Operation Sea Lion delayed

Air and Business Travel News is reporting that DB services through the Chunnel will not now start until 2013

The initial plans of the German national rail network is to run three services a day to Brussels.

From there the train will divide with one section going on to Brussels and Amsterdam via Rotterdam and the other to Cologne and Frankfurt.

DB had originally hoped to reach London in 2012.

Older readers will recollect that similar German plans to cross the Channel 70 years ago were also subject to significant delay.

UPDATE: This from the Grim Reaper..

This would be hot news had DB intended to start “operations” in 2012.

However, as they have only ever intended to start in December 2013, it is distinctly un-news.

UPDATE: This from Herr Lock...

We’ve always planned 2013!

The Fact Compiler can only apologise!

Obviously he took far too seriously the claims by DB CEO Herr Grube, made on the Today Programme in September last year, that DB had wanted to start services in time for the Olympics but was being blocked by 'safety bureacracy'.

Still good to know that all is going to plan.

Bombardier piles on the grease

This from a Mr James Perky...

According to the Independent's 'i' newspaper today:


What's the betting Siemen's signs up Claudia Shiffer just out of spite!

UPDATE: This from Chionanthus Virginicus...

That's positive news for Derby.



I assume the Bombardier theme tune is now this!!!

Derbygate - Cold Comfort from LibDems

This from Ithuriel...

According to Nick Clegg:

"Do remember there are going to be lots of other rail contracts and I very much hope Bombardier will bid for them"

Care to list them, Mr Clegg?

Perhaps Bombardier should ask if they can borrow NR's Rapid Rebuttal Unit to kick this sort of misleading spin out of court?

Names of new NR RMDs announced

Network Rail has announced the names of the remaining Route Managing Directors for its new devolved structure.

Reporting into Robin Gisby, managing director, Network Operations are:

• Anglia - Dave Ward
  
  
• East Midlands - Martin Frobisher
  
  
• Kent - Fiona Taylor
  
  
• London North Eastern (LNE) - Phil Verster (from early Nov 2011)
  
  
• London North Western (LNW) - Jo Kaye
  
  
• Scotland - David Simpson
  
  
• Sussex - Mark Ruddy
  
  
• Wales - Mark Langman
  
  
• Wessex - Richard O'Brien
  
  
• Western - Patrick Hallgate

New roles for Richard Lungmuss and Andrew Munden will be announced shortly.

Go live date is the 14th November when the RMD designate appointments become effective.

Light Rail can proceed at caution

Good news for fans of the bleedin' obvious! (shurely 'Trams'? Ed)

The much delayed review into Light Rail has finally been published.

According to the DfT press release announcing the publication the recommendations from the review include;

• to implement a new project design of light rail systems which is uniform across the industry;

• to look at lower cost schemes overseas to see whether they could be adopted in this country;
  
  
• to set up a ‘centre of procurement excellence’ to advise on the best procurement options.
  
  
• caution hot surfaces; and
  
  
• may contain nuts

Light Rail champion and Transport Minister 'Stormin' Norman Baker welcomed the report from the LibDem's Party Conference in Birmingham:

“In the past light rail systems have been seen as expensive and an unaffordable option for local authorities to pursue – I initiated this review so we can get to the nub of the problem.

“I now urge all parts of the light rail sector to work together on implementing these recommendations and I look forward to working with them towards these exciting opportunities."

The report, Green Light for Light Rail, can be found here.

UPDATE: This from a weary sounding Captain Deltic...

Is a 'Centre of Procurement Excellence' a rare example of the triple oxymoron?

ATOC tells Hammond to get a grip!

Hurrah for ATOC!

Finally someone in the industry has had the cojones to challenge the Secretary of State on his spectacularly ill advised suggestion that the railways are a "rich man's toy"!

Happily the BBC was there to record the words of ATOC's newly emboldened CEO at a LibDem fringe event tonight:

"Philip Hammond needs to read his brief a bit more closely before making these kind of comments."

Of course had Michael followed Eye's coverage of Derbygate he would not have been surprised by Petrol-head's strange utterances and inability to read from the Departmental script.

For as any ful kno, Paper-knife is only trusted by his officials to 'open envelopes'.

UPDATE: This from Croesus...

I rather think everyone has missed the point of my good friend Philip's most witty quip.

He is rich.

The railway is his toy.

N'est pas?

UPDATE: This from El Sureño...

Muy Estimado Señor Compilador,

Surely it should be ‘someone in the industry has the cojones to challenge the Secretary of State’.

Unless you are implying that our brave railwaymen have literally been emasculated by the dead hand of DfT.

Latest transport ePetitions

This from a Mr Malins...

It's good of Eye to give us a vote on the next Chairman of Network Rail, but did you know the Government allows us a vote on DfT policy, which they will then of course ignore?

I have picked out 10 from the DfT section of the Government e-petitions website for Eye readers to consider.

• Stop HS2
  
  
• Thameslink Rolling Stock Decision Protest
  
  
• Renationalise the Railways
  
  
• Reinstate the 1% Cap on Rail fares
  
  
• Support HS2
  
  
• Reopen closed railway lines and stations
  
  
• Strip First Capital Connect of its Franchise
  
  
• Remove Ticket Barriers at Stations
  
  
• Make the Railways really competitive
  
  
• Move all freight onto the Railways

My particular favourite, for which I wish to enlist support, is that devoted to the Battle of the Barriers.

It isn't mine so don't quibble about the wording.

Just sign it and DfT might take some notice, which so far they have declined to do.

The King's Cross barrier shambles is evidence of their culpability.

Angel hands Salmond independence on a plate

This from the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme website...

Has Angel at last found a home for the five off-lease class 180s?


And will this naked act of English aggression hasten North British independence?

UPDATE: This from Globetrotter...

Maybe Transport Scotland is taking a leaf out of English transport policy?

Invest a lot of money into stringing wiring from Edinburgh too Glasgow and then procure a fleet of 125 mile/h DMUs to run underneath it.

Perhaps someone should tell them that you can't convert a 180 to a bi-mode...

Overcrowded passengers starved for 900 days

Today we join the Treasury in celebrating 900 days since anyone signed a contract for new passenger trains.


Eye would like to thank: Lord Adonis, Alistair Darling, Philip Hammond, George Osborne and their officials, for delivering on the new trains they endlessly and repetitively promised in the HLOS.

Perhaps their sofa is broken?

That is all.

Twitter - a game of two halves

Many congratulations to @LondonMidland who scooped possibly the most important gong at last night's National Rail Awards.

Sponsored by Passenger Focus the award was for 'Putting Passengers First' and was given in recognition of how the go-ahead TOC (geddit!!!) had transformed customer service through the use of social media.

In the words of @PassengerFocus:

Passenger Focus sponsored National Rail Award won by @LondonMidland great use of social media during disruption, no jargon, quick and useful.

Hopefully other TOCs will take note and consider offering a similar interactive service to their customers?

Meanwhile Eye is pleased to see that even the Infrastructure Controller has embraced social media, with @NetworkRail dealing with the concerns of the railway's neighbours in real time.

Of course not all railway companies are so foresighted and this can lead to problems. Social Media (whether facebook, blogs or twitter) is very much like nature - in that it abhors a vacuum.

So where there is no effective official presence lots of others will rush-in to fill the gap.

Some who occupy the space are just plain malicious, but others are loyal and enthusiatic members of staff who give of themselves and their time at no cost. Sadly this is not always appreciated when public and private personas overlap..

The Fact Compiler was sad to see that the Apostle of the 3rd Rail has decided to hang up his keyboard.

He/she (?) along with myriad other railway employees can be found on twitter performing an invaluable service answering passengers' questions, defending their company from the usual on-line calumny and representing the railway in the public forum.

Oh if only enlightened employers would harness, focus and reward the undoubted enthusiasm of these brave souls who unlike so many in the industry are actually prepared to put their head above the parapet!

No matter!

Meanwhile to those industry colleagues who selflessly plough the lonely on-line furrow on behalf of our industry - Eye salutes you, and respectfully offers the following gentle observation....

The identity of The Fact Compiler is of course a closely guarded secret known to only two people in the entire universe. However your humble author remains acutely aware that, despite this all pervading cloak of anonymity, he too wears a 'company uniform' (Shurely several? Ed).

So whilst his tweets are 'whispered in the dark' they will almost inevitably be 'shouted from the rooftops' - and seldom in context.

Perhaps something all those on-line may wish to reflect on?

'Nuff said?

DfT procurement priorities laid bare

This from Ithuriel...

This illuminating written answer given in the House yesterday...

John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which external consultants were contracted to advise his Department on the (a) design, (b) tendering and (c) award of preferred bidder status for the Thameslink rolling stock contract; and what the cost to the public purse was of each such contract.

Theresa Villiers (Minister of State (Rail and Aviation), Transport; Chipping Barnet, Conservative)
The cost of each contract against the categories requested up to June 2011 is as follows:

£ million
Vendor	(a) Design	(b) Tendering (1)	(c) Award of preferred bidder status
Arup	2.53	2.86	0.14
Booz and Company	0.22	0.49	0.09
Freshfields	2.44	5.31	0.18
Interfleet	0.16	1.49	0.02
PWC	0.77	2.26	0.26
Total	6.12	12.4	0.69
Total	19.2
(1 )Tendering relates to evaluation. Note: These figures exclude VAT.

Eye Readers will doubtless note that even in the Design phase for a technical project, engineering consultants Interfleet were paid less than half the fees of lawyers Freshfields.

Is this because:

a) engineers are as cheap, as lawyers are expensive ?
b) making sure you can get your money back if the train doesn't work is more important than making sure it does work?
c) Interfleet missed a zero from their invoice?

Answers on a postcard please to Great Minster House.

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...

Can I point out that this table corrects the inaccurate information in a previous written answer from Theresa Villiers in July this year.

Villiers said then that the cost of Thameslink consultancy was £13.1 million of which £5.3 million had been spent since May 2010.

Since Lord Adonis had put the figure at £13 million a year earlier it was obvious some civil servant was going for the Jammie Dodger Embarrassment Trophy.

Naturally, in publishing the correction the Minister apologised for misleading the House (actually, I made that last bit up)

Might I take this opportunity to point out that this blindingly obvious error was exposed in my Informed Sources column in Modern... (No. Ed)

The race to chair NR starts here!

So. Farewell then Ricky Haystacks.

You came, showed Iain the door, installed Hurricane Higgins and yet in 10 months time you too will be gone. Now the search for your successor begins.

With such a daunting task before NR's recruitment consultants Eye is keen to be of assistance.

Therefore our latest exciting survey asks the question:

Who should chair Network Rail?

Remember - the Chairman's role is to lead the board and ensure harmonious relations with key stakeholders

So what are you waiting for - this could be your opportunity to shape the railway of tomorrow!

Here are Eye's runners and riders in the Career Development Handicap

• A Jammy Dodger

• Beau Bowker

• Captain Permatan

• Chris 'Red' Green

• Ivor the Engine

• Tom 'ACPO' Winsor

• Rail Barbie

• Slugger O'Toole

• Tinky Winky
  

Remember vote early, vote often.

UPDATE: This from @bendolino, via Twitter...

I nominate the Chanel 9 team from the Fast Show.

"OLE Speed 1? Scorchio!"

UPDATE: This from the Major...

No mention of Rob 'HS1' Holden?

Then again I'm not sure how serious Eye is about some of the names on the list.

I mean Tinky Winky for goodness sake, when are the MoD ever likely to release her?

Pointless Ticketing - How many pieces of card?

This from @Al_S, via Twitter...

One return train journey Cambridge to Stirling.

Three changes, two reservable trains.

There's two seat and two, two-part, bike reservations per journey.

15 pieces of card!


Surely there has to be a better way?

DfT feels Derby pain and awards new train order!

Finally some good news for Derby!

Clearly stung into action by the national campaign to save the UK's last train manufacturing plant the Department for Transfer has decided that a contract for up to 120 new vehicles will be awarded to the hard pressed Dusseldorf factory of Siemens (Is this right!?! Ed).

This from London Midland's website:

London Midland is pleased to announce today that it has selected preferred bidders for the manufacture, maintenance and financing of new rolling stock. This is intended for both London Midland and the Manchester to Scotland services operated by First TransPennine Express, which would result in significant additional capacity, making travel easier, more reliable and less crowded on some of the busiest sections of the rail network.

The preferred bidders are Siemens Plc for manufacture and maintenance of the new rolling stock, which are expected to be Desiro EMUs, and Angel Trains Limited for the necessary financing. We are now entering a period of exclusive negotiations with those companies. If those negotiations are brought to a successful conclusion, and parallel discussions with the Department for Transport confirm the business case and the necessary amendments to the London Midland franchise agreement, then a firm order is likely to be placed by early 2012.

Nice of London Midland take the heat off DfT by ordering the TPE vehicles as well. After all, what are franchises for? (Wolmar ibid)

No doubt Derby was unable to offer a suitable Electrostar product or had too much work on - what with losing the Thameslink order and all?

UPDATE: This from M'Duck...

This announcement is a little rich on the back of iDave's word's at PMQ's today:



A 'bright future' for Derby indeed!

UPDATE: This from Sir William A Stanier FRS...

Whilst applauding Railway Eye's continued support for our other Works in Derby, perhaps The Fact Compiler could advise whether Messrs Bombardier of Canada actually bid for this contract?

According to my successors, who are experts on the new twitterphone device, "You have to be in it - to win it!".

UPDATE: This from The Archer...

Sir Bill is right: You do have to be in it, to win it!

And maybe the Canuks didn't bid for the LM contract, LM after all already operate Siemens EMUs so Derby would have had little chance of success.

The real question though is whether Bombardier would have bid if they had known that LM would front a (larger) order for TPE on the back of LM's bid?

TPE don't currently operate any EMUs so Bombardier vs Siemens would have been a level playing field - perhaps that's what DfT were worried about.

• Thameslink = Siemens because of credit ratings.

• LM = Siemens because of the existing LM fleet.

• TPE = Siemens because ?

Anyone know?

UPDATE: This from a Mr Tony Miles...

TPE - because:

1) the sets will be based/maintained at the Siemens depot in Ardwick, Manchester.
2) and at the Scottish end the sets will looked after overnight by people who service other Siemens (class 380) sets and, more importantly,
3) it is thought probable that the TPE sets will eventually return to the LM franchise when more of the network in the NW is electrified and the TP franchise orders a much bigger fleet - so the 10 sets have to be compatible with the LM sets.

Does that answer the question?

UPDATE: This from Howard Wade...

What are the DfT (under the non de guerre of London Midland) going on about?

Bombardier did not bid, or, rather pulled out after pre-qualification, because of the small quantity and because a repeat order for Class 350/1 was the blindingly obvious solution - even to competitive procurment crazed civil servants.

Siemens has been the formally confirmed sole/preferred bidder for over a year.

All the stuff about European wide procurement is pure spin.

Pointless signs - St Pancras

First TPE triumphs

Eye congratulates Vernon 'Smooth' Barker!

The uber-slick MD of First TransPennine Express is to be the new MD of First Group's UK Rail Division.

In the words of one gnarled operator "a well deserved appointment".

High praise indeed!

An apology to all Eye readers

The Fact Compiler offer his humble apologies to readers for the temporary cessation of hostilities.

Convinced that Eye's brand of satire and humour was at risk of subjecting the industry to ridicule he was minded to hang up his bowler.

Happily the recent bravura series of performances by the Secretary of State for Transport reveals that in today's railway satire is the new reality!

And while Eye would not pretend to be in the same league as that occupied by our beloved Petrol-head, the least it can do its bring his wit, wisdom and general gaffe prone urbanity to a wider audience, the while offering a platform to our many contributors and supporters.

And so to business!

How the Tory Party has progressed

Back in the 1990's then Transport Minister Roger Freeman suggested privatisation would deliver separate train services for businessmen and their office staff - for 'toffs and typists' in tabloid shorthand...

Happily swingeing fares increases, compounded by Hammond’s desire to increase regulated fares by 8%, has priced poor Doreen and Babs off our railways, leaving it fit only to be what Petrol-head terms 'a rich man's toy'.

How multi-millionaire Hammond would know this to be the case is of course anyone's guess.

Philip Hammond - Eye salutes you. An inspiration to satirists everywhere.

Railway Bothy - Bishops Lydeard

Here a wriggly tin bothy from the West Country to see August out!

With a bowler tip to the Mad Axeman...


All back to the grindstone from the Feast of St Giles!

Railway Garden Competition - Stourbridge Junc

UPDATE: This from The Major...

Not only has the Stourbridge Line a fine selection of plant life, someone has even dumped a greenhouse on the track!

NR employs hare raising scheme

Exciting news from NR's Sussex Route!

This from the Route Performance Manager:

To improve communication and awareness of our performance, we are launching The Sussex Hare.

This is a performance challenge, designed to communicate how we are doing against challenging, but realistic, daily performance goals.

Every day, you will receive an e-mail outlining how the previous day's performance went, highlighting our achievements and areas for improvement.

Every week and every 4 week period, the message will be longer and will summarise how we have done in the previous week or period.

Our mission is simple: to catch as many Sussex Hares as possible. There are clear measures of success, outlined and defined below.

Good news indeed!

The missive continues...

Why a Sussex hare?

Two reasons: firstly, you may remember we once had a Golden Rabbit performance competition. This is the closest thing to that!

Secondly, the hare is an animal well-known across the Sussex Downs, north and south. So a nice local trophy!

No doubt the Sussex Hare will also help sign off the somewhat delayed JPIP for the route?

UPDATE: This from Bugs Bunny...

Sadly a Horsham driver managed to run over the Sussex Hare this morning, at the third attempt!