Pointless signs - Greater Anglia

A reader writes...

This from another satisfied Eye reader...

Having seen the weather forecast for the coming week it would appear your ‘Pointless Signs – Banbury’ post of 30 March now looks a little silly.

Get a grip man!

London Overground abolishes timetables

This from http://jonhind.lightbox.com

Looks like London Overground have abandoned the timetable and decided just to tell us when they will give us a train.

This taken at West Hampstead:

No doubt getting rid of all that pesky timetable nonsense will stop passengers complaining about late trains?

UPDATE: This from a Mr JMG...

I think your comment on this is unfair.

Except for very late at night, London Overground is now a turn-up-and go railway and with all trains calling at all stations.

The conventional Network Rail display formats are too complicated and require unnecessary scrolling which means that key information is actually not displayed for much of the time - witness many platform screens taking three pages to show the details of the next train.

I do believe it is much more helpful for passengers to adopt the London Underground practice of showing destinations and minutes to arrival - mostly now for the next four trains - and I am pleased to see that LO (LooRoll, Ed) is progressively switching to this method.

Having said that, your photo clearly shows that there is more work to be done on the details.

This sign at West Hampstead - which looks as if it is located in the booking hall - clearly needs to be further reconfigured to show the two directions separately and to reduce the display from two pages to one so that the most important information (where is the next train going and how long to wait?) is in view all the time.

Railway Children invitation to Cycle India

This from Eye's friends at the Railway Children...


Cycle India takes place 8th to 17th November 2012.

It’s a 480km bike ride from the Taj Mahal to Jaipur.

On day 1 we’ll take you to visit one of Railway Children’s projects, a fantastic opportunity to see first-hand how your fundraising benefits the children. The next day you will move on to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal where you can explore the monument before your biking challenge begins.

Your bike will take you to more remote locations than most other modes of transport, bringing you in direct contact with the country and its people. Once in Rajasthan the region offers dramatic desert landscape, fantastic wildlife, exquisite forts, bustling cities and rural life that seems frozen in time.

Your ride ends in Rajasthan's capital city, Jaipur.

For more information: phone: 01270 757596 or email: events@railwaychildren.org.uk

EMT dismounts desk-jockeys

Let's hear it for a very brave East Midlands Trains!

According to EMT

East Midlands Trains will be closing the doors of its Derby Headquarters for the day on Thursday 5 April, with all of the company’s head office managers and staff getting back to the floor and working at stations and on trains to help passengers with the Easter getaway.

The initiative, which has been named ‘Day of the Customer’, is designed to provide extra support to passengers travelling on Maundy Thursday which is traditionally one of the busiest travelling days of the year.

David Horne, Managing Director for East Midlands Trains, said: “We’re all really looking forward to our first ‘Day of the Customer’ on Thursday. Since recently taking over as Managing Director, I’ve spent a lot of time working with our staff on the front-line to understand more about how we deliver the day-to-day service to our customers. It's really important that we see and experience things as our customers and front-line staff see them and we have to get out of the office to get this experience.

Now there's a dangerous precedent to set!

After all when doctors go on strike mortality rates drop by as much as 50%.

The worse case scenario is that no one even notices that the shiny-bums are missing!

What a saving in executive salaries that would notch up!

Pointless signs - Darlington

Good to see the state owned railway company resurrecting the 'Arrows of Indecision'.

FGW in 'shiver my timbers' Shocker

This from Cap'n Smith...

Alterations posted for Reading-Basingstoke over Easter, Jim Lad...


Aha me hearties!

RMT & TSSA merger talks collapse

This from the Transport & Salaried Staff Association...

Dear Member,

It is with some disappointment that I must inform you that following a series of talks at various levels between our union and RMT it has become clear that the differences between us are such that the discussions to create a new union can't currently proceed any further.

Our Executive Committee (EC) recognises that over the last few years, our two organisations have developed a much closer working relationship that has greatly benefited many of you. Our union will continue building on this whilst also looking to pursue joint initiatives with similar sized unions that could develop into the creation of a federation and/or a new union.

Your EC will reflect on this position at their next meeting on the 26 April 2012 with a view to reporting developments to our Annual Delegates Conference in May. This will be supported by an emergency motion.

Conference will be asked to engage in a wide ranging strategic debate that will focus on our union's future, its finances and subscriptions, structures and campaigning and organising activities. This will be done with a view to securing our long-term ability to protect you from the unrelenting attack on jobs, terms and conditions.

We will of course keep you informed of developments.

Regards
Manuel Cortes
General Secretary

ENDS

Pointless signs - Manchester Oxford Road

This with a bowler tip to @lauranorburn...


FFS!

Pointless signs - Banbury

MML Upgrade goes Parliamental!

Clearly the East Midlands has learnt the lessons of Derbygate.

Determined not to be caught out again by Ministerial double speak local MPs are turning up the heat to secure the upgrade of the Midland Main Line (MML).

Whilst all sorts of smooth and silken words have discreetly emerged from Marsham Street about the project being a 'dead cert' for CP5, apparently not everyone is convinced.

The Tory party's potential new Robert Adley (Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan) has secured a 16th April adjournment debate on Electrification of the Midland main line.

Good effort but no cigar!

As the below shows the real improvements to the MML comes from Upgrading the route, of which electrification is but a part (click on the image to view).


Eye readers hoping to benefit from this upgrade may wish to invite their own MPs to contribute to this debate?

Meanwhile, this salutary reminder from Simon Carr of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership:

"More money has been spent on improving car parks on the West Coast Main Line in the past five years than on the whole of the Midland Main Line."

Pointless signs - King's Cross overkill

This via The Man with the Clapperboard - Take 2!

Definitely one in the eye for McNulty!


What, about these buffer stops, isn't clear?

And how much is all this Elf 'n' Safety gold-plating costing?

UPDATE: This from Best Boy...

Whilst there is a bright red buffer end, a mains-fed red light on a stick, plus a battery tail lamp on each buffer end, and a swanky sign-on-a-stick as well... alas someone appears to have omitted the sand drag.

Still, at least they've got rid of the wall you'd demolish on your way to the GN Hotel.

Daily Mail does physics!

This from the Daily Mail...

Now it's the wrong kind of sun! Train companies tell drivers to slow down because 'hot weather is heating up tracks'...

Network Rail has imposed a 20mph speed restrictions across a stretch of line in the West Country because of the effect the heatwave could have on the tracks.

The curb on speed - called heat speeds - has been imposed between Bathampton Junction and Sydney Garden near Bath...

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: 'We have over the weekend renewed that small section of track and therefore its heat tolerance level is lower than the norm."

Quite so. But on the plus side...

Whilst this tolerance level is relatively low, it compares favourably with the railway's towards the Mail.

Villiers vignettes - 13, unlikely a sum

This from Leo Pink...

'A total of 13 firms are in the running to become the next operators of the Great Western, Thameslink and Essex Thameside rail franchises' burbles Theresa announcing today's shortlisted bidders.

Well, yes, if you assume that, say, First Great Western Trains Limited, First Essex Thameside Limited and First Thameslink Limited are different companies - which Cruela probably does.

In reality, it is six of the usual subjects plus the Hong Kong MTR striking out on its own.

What is true, however, is that the owning groups will be spending £5 million a throw on their bids.

In memoriam - Malcolm Crawley & Alan Pegler

This from Black Mac...

Tornado this morning before departing KX at 07.56.


Two wreaths: top one for Malcolm Crawley; ex-Doncaster premium apprentice and vice president A1 Steam Locomotive Trust.

Bottom one on the buffer beam - where he often had his picture taken with Flying Scotsman for Alan Pegler.

Two fine railwaymen. May they rest in peace.

Shortlist for GW, Thameslink and Thameside franchises

This from the Department for Transport...

Bidders for Great Western franchise:

• First Great Western Trains Limited (FirstGroup plc)
• GW Trains Limited (Arriva UK Trains Limited – DB (UK) Investments Limited)
• NXGW Trains Limited (National Express Group PLC)
• Stagecoach Great Western Trains Limited (Stagecoach Group plc)

These potential providers will receive the Invitation to Tender which is anticipated will be issued in May 2012. It is anticipated that the successful bidder will be announced in December 2012, with the contract commencing in April 2013. The length of the franchise term will be 15 years.

Bidders for Essex Thameside franchise:

• Abellio Essex Thameside Limited (NV Nederlandse Spoorwegen)
• First Essex Thameside Limited (FirstGroup plc)
• MTR Corporation (Essex Thameside) Limited (MTR Corporation Limited)
• NXET Trains Limited (National Express Group PLC)

These potential providers will receive the Invitation to Tender which is anticipated will be issued in June 2012. It is anticipated the successful bidder will be announced in January 2013, with the contract commencing in May 2013. The length of the franchise term will be 15 years.

Bidders for Thameslink franchise:

• Abellio Thameslink Limited (NV Nederlandse Spoorwegen)
• First Thameslink Limited (FirstGroup plc)
• Govia Thameslink Railway Limited (Go-Ahead Group plc and Keolis SA)
• MTR Corporation (Thameslink) Limited (MTR Corporation Limited)
• Stagecoach Thameslink Trains Limited (Stagecoach Group plc)

These potential providers will receive the Invitation to Tender which is anticipated will be issued in October 2012. It is anticipated that the successful bidder will be announced in May 2013, with the contract commencing in September 2013. The length of the franchise will be a minimum of 7 years, with pricing also required for a potential extension of up to 2 years at the discretion of the Secretary of State

More details here.

Richard P-J confirmed as NR Chairman choice

This from Network Rail...

NETWORK RAIL CONFIRMS CHAIRMAN-DESIGNATE

Network Rail today confirmed the appointment of its chairman-designate, Professor Richard Parry-Jones CBE.

The confirmation of his appointment follows a meeting with Network Rail's members.

Professor Parry-Jones will start with the company on 28 March 2012 as a non-executive director, taking up his position as chairman if his appointment is ratified by members at the company’s AGM in July when Rick Haythornthwaite steps down.

A big Eye welcome to Prof Ricky Jim-Jams!

Cameron burnt by King's Place finest

Oh dear.

Looks like Network Rail will be off iDave's Christmas Card list.

The Prime Minister, keen to get back on the front foot over Gideon's disastrous Pie-Tax, offered the Beeb the following wibble:

The PM continued: "I am a pasty eater myself, I go to Cornwall on holiday, I love a hot pasty.

"I think the last one I bought was from the West Cornwall Pasty Company. I seem to remember I was in Leeds station at the time and the choice was whether to have one of their small ones or large ones, and I have a feeling I opted for the large one and very good it was too."

Alas.

@NetworkRailPR was obliged to point out:

For the record: West Cornwall Pasty Co vacated Leeds Stn 31/3/2007. However, Cornish Bakehouse was open there until last week (23/3/2012)

Either way, both retail outlets have now closed.

Back to the VAT free Caviar, eh Dave?

Eurostar offers quality product for Olympics

This from the Sleeper...

Eurostar's fleet is looking increasingly tired.

Indeed some vehicles now have rusty holes adorning their body sides.

Happily necessity is the mother of invention, leading to this wonderful solution.

Stick a lavatory out of order sticker over the hole!

Now that's really is taking the p*ss!

Railway Garden Competition - Ryde Pier

This illuminating contribution from Rock Sniffer...

Pampas grass on the Up platform at Ryde Pier, Isle of Wight.


I'm informed by a learned source that in the 1970's a crop of this in the front garden signified the owners of the property were into 'swinging'.

This frowned upon practice apparently having something to do with fastening a vehicle to the end of a train without the benefit of continuous brake.