands as Chairman - Doomed

Telegrammed by the Raver
So Sir David Rowlands has become Chairman of Angel Trains.


What a busy life he leads!

How he packs it all in we will never know.

According to Angel's puff piece Rowlands is also:

...chairman of London Gatwick Airport... a member of the Royal Automobile Club Foundation’s public policy committee... a governor of Anglia Ruskin University and deputy chairman of The Lifeboat Fund, a public service charity.

Not forgetting of course his current position as non-executive Chairman of High Speed 2 - a role he relinquishes in February this year.

Strange that a man who tried to squeeze the rail industry when he was Permanent Secretary at the Department now seems to be profiting from it in all sorts of ways.

Nice work if you can get it.

UPDATE: This from Sir Humphrey Beeching...

The Raver appears to have omitted Sir David's great gift for PR and media relations.

Why only last September he managed to infuriate RAIL by issuing a statement denying a story that his own staff had briefed out to the media.

Angel's loss will surely be HS2's gain!

NR asset failures are TOCs fault - Official

Exciting news from Network Rail!

Apparently the infrastructure owner is trying to blame "ice falling from trains" for infrastructure failures.

Presumably NR's latest wheeze is designed to shift fault attribution and bolster its PPM performance during the current adverse weather conditions.

Eye has a couple of novel suggestions that might really help address the problem of equipment failure in adverse weather.

Perhaps NR should clear snow from the area "On or About The Line" so it can't interfere with trackside equipment.

And whilst they are at it why not also have a go at improving ride quality so that impacted snow and ice isn't dislodged from trains when passing over switches and crossings.

A foolish dream of course.

UPDATE: This from Network Rail's Internet Rapid Rebuttal Unit...

The weather is brutal. Transport will always be hit. Roads and airports especially so.

Remarkably, train performance, in the main has held up well in difficult circumstances.

In my experience the hallmark of the last few days is how closely train operators and Network Rail have worked together to keep most lines running.

Of course there will be a time for fault attribution and I know there are those who criticise the fact that the rail industry employs people employed to do this.

All I will say on that subject is - much as I hate to use a phrase from the world of management consultancy - it's true; if you can't measure it, you can't manage it.

Getting to the bottom of what causes specific delays means that we can focus on how to minimise such delays in the future.

The most important work going on across the network now is the tireless work of railwaymen and women who are keeping the tracks clear and the trains running the best they can in tough conditions.

And to illustrate the point here are some of NR's finest at work.


Above: Off track team on fault clearance Thatto Heath


Above: Chainsawing felled trees in Anglia

Above: Snow duty

Snow plays havoc with Adonis plans for NatEx!

Telegrammed by Leo Pink
Let's hope that Lord Lenin Adonis is keeping his promise to monitor closely the performance of the remaining franchises operated by evil National Express.

Under cover of the snow chaos those back-sliders and recidivists at ludicrously named c2c are not only operating a full timetable but as at 12.00 the PPM for the day is a risible 97.67%, with three trains arriving outside the TOC's 4 minute target!

The sooner Elaine Holt takes over, the better...

UPDATE: This just in from Rudi over at Merseyrail...

Merseyrail trains are running normally (as they did yesterday) to the normal (not revised!) timetable with PPM for today at 94% at the moment.

And remember, our trains are 3rd rail and there is lots of snow on the ground; not usually a good combo...

There have been no buses at all on Merseyside since 1700 last night and a lot of roads are closed or impassable so we are virtually the only way of travelling into and out of the city.

All of our staff got to work first thing this morning, a lot of them on foot, and all stations are open.

Good effort!

UPDATE: This from a Mr Patrick...

Down here we have cars stuck in driveways and at the side of the road, airport closed and all local buses suspended but 4 trains per hour from my local station to the city centre with minimal delays!

Just goes to show what the real 21st century mode of transport is!

UPDATE: This just in from Captain Deltic (for it is he)...

What a strange coincidence, the two TOCs with the highest PPM scores also seem to cope best with the worst weather conditions since the last ice age - and on busy commuter routes.

Could this be a reflection on the quality of the management by any chance?

Who killed the Railway Forum?

So farewell to the Railway Forum which shuffled off this mortal coil on the 1st January 2010.

Yes, the grey men have finally done in the invisible man!

Set up at privatisation to give the industry a united voice the Railway Forum was laid to rest by an unholy alliance of Network Rail, ATOC and the Railway Industry Association.

Of course any suggestion that the grey men hoped we wouldn't notice is completely wide of the mark, which is why the Railway Forum website is still up and running.

Sadly the abolition of the Railway Forum is a signal that the industry really isn't bothered about speaking with one voice on anything.

A triumph for narrow self interest and factionalism but a victory for the DfT and the slick lobbyists of the aviation and automobile industries

Eye salutes all involved!

UPDATE: This from the Continuity Railway Forum...

I thought Eye's readers might be interested in the following press release which was almost issued this week:

INDUSTRY UNITED IN ABOLISHING PAN-INDUSTRY ORGANISATION

There was widespread delight today that the Railway Forum which represented all sides of the industry has finally been abolished.

Michael Windbag of ATOC said, "This is wonderful news. Now we do not have to be bothered pretending that we are a united industry and we can get on with feathering our own members' nests."

Paul Faceless of Network Rail added, "This just goes to show that we are in charge and don't you dare forget it!"

Jeremy Bureaucrat of RIA, said "I am delighted that we have finally killed of an organisation that was dangerously enthusiastic, put the case for rail and had several ideas which were not invented here."

The Forum's last Chairman, Richard Tunnel-Chaos, speaking from a broom cupboard, concluded "Basically we lost the will to go on, but I 'm not really to blame. Any news on my pay rise?"

No funeral and no flowers requested!

UPDATE: Wolmar also mourns the Forum's passing...

It was the membership that was the problem.

RMT plays politics as the snow falls

Good to see that despite the cold weather the RMT still can't resist jumping on a bandwagon.

Especially one that's been derailed.

This just in from the brothers:

Yesterday a freight train derailed in Carrbridge in Scotland leading to diversions and disruption and two trains collided at Exeter Saint David’s. RMT will be closely monitoring investigations into the two incidents which have both reinforced the priority that has to be given to safety and the essential role of the maintenance crews.

But what's this?

Why only yesterday Network Rail issued NIR 3350/187 containing Urgent Operating Advice, which reminded all TOC/FOC drivers of the instructions contained within Rule Book Module TW1 S18:

18.1. You must carry out the following instructions when snow is falling, or fallen snow is being disturbed by the passage of trains.

18.2. You must make a full service application of the automatic brake every 3-5 minutes and make sure that the speed of your train is reduced by at least 10mph as a result of the application. If driving a locomotive – hauled train, you can extend this interval when:

• The train is climbing a steep rising gradient, and
• The train might be brought to a complete stand as a result of using the brake.
  

And NR's justification for issuing this Urgent Operating Advice?

Two category ‘A’ SPADs within two weeks, the most recent culminating in a derailment of 4N47 at Carr Bridge.

Strange that the need for brake tests was omitted from the RMT's own press release mentioning the derailment.

But then again perhaps not!

It's cold Carruthers, damned cold!

This just in from a Mr Rodgers...

I thought that Railway Eye readers would like an exclusive and sneak preview of Network Rail's latest offering.

This is their new mobile loading gauge to stop 9ft 6in containers entering Standedge Tunnel (Marsden) today.


As the bridges haven't been painted since steam days don't expect any rapid response from NR in this area!

Daft expertise dooms US and Nigeria

Good news for jet setting civil servants and the taxpayer!

This written answer given on the 16th December 2009

Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat)

To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 30 November (WA 8), how many civil servants have been seconded to the transport industries in 2008 and 2009.

Lord Adonis (Secretary of State, Department for Transport; Labour)

The number of civil servants seconded or on loan to the transport industries* in 2008 and 2009 totals 21, comprising the following breakdown:

Year Number
2008 7
2009 14
Total 21

* Transport-related policy areas within UK government departments and their executive agencies, the European Commission, the United States, Australian and Nigerian Government departments.

Expect a dramatic deterioration in relations with several of our former closest allies.

NatEx reinvogorated in the New Year!

The formerly-doomed National Express is playing hardball, is spinning or has taken Lord Adonis' shilling.

This from the BBC...

Rail fares for National Express East Anglia are either being frozen or being reduced, the train company has said.

Eye awaits confirmation from Readers, Passenger Focus or Barry Doe (to whom we wish a speedy recovery).

UPDATE: This from Passenger Focus...

There will be some increases peppered around but broadly it appears to be true!

Good for them!

Whether restrictions have changed is something we are still looking into...

2009 Railway Eye stat porn

In 2009 Railway Eye was visited 230,284 times by 53,152 unique visitors.


Top 100 corporate readership sources:

1. network rail
2. go-ahead-group uk
3. manchester metropolitan university
4. w s atkins
5. national express group plc
6. university of cambridge
7. oxford university
8. hsbc bank plc uk
9. east midlands trains
10. emap plc
11. hitachi europe ltd
12. norfolk county council
13. merseyrail electrics 2002 ltd
14. university of liverpool
15. pnn
16. denton wilde sapte
17. westinghouse rail system ltd.
18. london transport users committee
19. parsons brinckerhoff
20. west yorkshire public transport exec-1
21. the tube lines
22. hitachi europe ltd
23. scott wilson
24. abbey national treasury services
25. ipc media ltd
26. scottish water
27. south west trains ltd
28. university of exeter
29. science museum
30. pricewaterhousecoopers
31. english welsh and scottish railways
32. deutsche bank
33. arriva plc
34. lancashire county council
35. virgin trains
36. leicester city council
37. crossrail london networks
38. ove arup & partners
39. london 2012 ltd
40. university of durham
41. serco group plc
42. university of wales bangor
43. british broadcasting corporation
44. ashurst morris crisp
45. university of southampton
46. freightliner limited
47. centro birmingham
48. university of leeds
49. h bauer publishing ltd
50. south bank polytechnic
51. trainline.com ltd
52. competition commission
53. interfleet technology ltd
54. railcare (formally alstom)
55. houses of parliament
56. nottingham city council
57. central trains limited
58. university of bath
59. telegraph group limited
60. city of nottingham council
61. passenger focus
62. south east trains
63. university of york
64. aston martin lagonda limited
65. british airports authority
66. northern rail ltd (york)
67. the university of plymouth
68. andrews & arnold ltd
69. university college london
70. nspcc
71. commission for equality & human rights
72. lloydstsb cmf
73. hoare govett services
74. bbc broadcasting dataservices ltd
75. the university of bristol
76. greater london authority
77. amoco corporation
78. associated newspapers ltd
79. first group
80. haberdashers askes school
81. fords of winsford
82. laing orourke plc
83. london school of economics and political science
84. european court of justice
85. imperial college london
86. queen mary and westfield college
87. research in motion uk limited
88. university of wales aberystwyth
89. loughborough university
90. north lincolnshire council
91. university of central lancashire
92. royal bank of canada trust corporation limited
93. sheffield hallam university
94. city university
95. apple computer inc.
96. british sky broadcasting ltd.
97. university of sussex
98. ford motor company
99. research machines plc
100. leeds city council

N.B. The vast majority of readers do not have their own servers.

Top 20 referring sites...

1. google
2. wnxxforum.com
3. newsnow.co.uk
4. railforums.co.uk
5. rail-magazine.com
6. londonreconnections.blogspot.com
7. wimbledonparkdepot.spaces.live.com
8. tomharris.org.uk
9. twitter.com
10. boriswatch.co.uk
11. railchat.co.uk
12. facebook.com
13. theticketcollector.wordpress.com
14. polishrail.wordpress.com
15. christianwolmar.co.uk
16. firstgreatwestern.info
17. englishrail.wordpress.com
18. northernrailways.co.uk
19. districtdave.proboards.com
20. paulbigland.fotopic.net

Eye thanks all readers and contributors for their continued support throughout 2009.

UPDATE: This from Driver Potter...

*In best Mike Smash voice*:

"And in at number seven it's Driver Potter. Third rail-mungous, mate."

It's my pleasure to support, old thing.

All the best for 2010. Peace!

UPDATE: This from Chionanthus Virginicus (et uxor)

Thanks for your "in depth" probing in 2009.

Look forward to seeing if IEP can be killed in 2010!

Best Wishes for 2010 to you and to the Eye's family of compilers...

UPDATE: This from our man in the Four Foot...

My entry for the railway gardens and pointless sign competition - only in America!


Happy new year from Our Man in the 4'!

UPDATE: This from our International Correspondent...

Our Man in the Four Foot is slightly out on his geography about the train coming into collision with the roadsign.

To save anyone coming out from Behind the Water Tower with the correcting fluid, it is actually in Poland.

Szczesliwego Nowego Roku!

Lord of the Jungle for Tory Transport Secretary?

This extraordinary suggestion from the Grauniad today...

The shadow transport minister, Theresa Villiers, lacks clout... So step forward, Lord Heseltine. Britain's transport revolution could be your lasting monument.

Hezza, one of the Tory Big Beasts, announced in December that he would surrender the day to day running of his Haymarket publishing empire to his son Rupert this month.

With second jobs outside Parliament now out of favour this would free him to take up a chunky role in any new Tory administration.

The Daily Mail had already predicted the return of Tarzan to the front bench last October:

Lord Heseltine, 76 – nicknamed ‘Tarzan’ after swinging the Commons mace at Labour MPs in the Seventies – would serve for the first year of a Tory administration as an unpaid Minister without Portfolio in the Lords.

And of course there is no longer any obstacle to an unelected peer running transport - this precedent was established by no less a person than the High Speed Evangelist himself!

The big loser, were such an appointment to be made, would be shadow transport minister Stephen Hammond, who has made no secret of his desire for the top job.

Of course the Guardian leader piece might have been influenced by media savvy Lord Adonis himself - keen to safeguard his High Speed legacy or merely create mischief for the opposition?

Either way 2010 promises to turn up several more surprises as we head towards the General Election.