Clog Rail tells staff 'prepare for passenger anger'

A big Eye welcome to Greater Anglia, the former NXEA franchise now operated by Abellio.

So how goes the new franchise on its second day?

Putting aside the the non-availability of its website for most of yesterday and the revelation that 30 services have already been cancelled this morning, all is well (shurely shome mishtake. Ed).

The new franchise's captive commuter customers will of course also be delighted by Clog Rail's cost saving measure that saw 9 Class 317/7 units returned to ROSCO Angel before the franchise even started.

Passengers on routes from Liverpool Street to Ipswich, Witham, Colchester Town, Harwich International and Norwich are already benefiting from trains formed by 2 x 321 units rather than the usual 3 x 317/7 units.

No matter. How else will they get to work?

At least Clog Rail has improved communications with its people. Station staff have received an email instructing them to "prepare for customer anger" as short formed 8 car trains trundle into stations rather than the usual 12.

Meanwhile, the Captain of Netball continues her crusade against Network Rail bonuses, curiously omitting to berate her own officials for deliberately consigning hard pressed East Anglian passengers to overcrowded journeys.

But then populist grandstanding is so much easier than meeting passenger needs.

UPDATE: This from Fen Boy...

Knowing Eye's love for bustitution I'm surprised you didn't pick up on this other DfT inspired East Anglian transport triumph.

The Go Whippet website yesterday afternoon had a message informing would-be travellers that services over the Busway were "suspended for the rest of the day".

One can only assume that there were "operational difficulties" as a result of the 4-6 inches of snow that had fallen in the area overninght Sat/Sun.

Thank you DfT for dumping a hugely costly guided busway on us that falls over at the hint of snow.

Wibble from Greening on NR bonuses

This from Torquemada..

Is it not time to put the Transport Secretary to the Question?

Justine Greening claims in a Tory Party press release that:

“Labour designed a system where Ministers have no powers to block Network Rail executive pay and which in 2008 saw bonuses of over half a million given out to the Chief Executive even when there were serious failures".

But DfT is a Member of Network Rail under the not-for profit corporate structure and as a result has the power to vote at the AGM.

Not only that, it has the right to appoint a Special Member to the Network Rail Remuneration Committee.

So Justine has the powers, but for some reason her officials have failed to pass on this vital piece of intelligence.

So as a Member of Network Rail our Justine could actually put her money where her mouth is and oppose the resolution on executive bonuses at the Annual Meeting.

Pish, you may say, what is one vote among a hundred votes?

But we know that DfT has, shall we say, 'influence' with the train operators, who are also Members and we can be sure that they would follow DfT's lead for fear of gainsaying their paymaster - particularly as franchise replacement approaches

And official intervention would strengthen the will of those Public Members opposed to bonus payments and, combined with some judicious 'persuasion', convert the waverers to the path of righteousness..

As the Captain-General of the Deltics hath tweeted, the killer question for Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle is 'Will the Transport Secretary use her vote to oppose any recommendations on bonus payments at the Network Rail AGM'?

But of course the Captain of Netball will do no such thing.

Presumably because, despite all the huffing and puffing, Greening is terrified that if she does the ONS will add NR debt onto the Treasury's books.

UPDATE: This from YourLocalGuardian.co.uk...

The Transport Secretary is to vote against bonuses for top Network Rail executives at the firm's AGM this week, she revealed.

But Justine Greening told the BBC Sunday Politics programme the Government has only a single vote and cannot compel rail bosses not to pay the bonuses. About 80 members can vote on the board and the result will be advisory only...

Ms Greening told the programme: "I'm going to go to the meeting next Friday, I'm going to vote against them."

Just fancy that!

Bletchley derailment and use of Twitter

This morning Network Rail and the WCML TOCs have been showing how twitter can be an effective passenger communications tool during disruption.

A special plaudit to @NetworkRail who sent out the following photo to show the scale of the recovery work required at Bletchley:


A lesson in effective use of social media.

Meanwhile Eye's thoughts are with the driver of the loco who is in hospital with serious, although apparently not life threatening, injuries.

UPDATE: A further image from NR showing damage to track and OHLE...



Eye understands that the Virgin driver has now been released from hospital.

National train shortage over - Official

This from @ECMLfan, in Clog Rail Land...

Exciting news from the new, improved, multi-media Railway Herald!


One in the eye for the cassandra-like Captain Deltic, with his doom laden projections of future rolling stock orders.

Greening to meet the railway she runs?

Eye's man with the soothing bedside manner has been in contact.

Apparently Cruella will be spending more time than expected under doctor's orders, following her recent bicycle contretemps.

Eye of course joins the rest of the railway in wishing Theresa a speedy recovery.

However, every cloud and all that.

With the department one minister down it will fall to the Captain of Netball to sell the government's exciting new franchising policy to a frankly sceptical industry.

No doubt there is growing panic in Marsham Street that Ms Greening might actually start meeting people who run real trains?

John Mann MP says move DfT to Birmingham

Labour MP John Mann has tabled eight Bills proposing that key Whitehall departments are moved out of London to the regions.

He suggests that the Department for Transport is moved to Birmingham.

"By spreading department headquarters around the United Kingdom, the Government can begin levelling a playing field which is currently heavily weighted in favour of London and the South East."

Eye is unconvinced.

Better to move the Department to Yorkshire so as to better focus the minds of Sir Humphreys on starting HS2's construction in the North.

Light the beacons!

This from M'Lord Howard of Effingham...

II'faith, information hath been received that the heir to the Duke of Medina Sidona and his hidalgos are plotting a new Enterprise of England, planning to subjugate Devon men to the Inquisition and the auto da fe by means of our railways .

I have already ordered that Sir Francis Drake's drum be readied as this hour of peril looms.

Men of Devon, do you wish to see trains liveried in the red and gold of our historic enemy in your shire?

Let our battle cry be "Remember 1588!"

Meanwhile, I have summoned Sir Brian Souter and will order him to Spain with all haste with a Commission to bid for public transport contracts that will verily singe the President of Renfe's beard!

Railway has a Miliband moment #blackbusters

Eye is indebted to FCC and Network Rail for suggesting a clever pub quiz question this weekend!

Q. What is the difference between a ball and a bull?

A. Lots of delay minutes.

Lesson: Use the foxtrot-uniform-charlie-kilo-india-november-golf phonetic alphabet!

That is all.

Clog Rail's ambitious plans for PPM

Good to see that Abellio is on top of all this timekeeping stuff.

This screen grab from their Greater Anglia website taken at 12:10 today:

By Eye's reckoning the start of the franchise is now a mere five days away, give or take a couple of hours..

No matter.

On the plus side, if Clog Rail use the same widget for their timetables then services will arrive almost a full month before booked time.

Abolition of Railway Heritage Committee - latest

Those who care about our railway's heritage may be interested in this DfT consultation document, published with little fanfare.

Proposed abolition of the Railway Heritage Committee and transfer of its designation function to the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

The consultation closes on the 1st of March.

The proposal as outlined is generally 'a good-thing', but asset owners may wish to review and, if appropriate, respond.

Pointless signs - SWT on-train facilities

This via @amonkster...


Eye readers are advised to mind their bits when using this compact facility.

Penning's pratfalls whilst Cruella derailed.

Eye understands that the Minister for Transport is currently hors de combat.

It would appear that Theresa has broken her collar bone - ouch!

Eye wishes her a speedy recovery.

Whilst on the subject of riding into trouble, welcome to Penning's Pratfalls...

This from BikeBiz.com...

In a transport questions session in the House of Commons on Thursday 12th January, Dr Julian Huppert, the LibDem MP for Cambridge, asked the roads minister Mike Penning about infrastructure for cyclists. The minister - who is also the minister responsible for road safety - boobed, saying cyclists shouldn't be on the parts of "national road infrastructure" he was responsible for.

Best stick with the oversize trucks Mike?

UPDATE: This from a waggish Percy Kilometer...

Is the weight of responsibility for franchising policy perhaps weighing too heavily on Ms Villiers' shoulders?

Is it time to consider an age limit for drivers?

This from the Bexhill Observer...

An 85-year-old woman has had a lucky escape after driving down a high-speed railway line for 80 yards after taking a wrong turn at a level crossing in Hampshire.

The woman had a 20-year-old man in her car as she drove towards Brockenhurst station in New Forest.

And this image of the scene via @GastroChap...

Time to consider an age limit for driving?

Greater Anglia - not with a bang but a whimper

Abellio has published the names of directors of its new Greater Anglia franchise which starts on February 5th.

They are:

• Ruud Haket, Managing Director
• Andrew Goodrum, Customer Services Director
• Adam Golton, Finance Director
• Thijs Jan Noomen, Projects Director
• John Ratcliffe, Engineering Director
• Nanouke van ‘t Riet, Operations Director
• Andrew Camp, Commercial Director
• Simone Bailey, Asset Management Director
• Dave Welham, Interim HR Director

Meanwhile, according to the latest edition of Rail Business Intelligence, the launch of the franchise on Sunday next will be a low key affair.

Perhaps just as well, as Eye understands that media management may not be the new franchise's forte.

Indeed, even the World's Greatest Living Transport Correspondent has struggled to penetrate Clog Rail's wall of silence.

Last week Wolmar (for it was he) made the mistake of calling the PR on the number given in an Abellio press release, only to be told that it was nothing to do with her and that he should jolly well go away and call the main switchboard! Sadly not a word has been heard since.

Oh Abellio, Abellio, wherefore are thou Abellio!

Greening grounds Maglev

Glad tidings from the Captain of the Netball Team...

Steven Baker (Wycombe, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the potential of magnetic levitation technology for use in the next generation of high-speed trains.

Justine Greening (Economic Secretary, HM Treasury; Putney, Conservative)
Work by the Department for the 2007 White Paper, “Delivering a Sustainable Railway”, found that magnetic levitation technology would be significantly more expensive than high speed rail and would not enable trains to run seamlessly onto existing inter-city routes, serving a wider range of destinations.

The few instances of magnetic levitation systems in use around the world operate on a relatively short point-to-point basis and scaling the technology up to a national network is unproven.

There are no plans to further consider magnetic levitation as an alternative to a high speed rail network.

Good effort.

Bombardier changes its PR team

Sad news reaches Eye from Derby.

Uber PR's Neil Harvey and Heidi Lee have left Bombardier.

They will be missed.

In happier news and clearly reflecting the Age of Austerity the Canadian company has downsized its UK comms team from two to three people (Is this right? Ed).

Oh, and a further three bodies from RLM Finsbury Global Strategic Communications.

Does this burgeoning PR empire reflect Bombardier's growing confidence in the UK market?

Pointless signs - Posh standing

UPDATE: This from Strawbrick

The "1st Class" reminder in the door lobby may not be that pointless.

It is actually "against the rules" to be in a designated 1st class area without a 1st class ticket whether or not you are occupying a 1st class seat, i.e. if you are standing. It has been like this for years, for example it applied to the corridors outside any 1st class compartments. (You were of course permitted to pass and re-pass through 1st class sections to get to the Restaurant Car or to look for a seat at the other end of the train.)

Bearing in mind the possible penalties for not having a 1st Class ticket perhaps the sign is actually not that pointless.

Of course, if the train is full and standing the Conductor / Guard / Train Manager can, at his / her discretion, make an announcement that he / she has declassified one or more 1st class sections (and that 1st class ticket holders can apply for a refund of the excess).

Oyster derailed - 'Burbs cut off!

This from Thomas Edmonson

Show some spunk Boris old fruit!

The Department of Transport has vetoed First Capital Connects plan to extend the Oyster Card with all its many benefits to rail travellers from St Albans, Hertford North and Welwyn Garden City and intermediate stations.

Instead travellers from Herts will have to wait for the incredibly superior (shome mishtake shurely? Ed) ITSO Card, allegedly available from 2014.

Naturally, the pusillanimous bus-bandits have folded.

Time for SUPER MAYOR to make it clear to Marsham Street that if London & South East Commuters want Oyster, Oyster they shall have.

He could take the new Boris bus to Welwyn to raise morale. Remember Kennedy bringing succour to isolated Berlin - 'Ich bin ein Shredded Wheat' should do the trick..

There must be a vote in it somewhere.

UPDATE: This from Sinoda...

From the latest update on the Abellio Greater Anglia website:

"The extension of Oyster Pay as You Go to 10 additional stations on the Shenfield and Hertford East lines will be introduced as will information kiosks which will be added to help customers at the larger stations".

Meanwhile, from an an internal Greater Anglia staff Q&A document

Q: Is there any commitment to install ITSO (smart ticketing) during this franchise?

A: There’s no formal commitment to doing this and other than extending Oyster to Shenfield and Hertford East we have no plans for ITSO, which may be part of the longer-term Greater Anglia franchise specification.

Q: Given that Oyster is being extended to Shenfield and Hertford East, will our ticket offices have the facilities to top-up people’s cards and deal with any related issues? Otherwise it will cause frustration for customers and we won’t be able to give the good customer service we’d like to give.

A: Thanks for raising this; the team will investigate the matter for you so please watch this space.

So it appears that the good citizens of Hertford must give up their allegiance to the upstart Great Northern Railway services from North Station to London, and instead 'travel by Great Eastern' sorry, 'Greater Anglia' where their Oyster Cards will (very soon) be happily accepted.

Railway cost per taxpayer

This via Guido...

Ben Gummer is proposing that every tax payer receives a statement of how their taxes are spent.

On Conservative home there is an example of how this might look for a taxpayer on £26,000 pa.

Transport costs are given as below:


The 2010-11 figure for railways is £3 lower than in 2009-10.

UPDATE: This from Ithuriel...

So that's 1.2% of income tax.

Say £4.5 billion subsidy implies total income tax take of £378 billion.

So about right.

But tax take was down in 2009-10.

Villiers vignettes - Promotion surely beckons?

This from Our Man at 222 Marylebone Road...

Additional portable loos and catering supplies are being rushed to Marsham Street to accommodate this sudden influx of hostages to fortune.

Theresa Villiers (Minister of State (Rail and Aviation), Transport; Chipping Barnet, Conservative):

Planned and actual delivery dates for departmental commitments are published in the DFT Strategic Business Plan, available on the Department's website and updated monthly.

The Department expects to publish shortly a Command Paper on Rail, which will include proposals on the structure of Network Rail.

The Department and Office of Rail Regulation are currently consulting jointly on the role of the regulator, and the consultation is due to close on 2 March 2012.

The High Level Output Specification is due to be published by July 2012, and delivery remains on track.

The new Intercity West Coast franchise is due to be awarded in the summer, and to commence in December 2012.

The Department is planning to reach financial close for both IEP and Thameslink in the spring of this year.

Cruella must be hoping that the mini-reshuffle, expected if the Energy Secretary is summoned by the CPS, happens soon...