Pigs in space?

It's Network Rail bonus time again.

Confirmation that Iain Coucher and two other senior directors are in line for sizeable bonuses came in a letter to Network Rail public members from Jim Cornell, who chairs NR's remuneration committee.

Last year, Coucher received bonuses totalling £510,000, which are likely to be matched this year.

Of course it is up to Iain, and his fellow directors, to decide on whether or not to accept the additional moolah; especially when the rest of the railway is tightening its collective belt.

The industry, media and Westminster await their decision with interest...

UPDATE: This direct from Network Rail...

What confirmation that 'sizeable' bonuses wil be paid at Network Rail this year?

The year is not over, the final numbers have not been crunched and the remuneration committee has not made a decision.

The story that provoked this latest furore is the TSSA's brandishing of a 'leaked' letter which talks about NEXT year's management incentive plan - a plan that stretches incentives and further aligns them to passenger benefits.

Unlike the banks, Network Rail's bonus scheme (which encompasses everyone, whether signaller, maintenance worker, humble press officer or board member) rewards success.

It is also a licence condition and agreed with the ORR.

If train performance improves, assets are well managed and costs are controlled then bonuses are triggered.

We welcome this debate.

O'Toole - the reason why shocker

This from the Currant Bun.

"O’Toole – known as the Invisible Man – masterminded the huge transport operation."

Disgraceful!

Gone to the dogs?

Captain Deltic reporting that Rotem has not submitted a bid for the 200+ DMU vehicles brought forward by the Pre Budget Statement:

"With Hyundai Rotem of Korea having pulled out for the time being, the bidders, in alphabetical order, are Bombardier Transportation, CAF of Spain and CSR Nanjing Puzhen of China."

DafT is still claiming it's an open race, despite strange words from my Lord Adonis at the IEP press conference...

Legs crossed

This from DMPS at Newcastle...

An announcement on departure of the 16.06 Transpennine Express from Newcastle to Manchester Airport yesterday:

"Ladies and gentlemen we are sorry to announce that this train has no working toilets. We will be making toilet stops at Darlington, York and Huddersfield".

The Lord said smile, things could be worse, so I smiled and tied a knot in it.

At least we now know that the maximum time between permitted loo stops is 48 minutes! (York - Huddersfield).

IEP horsepower revealed

This from Andy Roden, over at the IRJ...

The real number of horsepower for the IEP is two!

At least it could be, judging by the very odd picture to be found at the ONCF's website:

Zut alors!

Mystery 377

This from Peezedtee...

Not sure if this is of any interest, but for the last few days an empty Class 377 (in Southern colours) has been whizzing back and forth through Elephant and Castle, a beast not previously seen in these parts, as far as I know.

Presumably this is something to do with Key Output Zero (route testing?) ready for 22 March.

Yeo off message?

Telegrammed by the Master
The Master attended Monday night’s Railway Study Association annual dinner.

An occasion where the great and the good of the railway industry get to meet the strange fraternity of men with an over abundance of pens in their top pockets.

The guest speaker was Tory Tim Yeo MP, a choice which puzzled many as he’s not known for his knowledge of the rail industry.

Tory Tim quickly alienated many by needlessly sticking the boot into the corpse of BR in a poor attempt to defend privatisation.

But it was his remarks about Colchester station which confused the most.

Tory Tim criticised the station as being an unpleasant place to use because it didn’t offer “an airline experience”.

Presumably he meant that you can just pitch up, buy a ticket and board a train.

Rather than have to turn up two hours before and queue for security with your shoes in your hand whilst your luggage is sent to another country.

Mind the gap

So farewell then Tim O'Toole, top man at London Underground.

Eye understands that Tim will return to the States for personal reasons.

Even so, should provide an interesting topic of conversation when Boris meets Gordon today to discuss moving Crossrail forward.

A clue to the IEP decision

Those holding Long positions on Thameslink Key Output 0 completing by the 22nd March may yet keep their shirts!

Apparently the first of the new build class 377s, that Southern is sub-leasing to FuCC, may finally turn up this week!

Leaving Derby with just a month to make good it's promise of delivering 13 more.

Bombardier of course had already traded Long for Short, as the original commitment was for 23 !

Air leak

This just in from the Transport Select Committee...

23 February 2009: For immediate release
SCA 10/2008-09

EVIDENCE SESSIONS

1. RAIL FARES AND FRANCHISES
2. THE USE OF AIRSPACE

As Dr Death will not be giving evidence the TSC must already have a view on the best "use of airspace".

TSSA flexes muscles

TSSA threatens NR with strike action.

This from Professional Pensions...

THE Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) is balloting members on strike action in response to proposed changes to the Network Rail section of the Railways Pension Scheme.

NR sources report panic hoarding of paper-clips.

Ticket to be taken for a ride?

Telegrammed by our Independent Expert
My old colleague Simon Calder rallied to the defence of rail fares in his Indy column this weekend.

But I fear he misses the point.

It's fine to claim there are bargains to be had, but in this deflationary world they are simply not good enough.

It's all about public perception. My petrol is cheaper, my gas bill fell last week, my mortgage is down, I can name my price if I want a new car. Last week I booked exactly the same summer holiday for my family as last year but it is £300 cheaper.

By contrast train fares seem to most people to be extortionate and inflexible.

Last week I went from Preston to a meeting in Carlisle, a couple of stops up the WCML. My standard class one-way ticket cost the best part of £30. My colleagues, using their cars on the M6 for around a fiver, thought I was insane. And come to think of it maybe I was.

Oliver Price from Chislehurst, published on the Telegraph letters page last week is more realistic than Simon Calder.

He says: 'You highlight the scandalously high cost of rail fares. I can only endorse this. Since the rise in the cost of tickets coincided with a lowering of petrol prices it's now cheaper to drive to my work in Chiswick (about 20 miles) than to take the train.'

Rail buffs still chant the mantra about 'managing demand'.

But what demand?

I'm posting this on the almost empty 10:46 Euston to Lancaster.

Privately I hear that Virgin first class bookings are down by thirty per cent.

Well it may be even worse - there were probably as many ticket staff at the barrier as there are passengers in all four first class coaches this morning.

Wakey, wakey, My Lord - UPDATED

Telegrammed by the man on the Bernina Express
This from the the DafT release announcing further gating of stations in the South East:

The announcement follows the recent installation of Europe's longest ticketing line at Waterloo station, where security has improved on trains...

Transport Minister Andrew Adonis said: "As the experience at Waterloo has proven, these measures will improve station security by increasing staffing at night seven days a week."

Sorry, this "security" thing is total shiite.

I happened to pass through Waterloo last Wednesday, 18th, at 21:45 and ALL ticket gates in vicinity of platforms 16-19 were OPEN.

There was no security.

And wouldn't you think those chaps at SWT, desperate for revenue, would ensure the barriers are working.

Oh, silly me, SWT staff man the barriers.

And with the company having announced a further 180 job cuts, including revenue protection staff, this can only occur more often.

Time my Lord Adonis left his Marsham Street ivory tower and went out and about on the real railway!

UPDATE: Captain Deltic explains patiently:

It's like this, Andrew:

A gate line like that at Waterloo is quite labour intensive because you need staff to cope with anomalies such as people using warrants, tickets that refuse to be read, people with bags or buggies who can't get through and so on.

Employing barrier staff in the evening is not economic in commercial terms, when you've signed up to a diminishing subsidy.

On the other hand, if like TfL you believe that staffing stations during operating hours is the right thing to do, and you are taking revenue risk., then gating is not an on-cost and you can slash fare evasion from over 15% to under 5%. .

Why not get your officials to organise a day out bashing LOROL?

Virgin unspun?

Gobsmacked!

Unbelievable!

And in the Daily Telegraph of all places!

The train service may be more punctual and getting faster, but both expense and discomfort are going up, too. There were strikes, and it was all filthy, but otherwise – what exactly was wrong with British Rail?

The Fact Compiler's flabber is gasted!

Calder on the nail

Unusual words of wisdom in the Independent this morning.

This from Simon Calder...

Plenty is still wrong with Britain’s rail pricing: if you miss your train, you can throw away your Advance ticket... But much is looking good – and, as business travel declines, leisure travel deals should get even better.

Indeed they should. What with several InterCity TOCs already recording a 30% year on year fall in first class traffic.

Heir of kettles

***This from the BBC, with a Bowler tip to Behind the Water Tower***

Randy Shooter

Bowler tip to Vincent for this...

Chiltern have out PR'ed Virgin!

Good effort!

Gates reduce headcount?

Telegrammed by the Archer
This from DafT...

Tackling fare dodgers and making stations in South London safer

New measures to clamp down on fare dodgers and make stations in south London safer were announced by Transport Minister Andrew Adonis today.

The new £5.5 million project will improve security at 14 south London stations using new ticketing gates which could save train bosses from incurring substantial revenue losses.

Perma-tan Rail will be happy, RMT less so.

Hurrah for the weekend!