This from the Gruaniad...
Peter Hendy, TfL's most senior official as London transport commissioner, has declined a bonus of £132,409 in addition to his salary of £330,198.
In an implied dig at his Network Rail peers, who said a performance-related pay scheme delivered better results for taxpayers, Hendy said TfL received public funds and had to "set an example".
Good effort.
The Office of Rail Regulation today confirmed that it would "consider any alternative uses" for the London - Lincoln paths granted to East Coast.
Previously the state owned operator had said that they would operate seven return services a day between Lincoln and London. However, modelling work suggested that this service pattern would lose approximately £9m a year.
In its place East Coast proposed running just one daily return service from London to Lincoln and four shuttle services from London to Newark.
Other operators had protested that East Coast's revised proposals did not make best use of scarce resources on the ECML.
In a letter sent today to stakeholders Brian Kogan of ORR said:
As most of you will be aware, East Coast has recently announced that it no longer plans to operate seven weekday services each way between Lincoln and London. Instead it wishes to operate just one service each way, with a further four services each way operating between Newark and London. It has indicated that it intends to submit a track access application to amend its rights.
We have received representations from other operators pointing out that this is the second significant change to the destinations served since NXEC Trains Limited (National Express East Coast) submitted its original application for track access rights in June 2008, and suggesting that East Coast’s revised proposals do not make best use of the capacity available on the East Coast Main Line (ECML), and therefore that we should evaluate alternative proposals.
In November 2009 we agreed to East Coast’s request for a change of destination from Leeds to York. The reasons were set out in a letter to the industry dated 25 November 2009. But circumstances are now somewhat different:
This from Glenda Flagg...
Hats off to Rail Professional - it knows how to get the fellas pulses a racing.
Sticking Rail Barbie on the cover, a winking and a pouting through her long blond tresses with that come hither look.
Hither or thither, Glenda doesn't care!
Rail Barbie is welcome to ride our train anytime!! (shurely run our failing franchises anytime? Ed)
Move over Mr Coucher man, there's only one candidate for the Network Rail top job and it ain't Ice Lady Vickie!!! Geddit!?!!? (You're fired. Ed)
UPDATE: This from Fiscal Rectitude...
I note from the list of quangocrat salaries published today that Elaine Holt is paid between £180k and £184.999 a year to chair Directly Operated Railways.
As DOR only runs the East Coast franchise (which has its own MD) I am struggling to see what Rail Barbie actually does to earn this not inconsiderable sum.
Which ever way you look at it the East Coast/DOR management structure seems remarkably top heavy.
Do we really have to wait for the McNulty review before making the obvious saving?
This insightful contribution from Thomas Docherty MP (Dunfermline and West Fife, Labour) in yesterday's Commons Energy Efficiency debate:
One thing that brings a wry smile to my face is hon. Members talking of the need for more railways and electric cars.
Those are admirable suggestions, and I support them, but it is never explained where we will get the energy to power those new electric trains and cars.
If we compare our consumption statistics with our supply statistics, the result is worrying. At its peak in 1998, the nuclear industry provided approximately 90,000 GWh. In 2008, the latest year for which figures are available, that had fallen to 48,000 GWh, although it has risen again slightly since then. At the same time, many of our coal-powered stations are coming to the end of their lives.
By the end of the coming decade, all our Magnox nuclear power stations will have closed, as will almost all of the advanced gas-cooled reactor nuclear power stations and many of our coal-powered stations-either because of new European regulations on carbon emissions, which both sides of the House would support, or because they have simply come to the end of their lives.
I suggest that we need to understand that, although the aim of being more efficient in our energy consumption is laudable, we face a massive energy gap that needs to be addressed.
Eye fears that the greatest threat to further electrification may not be a shortage of money, but a lack of juice.
Telegrammed by Our International Correspondent
Voters of Lincoln keen to talk to their new MP can now reach him night or day courtesy of Rail Professional magazine!
The very latest edition boasts a startlingly benign hagiography of Elaine Holt (44, married, one cat, a rabbit and 'model looks' we learn, helpfully) by Alan Salter (who he? – Ed).
To support the puff piece the mag's cover has a splendidly posed photo of the Directly Operated Railways supremo, smiling coquettishly into the lens through tumbling tresses, with her desk carefully decorated with appropriate 'props'.
And what carefully chosen props they are – a mug with “I love chocolate” patterns on it provides the necessary feminine touch and by way of counterpoint, a strategically placed document about the new ECML catering arrangements reminds us that the abolition of almost all traditional dining has been successful in reducing On Board Service costs.
So far so good.
However, Rail Amateur readers cannot live by bread alone – there must be circuses too.
Clearly changes to the SLC2 timetable are much occupying Elaine's mind at the moment and so, of course, there is a file upon her desk entitled 'Lincoln MPs'.
Close study reveals it to contain the profile of one Karl McCartney, Lincoln's newly elected Tory MP.
It tells us that “Lincoln Station is in his constituency and he has campaigned for the introduction of East Coast Lincoln services”.
But photo sessions with the great and good can be chaotic affairs and in the rush to get the lights working and for the subject to refresh lippie and eyeliner, there is always the risk that something will be missed.
And so it came to pass.
Added to McCartney's profile, in an unknown hand, is the MP’s mobile number. 
Anyone wishing to discuss with Karl the one up and one down direct train that constitutes the tattered remains of the promise to give Lincoln a direct service now know where to reach him.
Just say Rail Professional gave you the number...
An occasional series celebrating the relationship of the Minister of State for Transport with her Department...
Theresa Villiers (Minister of State (Rail and Aviation), Transport; Chipping Barnet, Conservative) holding answer 24 June 2010
The two franchise extensions will have a theoretical opportunity cost caused by foregoing the higher premium/lower subsidy expected if the franchises were re-competed instead of extended. This is difficult to quantify, because assumptions need to be made about the likely prices from new bidders versus the cost of extending with incumbents.
The opportunity cost arising from the delay to replacing franchises was estimated to be £6 million for Essex Tameside and £18 million for Greater Anglia. However, we believe that including the two franchises in the reformed system, on which we will be consulting shortly, will yield benefits for passengers and facilitate investment in the railways which will outweigh these costs.
In accordance with our accreditation process as advised to bidders the Department does not expect to have cause to incur compensation.
So. DafT is still expecting to get more/pay less for these two franchises when re-reletting them in the middle of a recession?
Good effort!
This from Brighton Belle...
Clapham Yard, CY43 Ground Signal - a joint effort from SWT and NR.
Trains do regularly use the track to the left.
Hard to believe, isn't it?
This picture also adds substance to a recent rumour about the imminanet replacement of the Class 455 fleet.
It would appear that these new units really will be built by a consortium of Alstom, Bombardier and Flymo.
Evidently Eye's exciting new poll on who should succeed Iain Coucher is encouraging those in the industry to up their game.
This from the Northants Evening Telegraph...
The 42nd Chieftain of Corby's Highland Gathering has been unveiled as rail boss Tim Shoveller.
Mr Shoveller will preside over activities at the gathering on Sunday, July 11.
A clever ploy by EMT's boss to boost his credentials in the race to replace Coucher
By Eye's reckoning Chieftain Shoveller has just outranked the Laird of Iainland.
This from Chionanthus Virginicus...
Here is the end of the platform at that well known leafy suburban station - beloved of Midland Railway Directors (and more recently senior executives of the Derby rail scene) - namely Duffield.
I see that some lateral thinkers at NR (possibly in response to Eye's platform-end fencing jibes) have decided to use this freely available vegetation to prevent passenger egress from the platform ends.
I am surprised that the "soi disant" so called veteran railway observer has not mentioned this!
Just how far is Dean 'Long-tongue' Finch prepared to go, to ingratiate himself with Petrol-head and Cruella de Villiers?
This toe curling piece of National Express arslikan from the Gruaniad:
Dean Finch, chief executive of the firm, said the Department for Transport was right to warn passengers that it may scrap a fares cap that limits price increases to 1% above inflation.
"It is absolutely legitimate for anybody to look at, in terms of raising revenues," said Finch.
"Everybody complains about rail fares being awful, but we have more than 1bn journeys on the railways every year. That tells you that in the overall scheme of things the railway is an effective form of travel and is an integral part of peoples' lives."
Of course National Express knows all about 'raising revenues'.
Why less than a year ago the Bus Bandit group was banned from bidding for new franchises by former Secretary of State Lord Adonis.
The reason?
Whilst its East Coast franchise may have been an "integral part of peoples lives" it certainly wasn't that integral to National Excess, who threatened to dump the operation unless they paid a lot less lovely lolly to the tax-payer.
Sadly it was not to be and the group not only forfeited the premier East Coast franchise but its then Chief Exec as well.
No matter. National Express have obviously learnt their lesson.
No doubt NatEx will continue to focus on 'raising revenues', but this time at the expense of the poor bloody passenger.
Exciting news from Network Rail's GSMR project!
Those are the chaps constructing telephone masts up and down the network.
At least that was the plan.
Sadly word reaches Eye that 200 of them have just been told that they will be 'released' in September to save cash.
With the project rumoured to be millions over budget this is perhaps no surprise.
Happily, in a further saving, the project plans to use 02 infrastructure on freight lines to save the construction costs of building dedicated masts.
If you've ever tried to use the 02 network aboard a train you will know that the savings in call costs can also be considerable...
UPDATE: This from Billy Connections...
From around March 2012 the radio frequencies used by existing cab to shore radios have been given to broadcasters in time for the massive number of radio microphone channels required for the London 2012 Olympics.
Of course - this does open up the possibility of the Olympic Games starting late due to "overrunning engineering work"!
The race to replace Coucher has already started.
Yesterday the Independent on Sunday suggested that NR directors Robin Gisby and Simon Kirkby might be interested in Iain's enormous bonus (shurely challenging role? Ed).
With industry bigwigs already being asked their views on who should become Network Rail's new Chief Executive it seemed only right, in the spirit of openness and transparency, that Eye readers should also have an opportunity to participate in the Great Succession Debate.
Each week Eye will post a new selection of names and invite you, dear reader, to use your skill and judgement to decide who could best replace Iain Coucher
Our first category is Men of the Moment.
And the nominations are:
Halifax MP, Linda Riordan, has sponsored the following Early Day Motion:
"That this House views with deep concern the decision of Network Rail Board to pay senior management a total of £2.4m in bonuses for 2009/10; notes that Network Rail is heavily reliant on taxpayer funding; further notes that the decision was reported in a week when everyone was asked by the Government to share the burden of reducing Britain's deficit; considers such payments as being unjustified and inappropriate and calls on the public members of Network Rail to vote against such bonus payments at the impending Network Rail AGM."
Sadly if Coucher and co wouldn't listen to the ORR or the Secretary of State for Transport then Eye doesn't hold out much hope for this succeeding.
After all NR's Public Members are famed for their ability to hold the 'private' company to account.
On the plus side - at least it affords a further opportunity for MP's to show their utter contempt for NR's money-grubbing directors
Eye understands that it is proving somewhat of a challenge to recruit the full complement of MPs to some Select Committees.
In yet another unintended consequence of the Wright Reforms MPs are proving backwards in coming forwards to take on roles.
Westminster insiders suggest that restrictions on MPs travel allowances and reductions in staffing budgets mean that some older hands are unwilling to shoulder the additional workload. Especially where Select Committee's meet on Mondays or Fridays
This means that many of those elected to serve on the new Select Committees are also new to Parliament.
Take for instance the Transport Select Committee.
Conservative Home provides a list of those who have been elected to serve as Tory members of the TSC.
Conservative members: Angie Bray (Ealing Central & Acton)*, Kwasi Kwarteng (Spelthorne)*, Paul Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys)*, Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South)* and Julian Sturdy (York Outer)* Members marked with an asterisk are new to Parliament*:
Not one old hand amongst them..
Reassuringly, according to Labour Uncut, the opposition party's nominees include some older and therefore perhaps wiser heads, including former Transport Minister Tom Harris:
Labour members – Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South)*, Tom Harris (Glasgow South), Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North) and Angela Smith (Penistone & Stocksbridge) Members marked with an asterisk are new to Parliament*:
Meanwhile from the LibDem's not a murmur.
Apparently the coalition party hopes to confirm which of their MP's have been elected to which Select Committees by Wednesday of this week.
Expect formal confirmation of Transport Select Committee membership week commencing the 4th July.
With the Labour Shadow team somewhat thin on the ground Eye hopes TSC Chair Louise Ellman (Liverpool Riverside) has already booked Petrol-head for a grilling.
This from a Mr Houghton...
Dear Fact Compiler
Would you be willing to mention that Railway Vehicle Engineering Limited participated in the Three Peaks Challenge by Rail this weekend (24th - 26th June).
Hopefully the following vaguely humourous picture of our team scaling the heights might amuse your readers:
If any of your readers feel generous then donations can still be made here.
Eye is happy to support the Railway Children - if you haven't yet please do donate. Any more teams want a mention?
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