Railway Garden Competition - Faversham

This from William Dargan...


I nominate the back road (and most of the up sidings) at Faversham.

Network Rail - doomed

Whilst Coucher and his board trouser £2.4m in bonuses for a job well done (shurely shome mishtake! Ed) dark clouds are already swirling round NR's CP4 funding settlement.

This from a written answer given on Tuesday 22nd June:

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) rolling stock and (b) highway improvement schemes have been deferred as part of his Department's contribution to in-year expenditure reductions for 2010-11. [2757]

Mr Philip Hammond: In light of the current fiscal position, and a softening of demand, a reappraisal of all un-committed High-Level Output Specification schemes will now commence, taking account of the National Audit Office report entitled "Increasing Passenger Rail Capacity" which was published on 4 June 2010. This report is available on the NAO website.

With the government already planning to unpick Network Rail's regulated settlement how long before the NAO decides that NR debt does indeed belong on the Government's books.

So farewell Network Rail and your grossly overpaid and out of touch board.

And a big Eye welcome to Sir Alan Budd and the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Sadly the new Director General of the Rail Infrastructure Agency will have to get along with a paltry £160k a year.

Network Rail directors show restraint

Eye salutes the restraint shown by Network Rail's directors.

Paid a mere pittance these noble figures bestride our industry like veritable colossi.

So it is only right that their paltry salaries should be boosted to enable them to put bread on the table for their starving families.

With total annual bonuses for the six top directors amounting to a piffling £1.34 million, it is surely only right that they should also receive management incentive bonuses adding up to £906,000, making a total of more than £2.4 million.

After all - just how many Iainlands can you buy for such a derisory amount?

UPDATE: This from Steve Strong...

It's Network Rail's remuneration committee that you should be having a go at!

They set these outrageous amounts.

And of course the NR Board could always turn the bonuses down. But don't hold your breath.

UPDATE: This from Philip Hammond via the BBC...

"Network Rail is of course a private company," said Mr Hammond. "But one that is dependant on taxpayer funding."

"In the week when everyone has been asked to share the burden of reducing Britain's deficit, people will rightly be asking how Network Rail's top executives feel this is appropriate."

UPDATE: This from Sir Humphrey Beeching...

No need to hold your breath.

My departmental colleagues tell me that NR Directors intend taking their full bonus entitlement.

UPDATE: This from a Time Lord...

The BBC story on NR's bonuses uses an unusual picture of the company's Chief Executive.

Do you think they had this lookalike in mind?


One is a feared genius whose creatures are made in their master's image, they seek to rule the universe and those who do not obey are immediately exterminated. The other of course invented the Daleks.

Do you think they are related? (No! Ed)

Go-Ahead blighted by schmooze policy

This from the Gruaniad...

Transport group Go-Ahead has gone into reverse after it warned that recently introduced contracts for its regulated London bus business would hit profit margins.

This downturn in performance was of course inevitable.

And happily Eye can pinpoint the precise moment Go-Ahead's fate was sealed.


When you sup with Jonah...

The Germans are coming

This from George Cross...

According to Reuters:

German state rail operator Deutsche Bahn AG is in talks with Britain about running its trains on the country's only high-speed railway, in a move that could break rival Eurostar's monopoly.

As my Grandfather observed: "Nice of them to ask this time."

UPDATE: This from Hat-maker...

I note that Eurostar has rebranded a set to mark de Gaulle’s flight to exile in London seventy years ago.

With similar French victories in mind can we look forward to a Class 373 liveried to celebrate France's World Cup football team flying home in economy class?

UPDATE: This, surprisingly, from the late President Charles de Gaulle...

Non.

Pointless signs - Halifax Station

With a bowler tip to the Mytholmroyd Station Partnership...


Bloody stupid rule anyway. Ed

Railway Garden Competition - Tophsam

Railway Garden Competition - Crediton

Eye opens museum of Couchiana

Telegrammed by Bulldog Drummond
Eye is delighted to launch its new museum of Couchiana with this oddly drafted ATOC press release:

ATOC responds to Network Rail Chief Executive stepping down

In response to the news that Iain Coucher is to step down, Tom Smith, Chairman of the Association of Train Operating Companies, said:

“Iain is a major figure in the rail industry and a positive force for change.

“He has made an exceptional personal contribution to a period of sustained improvement on the railways, which has seen punctuality and passenger satisfaction reach record levels.

“We wish him the best for the future and will of course continue to work with Network Rail’s management to make the orgainsation more customer focused.”

ENDS

Punctuality and even more passenger satisfaction are only part of NR's remit, what about his day job of running the business?

And what is the last para trying to say?

Surely it is not suggesting that Coucher was not customer focussed? Perish the thought.

Meanwhile any Eye readers know what an 'orgainsation' is?

Perhaps it describes a not for profit company where you make pots of money?

UPDATE: This from eastwestdivide...

I suggest asking the reader who lives in Tophsam (2 articles up).

Muphry's rule - anyone correcting spelling will themselves make a spelling mistake.

Man plans savings on future trouser purchases

This from Slow Train author Michael Williams...

On my latest latest foray around the secondary lines of Britain I spotted this at Aberystwyth last night.

The train forming the 17.30 Cambrian line service to Birmingham International was due on at any moment. Yet nobody batted an eyelid as this passenger relaxed in the sunshine dangling his legs over the track.


'No staff, no CCTV - and nobody seemed to care...'

UPDATE: This from Myfanwy...

And evidently no seats for passengers to sit upon whilst awaiting occasional trains...

DfT - hoisted by own petard!

Eye salutes Philip Hammond for wresting the chair of the Department for Transport Board from Permanent Secretary Robert Devreaux.

As any fule kno the DfT Board has the following remit:

The role of the Department’s Board is to:

• ensure effective governance of the Department and its Agencies, so we made the right decisions, at the right time, and properly manage risks
• shape and direct a shared agenda for the Department as a whole, both to deliver Ministers’ priorities and to build our capability as a Department
• monitor performance and risk, making choices (or recommendations to ministers) on priorities/risk appetite
• oversee the health of our relations with our stakeholders and commercial partners.

With yesterday's announcement of a 25% cut to his department's budget it is good to see Petrol-head has already started getting to grips with the detail.

Industry colleague will also welcome this change.

Having dished it out now let's see how the Marsham Street mandarins take to a bit of micro-management!

ORR fails to look gift horse in mouth

Telegrammed by Leo Pink
It seems that Polyanna Walker , the new-ish ORR Chair, doesn't really understand what Sir Roy McNulty is about.

Here she is responding to the latest passenger dissatisfaction survey.

"The railway quickly needs to get a handle on these issues. Over the coming months, the Rail Value for Money review led by Sir Roy McNulty will provide the entire rail industry with a platform to explore ways in which we can work together to help deliver the improvements that passengers are calling for."

No, Polyanna, you need to work out the difference between Knights on White Horses and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Sir Roy is one of the latter and his job is not to provide platforms but take at least £2 billion out of the taxpayer's support for the railway.

Railway Garden Competition - Leicester

This from Fiona Gail...


Perhaps the Colas tamper is a lawn mower in disguise.

New hospitality rules at the DfT

A mournful DfT internal email has reached the Eye.

It reminds those toiling in the Marsham Street bunker that:

The general presumption will be that we do not provide anything other than water for meetings.

If, there are exceptional circumstances and you do want to provide refreshments please drop me a note...

But, the likelihood is that I will still have to say no.

Grim times indeed.

And how will the Department function without regular caffeine fixes?

One piece of good news - there are several cafes immediately below Great Minster House.

So expect to see a queue of muttering mandarins stocking up on pre-meeting beverages.

And how enterprising of the cafe owners to offer lobbyists and hacks debentures on the seats nearest the tills...

Poetry Corner

This just in from Clarence Spad...

ON THE DEPARTURE OF A CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Lines written in the style of John Betjeman who, if he were alive today, would be most welcome at Reading Station.

Shades of Brunel, Gooch, Stephenson look on most pleased
As a wealthy little man from his job’s released
In canteen, depot, lineside hut hearts are lighter
Grizzled men pass the message ‘They’ve ditched the blighter’

But passing joy is set against a high price paid
Good people gone, a real chance of change delayed
The windy rhetoric of false targets, world class
Are the long, dark nightmare that must quickly pass

So now’s the chance for a Network Rail resurgent
With bold leaders enlightened, vital, urgent
To ensure that when there is no more oil to burn
The age of the train will rightly return.

We also hear that the popular railtour from Reading to Iainland has been cancelled at very short notice and without explanation.

Applications for refunds to the organisers, World Class Railway-tours, have been met by a curt direction that Network Rail will sort out and pay what is necessary once international benchmarking is complete.

Pointless Signs - Leeds City Station

Eye salutes East Coast for positioning these so that passengers in a hurry have to negotiate a chicane when attempting to exit the station.

Welcome to Stockade station

This from Biggles...

Any idea who, or what, is responsible for the rash of platform-end fencing that is going up at West Coast stations?


Is it reaction to a real issue, or has someone just decided to waste money.

After all, we've managed without for 170 years!

UPDATE: This from a Mr Tilly...

Noticed metal railings and level crossing trespass grids poorly installed at stations Coventry to New Street on Monday.

Definitely further extravagant spending of taxpayers money and as suggested never been needed before.

And my spies in LNW tell me they've left the SPT the wrong side of the fence at Stockport - another own goal!

UPDATE: This from the Master...

It's not just the West Coast - these useless monstrosities are marring many an attractive station in the Thames valley too.

They're a classic example of being seen to be doing something - only in this case its expensive vandalism.

Eye hopes that David Young will come down hard on this sort of expensive nonsense as part of his Health & Safety Review.

UPDATE: This from Anon...

They are required to be considered for deterring unauthorised access from platform ends a la Railway Group Standard RIS-7700-INS (sections 11.2 & 11.3).

Does David Young have remit over Group Standards? Perhaps he ought?

Lincoln's loss as Eurek undone!

As predicted by Eye on Tuesday there is bad news for the East of England

CHANGES TO EAST COAST EUREKA! TIMETABLE PROPOSALS

Train operator East Coast has today announced a number of amendments to the planned introduction of a new timetable from May 2011.

Under the amendments, most of the planned new London King’s Cross – Lincoln services will now operate between King’s Cross and Newark, with one through train per day in each direction between Lincoln and King’s Cross. As a consequence, it will not be necessary to introduce an additional fleet of trains (five Adelante Class 180s), and the daily service to and from Lincoln/King’s Cross will be resourced from within the existing East Coast fleet.

The amendments to the timetable changes proposed will result in a net saving of £9 million per year compared to the original plans.

Speaking about today’s announcement, Elaine Holt, Chief Executive of Directly Operated Railways and Chairman of East Coast, said: “I know this will come as a disappointment to many people, especially to those in Lincoln who were looking forward to a much improved direct service to London.

“We had believed the proposed new Lincoln services would provide more through trains for customers from the region – and this formed an important part of the Eureka! timetable changes. However, given the very tough economic climate, all parts of the Government are looking to see where efficiencies can be made.

“We’re very pleased that two through services will be retained for Lincoln.”

East Coast mounted an extensive information and consultation programme earlier in 2010 in England and Scotland to communicate details of the proposed Eureka! timetable. As a result, the company processed 1,500 feedback enquiries and the results of this work were passed to Network Rail, the Office of Rail Regulation and the Department of Transport.

East Coast will be communicating the details of the latest changes to stakeholders over the next few days.

Seven weekday trains in each direction had been planned for the new Lincoln/London King’s Cross services, using the Adelante Class 180 trains.

Now, the modified service pattern will include a single direct service from Lincoln, in the morning departing at 07.22, arriving at King’s Cross at 09.21 (calling at Newark, Grantham, Peterborough, Stevenage, and London King’s Cross). During the evening peak, a single direct service will leave King’s Cross at 19.06, arriving at Lincoln at 21.00.

Four additional services will be available in each direction between Newark and London King’s Cross, provided by East Coast’s nine-carriage trains, and providing valuable extra capacity on this busy route. These will link to connecting services between Newark and Lincoln.

ENDS

Lincoln must be pleased it elected a Tory MP.

UPDATE: This from Tony Miles...

The campaign to keep the three Adelantes with Northern Rail, pending the delayed return of its Class 142 Pacers from FGW because of the 172 fiasco now steps up.

No doubt the various ITAs will be asking for Northern to be allowed to borrow the other two 180s currently at Bounds Green until the Government does something about serious overcrowding in "The North".

The North, for members of the new Transport Team, is that place above Watford that you have probably read about in books.

UPDATE: This from a Southerner...

Whilst Parliamentary Under-Secretary Mike Penning is the only Minister without a direct rail remit, he is MP for that well-known constituency of Hemel Hempstead, which when seen from the glorious south (of the Thames) is very definitely North of Watford.

Admittedly it may not be as far north of London as Stretford - but there again, Miles' own country might be considered to be 'deep south' by the denizens of Thurso.

Meanwhile, if Northern wants the 180s, they are welcome to them. At least we don't [yet] have to worry about them appearing on the Lymington branch.

UPDATE: This from Live Culture...

There will be no money for the ITA's to take the Adelantes on.

So that leaves the open access mob to scrap it out.

Unless Sir Humphrey can suddenly find a pot of gold to stop them.

UPDATE: This from a Mr Damon Powell (presumably in Lincoln?)...

Its OK, as long as they terminate them at Newark, we can get there, because a week or so ago, Stagecoach in Lincolnshire launched their new bus service from Lincoln to Newark North Gate (which originates at Grimsby - fancy that, just like the train!).

Its supposed to link us to Newark North Gate so we can get London trains there.

Here is the interior which admittedly is much superior to a 153:


Now, I can't figure out what's best about the service...

a) The fact that it's Stagecoach Bus competing with Stagecoach EMT

or

b) That most of the buses are timed to leave Lincoln 5 or 6 minutes before or after the train to either Newark Castle or Newark North Gate, but takes twice as long as the train does!

Shurely a case of Stagecoach 'improving the efficiency and value for money of rail franchises'. Ed

UPDATE: This from Tony Miles...

Perhaps I could point out that Northern already has the funds for three Adelantes as they are "in lieu" of the Pacers loaned to FGW at the DfT's request. I'm sure any shortfall is made up by the DfT as it brokered the loan.

If DfT decides the Pacers will have to stay with FGW longer (it has decided this actually) then it'll have to let Northern keep the 3 Adelantes a bit longer.

As for the other two, well GMITA is very miffed that WYITA got local support for additional rolling stock & nobody in the N West was as generous.

Maybe it's time for them to start a campaign in the spirit of the Wars if the Roses over who will fund two more trains?

UPDATE: This from King Henry...

The question now is whether ORR's forthcoming 'lessons learned' review of the East Coast saga is ruthlessly honest about the collective madness or whether it is another outpouring of guff.

Another bloody nose for DfT Rail.

Telegrammed by Ithuriel
More bad news for the Department for Transport

Having failed to get any money out of the ROSCOs, DfT Rail has now lost its challenge to SWT's cap & collar claim at arbitration.

Still at least they didn't go to court, saving a few millions in legal costs.

How long before someone takes responsibility for these bad judgments and resigns? (Presume this is rhetorical question - Ed)

Ministerial Statement on Franchising

RAIL FRANCHISING

My Department will shortly begin a consultation exercise on the future of rail franchising policy. This consultation will provide industry partners with the opportunity to comment on the Government’s approach to rail franchising and whether bidders for longer franchises would be able to offer investment in improvements to trains and services. It will also allow the industry to set out its proposals for improving the efficiency and value for money of rail franchises, for both taxpayers and fare payers. I will set out further details to the House in due course.

To enable the next Greater Anglia and Essex Thameside franchises - which are currently in the process of being re-let - to fully reflect the changes resulting from this review of policy the competitions for these franchises, which were started in January 2010, are to be cancelled.

It is currently expected that a new competition for the Greater Anglia franchise will be advertised by the end of the year, after the consultation responses have been considered, with the Essex Thameside franchise following in Autumn 2011.

So that's the formerly doomed National Express back in from the cold.

UPDATE: This from Sir Humphrey Beeching...

As with all ministerial statements the important bit is what is omitted.

So no reference to what is planned for nationalised East Coast.

Or for that matter the superfluous additional layer of bureaucracy that is Directly Operated Railways.

My departmental colleagues play a most amusing new game.

It is called 'What is the point of Elaine Holt?'.

Answers on a postcard please to Petrol-head c/o Marsham Street.

UPDATE: This from The Major...

Eye's cut and paste of Villiers' statement on franchising omits the final paragraph which talks about East Coast.

It doesn't say much of course... simply talking about "some consequent changes to the procurement timescales previously published".

I guess that means EC stays in state hands for longer.