Villiers vignettes - Yet another correction...

Another apology from Cruella for misleading the House...

The Minister of State for Transport (Theresa Villiers): I regret to inform the House that there was an inaccuracy in the answer I gave to Parliamentary Question 71220 on 13 September (Official Report, Column 1072W), about information held for each individual transaction undertaken by British Transport Police using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

The correct answer is that this Government is committed to transparency and we believe the information regarding Government Procurement Cards for this financial year is the most relevant. Central Government Departments are now publishing any transactions over £500 on their websites, starting with 2011/2012 Quarter 1 (April — June) data and thereafter on a monthly basis. The cost of work required to obtain, contextualise and report data for previous years would exceed the cost limits of a Freedom of Information request or a Parliamentary Question.

For purposes of transparency, the Department for Transport now lists GPC spend on its website. This includes details of spend by the British Transport Police.

What's that noise? That is the sound of the buck not actually stopping anywhere!

UPDATE: This from Chionanthus Virginicus...

I see from the DfT's GPC transparency lists, that the monthly payments to Virgin Rail Projects for maintenance of Pendolino Set 54 is £66,666.66.

Can we expect it to be named 'The Beast'?

FGW runs Shake, Rattle and Roll special

This from Sir Felix Pole...

I thought Eye readers might be interested in FGW's farewell tour for the Class 142 'Pacer' units as they depart the West Country? (shome mishtake shurely? Ed).

I'm glad to say that the traditions of the Great Western Railway are still being upheld!

You will note the rather sniffy reference to the 'LSWR route from Salisbury'.

UPDATE: This from Banker76...

Maybe Northern will organise a similar ‘Welcome to the Pacers’ tour around parts of the network where luckless commuters have already been enduring them for 25 years or more.

Then again, perhaps not…

UPDATE: This from a disgusted Major Disaster (FPL and Bar)...

There will be no such celebrations on Northern Rail when they arrive here.

Our memories go back to the days when the 305's ended up in the Manchester area after they were replaced by 310's on the LT&S.

Once again the flabby South demonstrates its contempt for those oop North!

UPDATE: This from the Oft Forgotten South West...

So Major Disaster remembers the 305s?

How lucky for him. Down in the South Wales and West region we have no wires at all, so have never seen such electrickery!

The demise of the FGW 142s will not bring the presence of Pacers in this area to an end; we still have all the 143s and in South Wales there is a not insubstantial fleet of 142s, sent here by a generous North West in exchange for some Sprinters. And FGW's 142s were payment for a large batch of 158s, which Northern seems to be keeping.

There are some newer trains on Manchester and Birmingham-bound services but for internal and London-bound workings we haven't got a single passenger vehicle less than 20 years old.

Might I suggest that the North, which has commuter trains with such 21st Century luxuries as air conditioning and disabled toilets, ensures that future complaints about rolling stock emphasise the disparity with the 'South East' rather than merely the flabby South?

And then we can all join in with the ritual complaints about the shortage of Electrostars north and west of Watford.

Tweetalike - On subsidies...

This from Logisitical...

Stephen Gastlier, Road Lobbyist, in the Guardian Comment Is Free section on Monday: "Even if rail travel was to double – which it won't, not least because rail users are heavily subsidised – it would still be a minority activity."

Christian 'World's Greatest Living Transport Correspondent' Wolmar yesterday on twitter: "Extra coaches for overcrowding on FGW will cost govt extra £29m.Shows how railway economics is entirely dependent on subsidy from taxpayer."

Are they perhaps related?

UPDATE: This from Banker76...

The good Prof. appears to have forgotten that without those subsidies, tens of thousands of extra commuters would make the road network unuseable.

And The World’s greatest Living etc etc has also clearly forgotten that it is the madhouse economics of the fragmented, privatised railway that make many of them necessary in the first place.

UPDATE: This from Ithuriel...

And the World's Greatest etc overlooks the £3.5 billion in direct grant propping up Network Rail

Pro-rata that onto variable track access charges and any additional train is completely unaffordable.

An open letter to Justine Greening

This open letter to Justine Greening has been copied into Eye by a Mr Reginald Perrin of Sunshine Desserts...

Dear Mrs Greening

I understand that your Department has today confirmed yet another timetable slippage - this time involving the order for new Thameslink rolling stock which will now not be signed until the New Year.

If I might paraphrase the letter I previously sent to the Traffic Manager, British Rail (Southern Region):

It is rapidly becoming apparent to me that your officials are not only not competent enough to hold their jobs, but they could not even run a game of strip-poker in a Turkish brothel.

It should be obvious, even to a retarded Belgian hamster, that all of your train orders should be re-timed to take eleven months longer.

Yours Faithfully,
Reginald I. Perrin

Byline corner

This from Isambard II...

I’m sure many of your sharp-eyed correspondents will have pointed out the header tucked away on page nine of yesterday’s Independent.

"Tory outcry set to divert high-speed rail line"

The story was credited to the splendidly named Andrew Grice, the Indie's Political Editor.

Perhaps Eye readers can draw attention to other rail related stories with appropriate bylines?

NR Champion Stakes - And they're off!

A week after NR started advertising for a new Chairman the first candidate has had his hat thrown into the ring!

This from yesterday's Independent on Sunday...

Keith Ludeman, the former boss of train and bus operator Go-Ahead, has emerged as an early contender for the chairman role at Network Rail...

Mr Ludeman has emerged as a leading internal candidate, having become a non-executive director at Network Rail after retiring from Go-Ahead in July. An internal appointment would follow recent form – Sir David Higgins having been plucked from the non-executive board to become chief executive in February.

But what's this?

Just two month's ago NR's current Chairman, Rick Haythornthwaite, said:

"We know that many of the public view the leadership of the industry with confusion, suspicion or disdain. They don't trust us and therefore are resistant to changes we want to make."

Good to see that this small perceptual obstacle has been so quickly overcome.

So what was question 23?

Virgin has been busy surveying passengers on the West Coast Main Line.

But what was the redacted question?


Answers on an email please to the usual address...

UPDATE: This from the Archer...

Given that Q22 above is in relation to Value for Money, might I suggest that Q23 started:

‘If you scored 4 or above for Q22...’

Q23 was then removed from the latest version of the survey given that no-one in the history of the franchise had ever been able to honestly answer it.

Pointless signs - 2-for-1 at Edinburgh

Bombardier appoints new UK team, Walton to retire

This from Bombardier...

Bombardier appoints new non-executive Chairman and Chief Country Representative

Bombardier Transportation today announced a number of changes to its senior leadership in the UK.

Sir Neville Simms, FREng has been appointed Non-Executive Chairman, Bombardier Transportation UK Limited with immediate effect.

Sir Neville is currently Deputy Chairman of International Power plc and Chairman of the Building Research Establishment Trust. He was previously Chairman of International Power for 10 years, until the merger of the group with the international power generation assets of GDF Suez early in 2011. Until 2005 he was Chairman of business services group Carillion plc, after the demerger of the company from Tarmac plc, where he was Group CEO for eight years. He has chaired a number of construction industry bodies and the Regional Leadership Teams for Business in the Community in the West Midlands and the Solent Region of the UK. He was a founder member of the UK Government’s Private Finance Panel, Chairman of the Government’s Sustainable Procurement Task Force, Deputy Chairman of Ashridge, the management college, a member of the President’s Committee of the CBI and served for seven years as a Non-Executive Director at the Bank of England.

Paul Roberts has been promoted to Chief Country Representative and President of Bombardier Transportation, Services UK and Passenger Fleet Management Service Line.

Paul joined Bombardier in 2009 as Vice President, Services UK. In his time with the organization he has successfully introduced a number of important performance improvements.

Colin Walton, currently Chairman and Chief Country Representative, Bombardier Transportation UK Limited, will retire in February 2012.

Colin Walton joined Bombardier in 1991, as Director of New Projects and was responsible for its newly acquired Prorail division, turning it into a key player in the British market. From 1992 to 1997, he was actively engaged in vetting potential acquisitions on behalf of Bombardier in the UK. He was named UK Chairman and Chief Country Representative for Bombardier Transportation UK in 2002.

André Navarri, President and Chief Operating Officer, Bombardier Transportation said:

“I would like to thank Colin Walton for his significant efforts on behalf of Bombardier and to express our appreciation for his unwavering dedication and commitment to Bombardier Transportation over the past 20 years. We wish him well in his retirement.”

“I am delighted to welcome Sir Neville Simms as Chairman for Bombardier Transportation UK and to congratulate Paul Roberts on his new role as Chief Country Representative. Sir Neville brings a wealth of experience to our company and Bombardier looks forward to benefitting from his leadership and expertise as we move our business ahead. Paul has already been very successful in growing our Services business. In this additional role, he will work together with Sir Neville and all our divisions operating in the UK to develop a new strategy for growth.”

- ENDS -

Ellman deposes Cameron - Shocker

Oh dear!

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

This from Rail.co...


Should someone tell them that Select Committees are there to hold the Government to account?

UPDATE: This from Gricer Queen...

It's also nice to see that HS2 will have none of that untidy electric knitting.

Diseasels all the way!

UPDATE: This, dementedly, from McIvatt, Thane of Pride...

Is this a loco which I see before me,
The cab toward my hand? Come, let me lease thee.
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To traction as to sight? or art thou but
A loco of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the IEP-oppressed brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable
As this which now I draw.

Enough Dead Poets. Ed.

Pointless signs - Duffield

Clue: it is sandwiched between the telephone box, poster board and the help-point to which it seeks to draw attention.

ScotRail McDoomed

Exciting times for North British travellers!

Transport Scotland today launched a consultation on whether or not to ban booze on trains, turn back Anglo Scottish services at Edinburgh and kill, or flog, off the Deer Stalker Express.

In happier news ScotRail has acquired a new Commercial Director.

This from The Drum...

Newsquest Herald & Evening Times sales boss Sean Duffy is to leave the publisher to become commercial director of First Rail.

It is understood that Duffy, who joined the Glasgow operation of Newsquest in September 2010, is expected to take up his new role early next year, where, he will oversee all advertising and sales contracts throughout First Rail.

From frying pan to fire?

UPDATE: This from our man at 222 Marylebone Road...

It was the Green of McGreen who started extending InterCity services north of Edinburgh.

Back at the end of the 1970s when he was appointed the Laird o' the Clan ScotRail, the McGreen, he of the Red Lamposts, had the sort of autonomy that would give even Sir David 'Devolution' Higgins sleepless nights.

Noticing that the new IC125s seemed to be sitting around idle at Edinburgh, the McGreen worked out that he could augment ScotRail services north of Edinburgh in the marginal time.
Unfortunately the journey times were just a bit longer than the layovers as a result of Permanent Speed Restrictions designed for chunkier locomotives than the IC125 power car.

Aided and abetted by a can do Chief Civil Engineer the Laird introduced differential speed restrictions and soon signs at the trackside had two speeds including a marker for HSTs.

All this was done beyond the ken of British Rail Headquarters in London. And by the time the differential speed restriction ploy came to BRB's attention all that could be done about the unauthorised innovation was to give the McGreen a severe bollocking which concluded with 'carry on the good work!'.

Dead poets on the railway

This, surprisingly, from the late William Butler Yeats...

Suffering from writer's block I was idly surfing the web and came across your website.

Reading about the uncertainty in the Department for Transport.

Immediately some lines sprang to mind,

"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the railway".

With inspiration restored I hope to work this up into a new poem.

I think i shall call it ''McNulty delayed" in honour of a fine Irishman...

DfT Command Paper delayed - Shocker

Sigh!

This from Earl Attlee...

My Honourable friend the Secretary of State for Transport (Justine Greening) has made the following Ministerial Statement.

Our railways are currently the most expensive in Europe. That is something we can and must tackle. The recent review by Sir Roy McNulty found scope to cut rail costs by 30 per cent - up to £1bn a year. My department is committed to working with the rail industry to develop a strategy to deliver a better value railway for the benefit of passengers, taxpayers and the wider economy.

In furtherance of that strategy, my Department has undertaken to develop and publish detailed proposals on delivering a sustainable railway including reform of Network Rail. I am today announcing my intention to publish a Command Paper that sets out those proposals early next year.

It will allow time for greater consideration of other issues central to the question of rail reform. This will also allow the Command Paper to properly reflect the consequences of my decision following our consultation on a national high speed rail network.

As part of the development of a comprehensive strategy for rail, and alongside the Command Paper, I also plan to consult on the scope to devolve responsibility for some rail passenger services in parts of England to sub-national bodies, and on issues relating to the review of fares and ticketing announced in May. In addition, the ORR expects to consult later this year on possible changes to its role, particularly in respect of future franchises.

Is it not paradoxical that the department of state tasked with ensuring that the trains run on time cannot itself meet any of its own timetables?

Manuel Cortes new General Secretary of TSSA

This from the Transport Salaried Staff's Association...

TSSA's next General Secretary will be Manuel Cortes, the current Assistant General Secretary

TSSA's independent scrutineers met today and confirmed that following those close of nominations yesterday (14/11/11) there was one successfully nominated candidate for the position of General Secretary.

Manuel Cortes will therefore begin a five year term as General Secretary with immediate effect.

- ENDS -

Osborne calls a halt to rolling stock deals?

This from Sir Roderick Orr-Watt...

I was delighted to see in this morning's FT that young Osborne has listened to the concerns of the Treasury Select Committee and the National Audit Office and is launching a 'fundamental review' of the way public projects are funded .

I can only concur with the view of Jesse Norman, a member of the Select committee, who told the FT: 'This is the end of PFI as we know it'.


With the financiers of the Thameslink rolling stock deal demanding high returns for the funding package one can only hope that Osborne will place Thameslink fleet procurement on immediate hold, as well as that for the even more expensive Intercity Express Programme. That is, if Justine Greening, who I mentored during her MBA at the London Business School and who is bringing a welcome breath of Yorkshire common sense to Marsham Street, doesn't do it off her own bat.

As a non-executive director of Angerholt Leasing I am confident that all the rolling stock companies are ready, willing and able to to provide the private funding and take on the risk through conventional operating leases, which have served the rolling stock market so well since privatisation.

Meanwhile, my colleagues and I will of course respond graciously when the new Transport Secretary initiates the long overdue rapprochement with the Roscos.

UPDATE: This from Leo Pink...

Is Eye's contributor above the same as 'Bonkers' Orr-Watt, who as a young finance whiz was responsible for the 'Bidwatch' section in Modern Railways during the early days of passenger rail franchising?

If so, I am not surprised to see that he has subsequently flourished since he brought a refreshingly unstuffy and lightly worn expertise to the interminable pages of Informed Sources.

UPDATE: This from a Mr Tony Miles...

Oh dear.

This won't please politicos in the North West awaiting the wiring of the Manchester - Liverpool route. As they are already due to wait at least 2 years after the wires go live for cascaded rolling stock, a further delay on releasing exThameslink trains will have them up in arms.

Of course an initial fleet of 9 x 4-car Class 317/7 sets is due to become available in February 2012, released by Abellio Greater Anglia. Once these have been put through a heavy overhaul to make them PRM-TSI compliant they will be ready to start work in 2014 for Northern Rail.

As that franchise is 50% owned by Abellio does that mean the Cloggies have already developed their own Rolling Stock Strategy?

Pointless signs - Manchester Piccadilly

Lookalike - The eyes have it

This from the late Bruce Lee...

On Sunday afternoon, whilst watching the Lord Reith-inspired hard hitting documentary series 'Fat Families' on Sky Living channel, I couldn’t help noting the resemblance between Dimleby heir-apparent Steve Miller and the newly-enthroned David Horne at EMT


Is there a family connection and will EMT passengers be enjoying calorie-saving snackettes as a result?

Pointless signs - Finger in the dyke edition

Crow bar re-elected as RMT General Secretary

This from the RMT...

RMT confirmed this morning that Bob Crow has been re-elected unopposed for a further five year term as General Secretary.

Bob Crow will begin his third five year term at the helm of the union in the New Year.