Get ready for the new Railways Act

This from Louise Ellman at Thursday's Westminster Hall debate on Investment Priorities for the Railways:

The Select Committee takes rail investment extremely seriously and will give the McNulty report full consideration in due course, along with the Government's White Paper on the future of rail.

So. Petrol-head has managed to create time in the legislative timetable for a Railways Bill.

In ye olden days the convention was that a Green Paper would be issued in advance of a White Paper.

For those under the age of forty, a Green Paper was a clearly announced consultation document containing policy proposals for debate and discussion before the Government made a decision on the contents of a White Paper (a White Paper, of course, contains detailed proposals for legislation).

Eye assumes that the endeavours of McNulty and LEK constitute such a consultation.

Meanwhile the industry had better brace itself for another Tory legislative restructuring of our industry. Let us hope it is more succesful than that of 1993?

With places on Petrol-head's High Level Group as yet unfilled it will be interesting to see who will be invited to sup with the devil.

Not only will these exalted ones help shape Hammond's exciting new Railway's Bill, they will also create a structure for the industry that could last for the next twenty years.

Meanwhile, those who care about the railways, but left out in the cold by McNulty's 'industry consultation' and adrift from Hammond's HLG may take comfort from the 'Yew-turn' the ConDems were forced to execute over Forest policy this week.

After all, it's not just woodland that has branches.

Latest ABC figures show print holding up

It's ABC time again...

As Eye pointed out last year most railway titles don't submit themselves to the indignity of an ABC circulation audit, so a bowler tip to those that do.

Here the recently published 2010 circulation figures for the top three (with 2009 figures in brackets):

Railway Magazine 34,168 (34,715)

Steam Railway 32,441 (32,842)

RAIL magazine 20,006 (20,546)

Eye's man in the Dead Tree Media comments:

As all three titles recorded a roughly similar decline in circulation this suggests that readers are consolidating the number of titles they buy and that overall readership is subject to... ahem... ‘natural wastage’!

Evidently print media continues to hold its own.

UPDATE: This from Arnie the Anorak...

Of course RAIL is published every two weeks or 26 times a year, where as Railway Magazine is published 12 times a year and Steam 13 times a year.

If you then add up the total annual circulation for each publication... (that's enough gratuitous puffery for Dead Tree media. Ed).

Virgin fails to learn from aviation experience

This from Our Independent Expert...

Q. Would Virgin Airlines allow one of it's planes to fly with bits missing?

A. Exactly!

So why is this Glasgow arrival at Euston last night in such a scruffy state - a sight increasingly typical of Pendolinos.


Perhaps VT and Alstom no longer care about their corporate image.

But it's the sort of thing that bothers passengers who have the choice of taking the plane.

UPDATE: This from West Coast Maintainer...

Your correspondent suggests passengers would have been unimpressed at boarding a Pendolino with a missing coupler hatch.

As a defender of the passengers I presume he'd have been happier for it to run empty to the right depot for repair whilst the service was cancelled?

I think perhaps passengers would be happier to know that their train was going to run, even if a little ugly, rather than see it set off without them only to be told "we thought you'd rather wait for the next one rather than suffer the humiliation of sitting in a train with a plastic door missing."

Pendolinos are certified to run with the coupler hatches open, or removed, at line speed.

Huggable Higgins in front of the TSC

NETWORK RAIL – ORAL EVIDENCE SESSION

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Committee Room 6, House of Commons

The Transport Committee will be taking oral evidence from Network Rail’s new Chief Executive, David Higgins on Tuesday 1 March at 10.15 am. Mr Higgins was previously Chief Executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority. He began his new post at Network Rail on 1 February.

The Committee will question Mr Higgins about his priorities for the national rail infrastructure operator in the coming years, at a time when the rail industry is likely to undergo significant reform.

These timings are approximate and the session may start slightly earlier or later than advertised.

Eureka!!!! emerges into the light of day!

This from Albatross...

The much awaited EUREKA East Coast time table is now available in all its “GORY” on the East Coast website.

For the down trodden commuters of Retford, Newark and Grantham, and those who wish to travel to nearby stations to visit relatives and friends make sure you complete your journeys before 23rd May.

The timetable is dreadful and offers little benefit to the long suffering passengers of R, N or G:- less trains, less frequent connections, three hour gaps in service, and no doubt less passenger and revenue for East Coast.

Any finally, welcome the new McGhost Train!

The 05.40 Edinburgh to London with one stop, and most likely one passenger! What an utter waste of scarce paths, trainsets and crew.

UPDATE: This from Taffeta Girl...

Albatross is being just a little unfair.

I believe that this will be the most luxurious, comfortable and gorgeous timetable that the East Coast has ever seen!

Judging by the amount of padding...

UPDATE: This, rather wittily, from You Reeker...

Try getting from Newark to Retford on a Saturday.

UPDATE: This, allegedly, from Angus MacKiltup...

Shurely MacGhost Train?

UPDATE: This from the Wicked Weaver...

Currently there is a 07:00 and a 07:20 from Newcastle arriving KX 09:55, 10:11 respectively.

From May the 07:00 leaves 5 minutes earlier (and starts from Berwick !!!)

But anyone wishing to reach London from stations between Berwick and Newcastle will transfer to the McGhost service, which departs Newcastle at 07:03.

Why?

Because it arrives KX 09:40, the earlier departure is overtaken, not arriving until 10:06.

And the next option from Newcastle, the 07:28, (which must leave Waverley empty at 05:45) does not arrive KX until 10:45: a massive difference.

So. The timetable has been 'cooked' but the McGhost Train will be busy as it passes through England.

Arriva celebrates arrival of on-board WiFi

This from The Man by the Photocopier...

Well, well, well.

With just ONE CrossCountry Voyager finally equipped with wi-fi after years of franchise breach by Arriva in Britain, look what they've managed on the other side of the North Sea!

ARRIVA Netherlands launch on board WIFI service

Arriva Netherlands today launched their complimentary on board WiFi service providing on the move connectivity for the first time, much to the delight of their rail passengers.

As Arriva's Dutch Managing Director said:

"We are delighted to be able to offer our passengers such a high quality on board service, which will only enhance the journey experience."

Quite so.

UPDATE: This from a Virgin Twice Removed...

A Virgin chum travelled with CrossCountry last week and was delighted to see the pretty little light on his PC light up, suggesting that a WiFi signal was available.

Wondering why such a momentous event had taken place without fanfares and celebratory stickers appearing in the saloon he logged on…

Only to discover he was picking up the signal from an adjacent Pendolino set at New Street.

Perhaps in future Arriva XC should just advise "WiFi available when adjacent to Bendydildos."

Captain Deltic issues a call to arms!

This from the good Captain (for it is he)...

Another railway research strategy consultation document has been published - this time by consultants TRL on behalf of DafT.

It is, if anything, even worse than the TSSB/TSAG document featured in the February Informed Sources.

Here is the link.

Consultation is open until April.

Here are the questions posed by TRL which consultees might care to consider:

• Is the strategic focus right?
• Do you agree with key actions that come out of the report?
• Can we develop leadership for research in a fragmented industry?
• Can we strengthen the case for research in a difficult economic climate?
• Can we share knowledge and maintain the legacy/heritage knowledge in an industry with changing ownership?
• Can we be more effective in making use of technology developed in other industries?
• How do we make the rail industry a more comfortable place for innovation and research?

Where to start!

Septic scribbler screws NRs budget

This from ITV...

Best-selling author Bill Bryson, who lives in Norfolk, is fronting a new campaign to clean up England's railways.

Bryson, who's President of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, wants to use the law to make public land managers clear up unsightly litter around railways. He's demanding Network Rail clear up rubbish along tracks in Cambridgeshire.

Well Bill - this is really helpful. Thank you.

Perhaps Bill and his ever-so-cosy Campaign to Protect Ruritanian England should focus on the challenge of fly-tipping, rather than on the poor sods on whose land this rubbish ends up.

Meanwhile, Network Rail is now expected to divert scarce resource on prettifying 8,000 route miles to meet Bill and his chums vision of the English idyll.

Eye hopes that Network Rail will meet the demands of Bryson and the CPRE in full.

And pay for it using the East Anglia maintenance budget.

Perhaps Bill and his CPRE chums won't think they are quite so clever when standing on a litter free station where trains can't run.

On the plus side this would allow Bryson even more time to "write a history of the world without leaving home."

Would that he had done that today.

UPDATE: This from Carbon-Neutral Potter...

Anyone else think that perhaps encouraging, say, the re-instatement of litter bins on stations might be a way forward?

Although it didn't start with NR's reign, housekeeping seems to be something that the railway is particularly bad at.

Perhaps Eye readers are aware of more examples?

Right - I'm off to eat some organic Fairtrade pizza and compost my toenail clippings.

Every little helps.

UPDATE: This from Inspector Blakey...

I thought that the traditional idiom of the flytipper was to dump old sofas, fridges and other household rubbish.

I didn't realize they were responsible for leaving all those chunks of scrap rail, sleepers, fishplates and half-empty aggregate bags lying around the cess too...

UPDATE: This from a Retired NR Contract Manager - one time responsible for litter picking contract in a RT Zone...

Most of the litter on tracks around station areas is from the TOCs trains and passenger/customers.

Most of it away from station areas is obviously not now from passengers throwing things out of windows, one advantage - possibly the only one, of hermetically sealed, air conditioned, non opening windowed, sanitised rolling stock, and is blown in from adjacent premises. Supermarket recycling points, Asda at Longsight for instance, being a prime example.

This does not get away from the fact that its looks a mess wherever, but pointing the legal finger at Network Rail just because it finishes up with them is a bit ripe.

It needs an industry wide task force and solution. Oh - I forgot, that’s not now possible is it?

UPDATE: This from Platelayer...

Perhaps Bill Bryson and the CPRE should be invited to sponsor a Prize Length competition?

Peter Fox's funeral service Friday 18th February

This from Robert at Today's Railways...

Peter Fox’s funeral service will be held at Carterknowle Methodist Church, Edgedale Road, Sheffield, S7 2BQ on Friday 18th February at 2 p.m., followed by burial in Abbey Lane Cemetery.

Peter’s family have requested family flowers only please. Donations in lieu of flowers if wished, made payable either to the `British Heart Foundation’ or `Railway Children’ may be sent to:

Adam Heath
John Heath & Sons
2-16 Earsham Street
SHEFFIELD
S4 7LS

Chiltern enters Pisspoor PR Awards

According to @Chilternrailway...

Our VIPs Wills and Kate at Marylebone.


No doubt this wheeze had them rolling in the aisles in Berlin?

UPDATE: This from Steve Strong...

What a lovely photo.

I expect Shooter will soon be getting a pre-paid jiffy bag from Brenda so he can return his CBE.

UPDATE: This from @Chilternrailway...

Ouch..possibly shouldn't have put our cheesiest photo up!

Looking forward to getting a card from you in the post ;)

Mail's transport correspondent gets spanked botty

Does SouthEastern have a guardian angel?

On Saturday the Daily Mail ran this story...

For once, it wasn’t wet weather outdoors that caused the delay.

A train driver left hundreds of commuters stranded during the morning rush hour – because his seat was damp.

The unnamed Southeastern Trains driver was due to take a busy service from Hastings in East Sussex to London, but refused to begin the journey after discovering his seat was wet.

So much so normal.

But Eye was copied in the following furious missive to Mail transport correspondent Ray Massey:

I have always thought you to be the least competent of all the national Transport Correspondents, but your words about the wet driving seat took the pissy biscuit even by your own personal low standards.

What exactly would you do if you got to work and found the only seat in your office was soaking wet?

On a train you cannot just sling your coat over it - railway safety jackets are made of nylon, and you will slide off the seat going round corners or stopping at stations. If you try standing up to drive, you can't see out of the windscreen or operate the Driver's Safety Device, which is how people die.

Apportioning the blame to the driver was cheap, nasty, and factually wrong. You are fortunate to be so untroubled by journalistic integrity. Southeastern provided a frank account of how the seat got wet in the first place. Can I suggest you buy Dick Murray a coffee and ask him how to cover transport?

Or, perhaps more usefully for Daily Mail readers, go write about something else altogether?

Growl!!! Steady Tiger!

NR looks for new Comms Director

With Huggable Higgins now in place NR is looking to fill the other half of the former Coucher Pender combo.

Yesterday's Sunday Times contained an ad for a Network Rail Communications Director (PR monkeys - fill your boots here).

With the infrastructure controller beefing up its spin and lobbying machine no doubt the internal discussions on how to handle the LEK report into Alternative Railway Structures will get a whole lot more animated.

Will NR's Board Room table be able to handle the excitement?

Wifi finally appears on a CrossCountry train

First Arriva CrossCountry wifi enabled set in traffic.

As exclusively revealed by Eye on the 21st January and seen in service on Friday.


With a bowler tip to Is 1A03 out of Chester yet, Bert?

Exciting privatisation news from abroad

Good news from The Zimbabwean...

HARARE - The government is considering opening up the railway network to private players, says State Enterprises and Parastatals Minister Gorden Moyo.

The move could put an end to the National Railway of Zimbabwe (NRZ’s) monopoly as it is drowning in a ballooning $274 million deficit of depleted fleet and recapitalisation costs.

What a marvelous opportunity for Britain, the former colonial power, to give something back.

With the help of DfT, ATOC and NR 'experts' that measly deficit could be trebled in no time.

Ken Livingstone wins European Railway Award

Eye congratulates Ken Livingstone for winning the European Railway Award!

This from some people abroad...

Ken Livingstone and Stefan Haas receive European Railway Award

CER, EIM, and UNIFE presented the European Railway Award 2011 today to former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone for political achievements and to Knorr-Bremse Austria Managing Director Dr Stefan Haas for technical achievements. Since 2007, the European rail sector has honoured outstanding achievements in the development of competitive and environmentally sustainable rail transport. The European Railway Award 2011 attracted more than 500 guests from all over Europe, including high-level politicians and transport stakeholders.

Surely a move designed to gladden the hearts of both the ConDem Government and Mayor BoJo?

Lest it be forgot: CER claims it is the 'Voice of European Railways', UNIFE allegedly represents 'The European Rail Industry', whilst EIM purports to be the voice of 'European Infrastructure Managers'.

On the plus side this sort of political posturing should put paid to European nationalised railways taking over any further UK franchises.

UPDATE: This from Mizter T...

The Fact Compiler fails to mention why Ken got the Euro award.

It was for having the bottle to do something genuinely radical and introduce the congestion charge scheme to London in 2003, which in turn encouraged people out of their cars and onto public transport instead - rather than just talking tough the newt-fancier rather called the cynics' bluff.

BoJo - a man of a great many words but some might say a little less action - has since removed the western extension of the CC zone, but the original central area remains - and the monies accruing therefrom are probably the only thing keeping TfL's finances afloat.

Meanwhile we must bide our time until the 2023 European Coiffurists' Award is given to Boris - for providing the continent's most inspiring Mayoral barnet.

DB masters the skies!

This exciting news from DB's Trade & Press newsletter, just landed...

Deutsche Bahn launches “flying trains” to promote Rail&Fly-offer.

Deutsche Bahn goes up in the air: Two Tuifly Boeing 737-800 have been designed in order to promote DB’s offer Rail&Fly in co-operation with over 90 airlines for rail journeys to and from major airports in Germany and Amsterdam.

The official christening of “DB Air one” in ICE design and “DB Air Two” in DB Regio design took place on 7th February 2011 at Cologne/Bonn airport.

Good news indeed.

Sadly Eye was unable to find a picture of the branded planes so our art department mocked up the following.


Apparently the noise pollution is minimal, till they land.

UPDATE: This, paradoxically, from EastWestDivide...

Am I the only one who find this kneejerk association of Germany = WW2 a bit tiresome?

Tschüß

Peter Fox RIP

Eye understands that Peter Fox, master of the Platform 5 publishing empire, passed away yesterday.

The Fact Compiler adds his condolences to those of many others from across the industry.

Grumpy Old Man - you will be very much missed.

UPDATE: This from Robert at Today's Railways...

It is with great regret that we must inform you of the death of Peter Fox on the afternoon of Tuesday 8th February 2011.

Peter had undergone replacement heart valve surgery in November 2010 and was re-admitted to hospital on Monday 7th February complaining of shortness of breath. Tests revealed that one of his replacement heart valves was not working correctly and a further operation was carried out on Tuesday 8th February to rectify the problem. Sadly, Peter’s heart was already in a very weak state and he never regained consciousness after the operation.

Peter will be sorely missed and our thoughts at this time are with his wife, Doreen, and his children Suzanne, David and Jane and their families.

The details of Peter’s funeral have yet to be finalised. Further information about this will be available from the Platform 5 office shortly.

UPDATE: This from a Mr Tony Miles...

Please add condolences from the rest of the railway press.

Peter held strong opinions and some of us didn't always agree with them - but he always defended his point of view with conviction.

No surprises as another DafT procurement fails

Regular Eye readers will not be surprised to see that yet another DafT procurement exercise has gone tits-up.

This from the Beeb...

Plans to privatise the search and rescue helicopter service have been suspended amid concerns about the bidding process to find a supplier.

Of course DafT has a fine reputation for running cost effective procurement exercises.

Who can forget the abandoned process to procure 202 DMU vehicles, the continuing saga of the InterCity Express Programme (costs currently running at £27m and without a single vehicle ordered!) or the long drawn out saga of the new Thameslink fleet?

No doubt Petrol-head will address his own department's failings before demanding ever greater efficiencies from pained suppliers?

UPDATE: This from Chionanthus Virginicus...

Can we hope that a decision not to replace Sea King helicopters with foreign ones (Sikorsky) via the aborted search & rescue privatisation, will be followed by a decision to support UK jobs at the last remaining UK helicopter plant - AgustaWestland at Yeovil (Lib-Dem) ?

And will the same principle to protect UK jobs also apply to IEP?

"Chopper" Hammond to the rescue?

Pointless signs - Didcot Parkway

This from Concerned of Caversham...

Spotted at Didcot Parkway station:


Is this a cunning ruse to ensure that any fire does full justice to delightful Didcot?

Network Rail - old habits die hard...

This from a Resident of Grub Street...

Despite last week's arrival of 'Huggable Higgins' NR still appears unable to shake off the ghost of its former Chief Exec.

This from Network Rail's media website today...


Perhaps updates to this site are still pend'ing approval?