Pointless signs - Giant Ants

This with a bowler tip to the genius that is @OctoberJones, via Twitpic...


Obviously Giant Ants are still more prevalent than WiFi on a CrossCountry train.

New website outlines DfT policy objectives

This from a Mr Ernest Trumpet...

I see that the DafT website has had a makeover.

There are some rather natty new graphics on the home page including this one...

Featuring sky with no planes, roads with no vehicles, tracks with no trains and sea with no ships.

At least we all now know where we stand.

Virgin a shoe-in for West Coast Franchise!

Yet again Sir Beardie shows that he has his finger on the political pulse!

This from the Daily Torygraph...

Virgin Enterprise, which owns the trademarks and rights to the Virgin brand, is moving to Switzerland and is advertising for staff there. Although it is said to be a relatively small part of the business, Virgin insiders said it would become increasingly significant as the brand was franchised around the world.

A move surely designed to meet the requirements of our very own Department for Transfer, famed for off-shoring both jobs and franchises.

Pointless sign - Northern Class 144

Railway Bothy - Culrain

Fact Compiler spotted at Derby rally - Shocker

This from M'Duck...

Dear Fact Compiler

I attended the rally in Derby on Saturday where over 6,000 people supported our local train manufacturer.

Speeches were made by Colin Walton, Chairman of Bombardier, local MPs and Councillors from all political hues, and even RMT General Secretary Bob Crow gave us his backing.

However, despite your blog making much of the decision to export UK jobs aboard, you seemed to be keeping a very low profile at this major event.

However, I spotted you!


Can I claim my £5? (No! Ed)

Railway Garden Competition - Boston

DafT confirms Japan a closed market

Good to see that the Department for Transfer continues to bat for Britain!

This from a written answer given in the House of Lords on the 20th July...

Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat)
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any discussions took place with, and any concessions were offered by, the Government of Japan during negotiations with Hitachi regarding the new intercity trains contract about the ability of British engineering companies to compete in Japan.

Earl Attlee (Whip, House of Lords; Conservative)
On each of the occasions that the Secretary of State has met the Japanese ambassador to the UK and other Japanese government officials, he has emphasised the importance and benefits of allowing British companies to compete on a level playing field for engineering and other contracts within Japan.

Furthermore, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to ensure that this matter is raised in the EU-Japan regulatory reform dialogue.

So the answer is no then!

Let's try an easier question.

Can DafT confirm that the Japanese Ambassador's chair in the Secretary of State's office was at least made in the UK?

UPDATE: This from the Archer...

That's a little harsh.

The EU-Japan regulatory reform dialogue will I'm sure ensure that Germany can one day export rolling stock to Japan as well as the UK.

Siemens boss backs Bombardier - Shocker

This from the BBC...


But what's this?

Suddenly Mr Walton has become Mr Wilson!


Could the Beeb perhaps be thinking of David Wilson, the boss of Siemens?

Still nice of him to attend tomorrow's march. Eye is sure he will receive a very warm Derbyshire welcome...

RMT & TSSA discuss merger

This from the RMT...

The TSSA and RMT unions today agreed to commit to formal talks which could ultimately lead to a merger of the two unions. Initial discussions will focus on closer working between both unions initially through a federation structure with a view to moving towards a merger.

Both unions also agreed that the door will remain open for other smaller specialist unions in transport who may be thinking along similar lines to join the discussions at a future date.

Commenting on the decision, TSSA General Secretary Gerry Doherty said: “Today’s decision will hopefully be the start of a process designed to serve the interests of future generations of transport and travel trade workers. We owe an obligation to our children and our children’s children to leave better organisations that protect workers in the very uncertain future that they currently face”

Speaking on behalf of the RMT, General Secretary Bob Crow said: “This is a historical day for the trade union movement. These talks will bring together two unions each with over a hundred years of specialising in the transport industry in the interests of workers.”

- Ends -

Walder to be MTR CEO

This from Investegate...

MTR Corporation has announced that, with effect from 1 January 2012, Mr. Jay Herbert Walder will be appointed as Chief Executive Officer for an initial term of thirty months.

He will become both a Member of the Executive Directorate and join the Board of Directors with effect from that date. To ensure a smooth transition, Mr. Walder will become CEO Designate at the beginning of November.

The current CEO, Mr. Chow Chung-kong, will retire from his position at the end of the year.

Railway Garden Competition - Lewes

A disgraceful scene that the new Sussex Route MD will hopefully be allowed to banish forever?

Hackgate the Video!

That is all.

Brooker-Carey joins Crossrail

This from PR Week...

Crossrail has hired the former comms director of Tube Lines to shake up its PR team.

Louise Brooker-Carey will join the company behind Europe’s largest civil engineering project in August as head of public affairs.

She will report to newly appointed chief executive Andrew Wolstenholme, who also starts in August and will be responsible for shaping the future of the comms team.

As Head of Public Affairs Brooker-Carey will also need to have a good working relationship with other board members, especially the chairman of Crossrail.

One Terry Morgan who, before joining Crossrail in 2009, was CEO of Tube Lines and her former boss.

Strachan returns to beef up Dept for Transfer

This from the Brisbane Times...

The man in charge of southeast Queensland’s transport network for the past two years has quit to take on an Olympic challenge overseas.

Translink chief executive Peter Strachan will end his role in October after landing a key posting in the United Kingdom government.

As the UK Transport Department’s Director-General responsible for Major Projects, Mr Strachan is set to oversee transport for the 2012 London Olympics.

UPDATE: This from the Shunter...

Mostly harmless.

Lookalike - You won't like me when I'm angry

Bombardier Chairman Colin Walton appears to have tired of playing Mr Nice Guy!

This from today's Daily Mail...

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said at the time that he had no power to overturn the decision.

But Walton said questions in Parliament had shown Hammond did have the power to reconsider the bid and bypass Siemens. He said: ‘It now looks like the Secretary of State has a lot of questions to answer.’

He added: ‘I do find it completely incredible that nothing to do with socio-economics has been taken into account. They have had every option to do that in the invitation to tender.’

Walton was speaking as he was supposed to be on a South African trade trip with the Prime Minister, but was snubbed just 48-hours before the flight took off.

His absence meant he missed the chance to secure key contract there. He said: ‘It would have been a golden opportunity for the Government to demonstrate commitment to British exports. Is it the case that they no longer back British exports? I really hope that’s not the case, but I don’t know.’


Unsurprisingly, Eye prefers it when he's angry!

How the media works. No 94

Do the genii behind Viz read Modern Railways?


Eye thinks we should be told!

Brown backs Bombardier

This from M'Duck...

Thought Eye readers might be interested to see this which has been circulated around Litchurch Lane:


Good to see London backing Derby.

UPDATE: This from Howard Wade...

Will Mike Brown's overt support for Derby extend to putting in a good word with his TfL chums working on the Crossrail fleet procurement?

Bobby flags a warning

This from Messrs Saxby and Farmer...

With so much attention devoted to the job losses at Derby caused by the importation of railway rolling stock, it behoves us to point out that employment is at risk at our former partner Messrs Westinghouse at Chippenham, which we now understand is known as Invensys.

This is because of the decision by the Metropolitan Railway to resignal its sub-surface lines in London with a signalling system from Bombardier.

Given the eximious performance of Messrs Westinghouse in resignalling the Victoria line, and how gratifying to see the late Queen so honoured, it seems perverse to import yet another novel signalling system, untried in the UK.

As Mr Douglas Hames, the Honourable Member for Chippehnam has remarked, 'When we have such exceptional engineering talent in our country that wins contracts abroad, some of us may wonder why we are not more successful at winning contracts at home'.

We remain sir, your obedient servants...

Derbygate - The rally.

This from M'Duck...

Please could you alert Eye readers to a rally in support of UK manufacturing jobs that is taking place on Saturday?


Be there or be square!

UPDATE: This from the BBC...

More than 50,000 people have signed a petition urging the government to reverse a decision to give a £1.4bn contract to a German train maker.

Good effort.