This from the Cumbrian Crooner...
The otherwise excellent facilities at Carlisle station were officially opened on Thursday.
And a brand new welcome sign has been erected above platforms five and six:
Happily it is not over obtrusive, in an unreadable sort of way.
Is there no end to the NR Charm Offensive?
Apparently Huggable has embraced the Big Society...
"Railway Heritage Trust awarded funding to 2019
"Network Rail has decided to continue its sponsorship of the Trust at its present level until 31 March 2019...
"In its quarter century of life the Trust has awarded 1,214 grants, worth some £39m. These grants have attracted some £46m of additional funding."
So far so good!
Welcome to the wild and whacky world of Half-baked Baker.
According to the Grauniad...
The transport minister, Norman Baker, wants to dramatically reduce rush hour in the capital and across the country by convincing companies to let people work from home, come in late, or set up satellite offices that will create commuting routes which go against existing traffic.
Ministers are investigating tactics to "nudge" people into abandoning the rush hour, such as convincing train, tube and bus companies to offer bigger discounts for travelling outside the busiest hours.
Where to begin?
Well let's start with Whitehall.
Listen here Normy - rather than telling employers what to do, why don't you lead by example and stagger Whitehall and Westminster office hours?
Too difficult, eh?
So instead why not come up with some vapid posturing that sounds like it might address overcrowding but in reality is merely headline grabbing.
If Baker really believes that the re-introduction of Workmen's tickets is actually going to address the capacity issues on both LUL and the National Rail network (which both recorded over a billion passengers journeys last year) then he really is a couple of slices short of a loaf.
This stale proposition has been reheated by successive Governments since the 1980s, and usually as a prelude to ducking investment in network capacity.
And still the numbers of passengers and the journeys they make grow year on year.
Passengers and the industry are getting sick to the back teeth of headline grabbing crumbs thrown out by ministers.
Time to stop this fruitcake nonsense and invest in new trains and longer platforms!
UPDATE: This from Manchester Man...
The idea of people travelling outside peak times is great.
Unfortunately at least two operators that service London (Virgin and FCC) have increased the length of time that constitutes the morning and evening peak.
Maybe Baker should address that issue first.
UPDATE: This from a Mr Thomas Allen...
What nonsense.
Whitehall staggered its working hours years ago.
I worked (in 'Whitehall') ten years ago with people who came in at 0730 and went home at 1600.
I usually worked 0930 to 1800. We were allowed to work any old hours as long as they added up to 41 a week and we manned the desks from 0800 to 1800.
Has anyone ever tried to get on a train from Tonbridge at 0615? Packed.
My mega-bank moneyed friends in the City (off from Tonbridge at 0615 etc) were at their desks by 0730. Would they count as 'workmen'?
Another friend who was a genuine 'workman' was always on the 0530 so he could be on site by 0700. He couldn't get a seat coming home at 1630.
I remember big plans in the mid 80's to devolve Whitehall HQ offices to all kinds of places, plans for people to work from home, telecommuting and all those things designed to reduce the burden on London rush hour.
Now, what do we have? Record numbers using trains at 'rush hour' which extends from 0600 to 1000 at many stations.
(It was pointed out that if a large London HQ office was despatched to, say, Dorking, that would mean 1,000 more people driving to work. Not very green.)
People do not commute by rail to London because they want to, they do so because they have to.
The sooner the big bucks companies get away from the idea they must have a big shiny tower in London to demonstrate how marvellous they are, the quicker the burden on rail will be reduced.
Big low rise offices in business parks in places like Ashford or Bracknell or Chatham or Milton Keynes, with massive car parks next door and the sooner we can get rid of commuter rail service and leave everyone to to their own devices.
UPDATE: This from Banker76...
Baker's merely building on an increasing reputation for meaningless announcements.
Just a couple of weeks ago he was in Sheffield announcing a 'go-ahead for the tram-train pilot' when in fact he was simply announcing yet another stage in the consultation/funding process.
All the local hacks fell for it, generating welcome headlines about how the project is going ahead.
But his own press release was peppered with words like 'could' and 'might'.
South Yorkshire might indeed get the tram-train pilot. But it ain't in the bag yet.
More exciting news from DB owned Chiltern Railways.
According to the DfT...
The Department has today begun consulting Chiltern Railway Company Limited, and relevant rail industry bodies, on a proposal to impose a Penalty of £500,000 on the company for a series of contraventions of the terms of their franchise agreement.
Chiltern accept that they have breached the terms of their franchise in relation to the late delivery of two station improvement schemes, and to two breaches of requirements in relation to timetable changes. These specific breaches have since been remedied.
A copy of the Department’s letter to Chiltern advising them of the Penalty and setting out the details of their contraventions has been published today on the Department’s website.
Villiers' franchise reform proposals, based on the 'success' of the Chiltern model, keep getting more and more credible.
UPDATE: This from Chiltern...
In reaction to the DfT’s intention to impose a penalty notice on Chiltern Railways.
We accept that, in 2009, there were four technical breaches of the franchise agreement; none of which had significant consequence for our passengers or incurred cost to the taxpayer. The most serious breaches were a 16-week delay in commissioning new lifts at a single station, and a four-week delay in installing a new shelter on a platform that already had one.
Since that time, we have successfully delivered £7.25m of investment in station improvements and car park expansions, started work on the largest privately funded passenger infrastructure project since before world war two and continued to meet all the requirements of our franchise on punctuality and service quality. Next month, we will be introducing brand new commuter trains at a cost of £1.2m per carriage.
The Chiltern Railways franchise has always been focused on delivering what our passengers tell us they want. It would be a cause for enormous regret if £0.5m were diverted from investment in improvement for passengers as a result of low impact franchise breaches.
UPDATE: This from Steve Strong...
Strange.
DfT have been spurned into action over a 16 week delay in commissioning lifts at a single station but remain silent about a 16 month absence of WiFi from the entire Arriva Cross Country network.
I suppose this is a start.
Perchance DfT is not dead but sleepeth?
UPDATE: This from Jumbo...
WSMR appears to be a gift that just keeps on giving to Chiltern's German owners.
Judging by the DfT snotogram WSMR is at the heart of this fine.
Hilariously, it would appear that the DfT only found out about Chiltern's sharp timetabling practice from a WSMR press release!
Let's just add that to WSMR's tab shall we - a cool £14m and counting!
UPDATE: This from 31154...
I notice there is a "Wifi on Trains Conference" in London on 8-9 June,
According to the blurb:
"Among the companies presenting at Train Communications Systems 2011 will be...
Eye salutes Arlington Fleet Services!
Clearly there are no limits to the engineering skills of the Eastleigh based company.
Under a section on their website headed Notable Projects there are pictures showing overhaul work undertaken on an Inspection Saloon for London Underground.
What a transformation!
Eye looks forward to seeing this particular 'GM' Saloon on the Circle line.
This from Matt...
I thought this picture might be of interest to Eye readers, taken today at Bescot 'Traction Maintenance Depot'.
The old EWS signs have been taken down to reveal the following time warp brand, dating from 1994.
Presumably new DBS signs are on order or perhaps DBS will save the effort and just split their their business back into 3 trainload companies?
The Fact Compiler observes: And hopefully no longer run from Paris by Army Group West, obviously.
This from a harrumphing Captain Deltic...
Is it too much to expect the correct use of hyphens and apostrophes by Network Rail press officers in this day and age?
"STATION PLAQUE MARKS FORMER PAUPERS GRAVE"
This is not a pedantic moan (Oh yeah? Ed), but the missing punctuation makes the headline ambiguous
Is it the grave of a former-pauper - in which case, where is the apostrophe? (eg which ex British Rail manager turned privatisation fat cat has died and can he really be buried on a platform at Manchester Vic?).
Or is a former pauper's-grave which has become part of a station.
Or is it, even, a former paupers'-grave and was there a mass burial on the site of the station after some massacre of the lower classes?
Eye thinks we should be told!
UPDATE: This from NR's Internet Rapid Rebuttal Unit...
I have altered the headline on the website now - it should be less ambiguous.
Nothing wrong with being a pedant. A 'pedant' is what someone who is wrong calls someone who is right.
PS Who led the pedants' uprising? Answer: Which Tyler
An interesting challenge for Keith Ludeman, currently Chief Executive of Go-Ahead.
Regular Eye readers will recollect that Network Rail announced in February that the Permataned one would be joining Network Rail's board, as a non-Exec, upon his retirement from Go-Ahead in July of this year.
Welcoming the appointment NR Chairman Rick Haythornthwaite said:
"Keith Ludeman brings to Network Rail decades of experience of leadership in Britain’s transport industry. The addition of him to the board will provide first-hand, passenger-focused expertise which will help Network Rail on its journey to becoming ever more responsive to its customers and passengers."
Meanwhile, on today's railway, Go-Ahead franchise London Midland has announced its intention to slash ticket office opening-hours at 87 stations, generating predictable fury from the aforementioned 'customers and passengers'.
Indeed Anthony Smith of Passenger Focus issued the following words on the proposed closures today:
“Times are difficult and it’s important that train companies make best use of their resources. London Midland has done a good job in talking to its passengers about its plans but the message back is clear. Passengers were almost unanimous in their request for staff at the station, raising concerns about ticket machines and the need for staff for advice and assistance on ticket sales.
“We fear these plans will lead to passengers paying more for their tickets than they should. Ticket vending machines are important, but while they don’t offer all ticket types or provide advice to ensure passengers get the cheapest fares, there will be a need for station staff.
“Finally, passengers want staff on hand for help on the station and for security reasons. For all these reasons we’re calling on London Midland to address the concerns passengers raised.”
Eye looks forward to seeing just how 'passenger focused and responsive to customers' NR's new board member can be!
Good news for those who like to colour in their Quails, having traversed rare sections of the railway's infrastructure.
Next Sunday will see a unique opportunity to walk across the Knucklas viaduct on the Heart of Wales Line.
Arranged by local user group HoWLTA, in conjunction with Network Rail, tickets cost just £10 and include a vintage bus ride from Knucklas station to site and a numbered souvenir ticket.
More details on how to apply for tickets here.
Exciting news for fans of the Great Western!
Clearly Network Rail's decision to create a devolved Route for Wales has delighted the local Pway Teams.
Judging by this image from Google Maps they are already setting about restoring their local railway to Brunel's original vision!
Train manufacturers will no doubt be gearing up to take advantage of this more generous loading gauge...
Exciting news from Petrol-head Hammond.
Clearly unconcerned by negative Shires' reaction to his High Speed 2 plans the beleaguered Secretary of State for Transport has unveiled 'Operation Panic!!!'.
This from the Daily Telegraph...
As opposition to the £32 billion project continues, Philip Hammond, the Transport Secretary, tried to pacify critics with figures showing that it could also trigger 160 extra trains a day into the capital from towns and cities to the north.
Eye understands that as absolutely no one in the industry has been consulted about these plans the DfT will soon issue an ITT for a brand new franchise: - Operation Panic!!! Trains
This is expected to be won by Directly Operated Railways.
This courtesy of the Wyvern Rail newsgroup...
I am very pleased to announce after many many months of negotiations that the Sultan of Brunei has agreed to fund our reconnection to the national network, further refurbish the line to Shottle and install a number of facilities on the site of the Peak Oil operation including undercover storage of his own Royal Train to be built locally in Derby.
Good news indeed.
Meanwhile in other date related news...
It is now 729 days since the last order for new passenger trains was placed.
This from the late Max Weber...
Germany's state owned operator is not best pleased that Arriva failed to prequalify for the InterCity West Coast franchise.
Despite assurances that owning Chiltern, Cross Country and Arriva Trains Wales wouldn't present a problem, the DfT presumably took a more cautious view of potential competition issues.
This combined with the unravelling of Chiltern's latest Evergreen project, Cross Country's continuing failure to provide WiFi and growing industrial unrest at ATW means that Berlin is getting increasingly nervous about how it is perceived in the UK.
Of course DB head honcho Rüdiger Grube has a reputation as a hard task master!
Only last November he took a scythe to the board of DB Fernverkehr, the subsidiary that runs Germany's InterCity network, for poor performance.
Experts in Bismarkian diplomacy suggest that all is well until the summons comes to attend a meeting 'ohne kaffee' with Grube.
Arriva's senior team may care to note, wherever they may be...
UPDATE: This from Rose Hill...
It looks as if Herr Grube has a full plate at the moment.
According to Logistics Manager...
The European Commission has revealed that it is investigating allegations that the German railway group Deutsche Bahn has breached anti-trust rules that prohibit the abuse of a dominant market position.
The benefits – or not – of pursuing vertical integration.
Hands up everyone who is planning to travel by rail over Easter?
Chiltern passengers - put them down!
This from the Office of Rail Regulation...
RICHARD PRICE NAMED AS ORR’S NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE
The Office of Rail Regulation today announced that Richard Price is to be its next Chief Executive, succeeding Bill Emery who steps down in June.
Richard Price has significant experience of economic regulation through his jobs in Government (including being Chief Economist at both the Home Office and Defra) and in the private sector.
Richard led the Enterprise team in HM Treasury from 2002-6. This included leading on the Treasury’s relations with business, helping to shape the Hampton Review of regulation, which resulted in the rationalisation of the regulatory framework for UK business, and negotiating launch investment with the aerospace sector so as to ensure a commercial return for Government. More recently Richard has led a radical change programme at Defra, reorganising the department to meet its future challenges.
Welcoming the appointment on behalf of the ORR Board, Chair, Anna Walker said:
“I am delighted that Richard is joining us to lead ORR during a period of change for the whole rail sector. In doing so, he will be able to draw on a unique mix of relevant experience. As well as his expertise as a top government economist, Richard has a deep understanding of regulation from a private sector commercial viewpoint, knows how markets work and has hands-on experience of leading complex change.
“Richard will join ORR in May and will spend his first month immersing himself in the rail sector before taking up the reins from Bill Emery in June.”
Richard Price, who is currently Chief Economist and Director of Performance at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said:
“This is an exciting time to be joining the ORR. The rail sector has much to be proud of in terms of improved performance, safety and customer satisfaction. But it has to demonstrate that it can do even more at much lower cost to ensure the railways play their full part in our economy and society and that continuing public investment is fully justified.
“With the structure of the industry under the spotlight it is only right that the shape and focus of the regulatory framework is too. I look forward to engaging with the industry, its customers and funders, and other stakeholders – and of course working with my new colleagues at ORR on these important future challenges.”
The ORR also announced today that non executive directors Chris Elliott and Richard Goldson are standing down from its Board at the end of their current terms on 31 March 2011.
Commenting on the departures, Chair, Anna Walker said:
"I would like to express my and the Board’s warm thanks to Chris Elliott and Richard Goldson for the commitment and expertise they have both brought to the Office of Rail Regulation's Board over the past five years.
"Chris has been instrumental in guiding the regulator's approach to safety in particular, during a period which has seen safety on Britain's railways improve markedly. Richard's rail expertise has been invaluable in reaching decisions on the 2008 periodic review and in setting the foundations for the 2013 periodic review.
The ORR also today announced that the Secretary of State for Transport has reappointed director of rail policy Michael Beswick to its Board until 14 June 2014.
Commenting on the reappointment, Anna Walker said:
"I am delighted that Michael Beswick will remain on the Board for a further three years. His deep knowledge of the railways will be invaluable as we look forward to helping the rail industry deliver on recommendations from Sir Roy McNulty's forthcoming Value for Money Study."
Notes to editors:
1. Richard Price joined the Civil Service after gaining his MSc in Economics in 1989. He then spent four years at HM Treasury, before leaving to work as a consultant for NERA Economic Consulting, where he advised businesses and governments on the economic regulation of large infrastructure projects and utilities. In 1997 he returned to the Treasury as a senior policy adviser before moving to the Home Office as Chief Economist and then Strategy Adviser to the Permanent Secretary, working among other things on the funding and performance framework for the police. Richard was also a project director at the Prime Minister’s Performance and Innovation Unit in 2000-01.
2. Between 2002 and 2006 Richard led the Treasury’s Enterprise and Business team, working on the development of industry and enterprise policy to drive UK economic growth. This included putting government support for businesses on a more commercial basis, for example Launch Investment in Aerospace and the creation of the Capital for Enterprise, a publically-owned fund of funds providing finance for small businesses with strong growth prospects. Richard was closely involved in the Hampton Review which led to the rationalisation of the regulatory framework for business in the UK.
3. Most recently he has worked at Defra in the dual posts of Chief Economist and Director of Corporate Performance, where he leads a group of 230 staff. At Defra, Richard designed and implemented major changes in Defra’s organisation, delivery and strategy.
4. Under the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, appointments to the ORR Board are made by the Secretary of State for Transport. He has appointed Richard Price to the Board for five years from May 2011.
5. Richard Goldson OBE has been a non-executive Board member since 2 October 2006. He has spent his career working in the rail industry and held senior positions at the British Railways Board and National Express Group. His railways experience has been very valuable in shaping the Board’s regulatory approach.
6. Chris Elliott has been a non-executive Board member since 1 July 2007. He is an independent consultant and visiting professor, with expertise as a systems engineer and barrister, and extensive experience of rail and transport issues.
7. Michael Beswick is Executive Director, Rail Policy at ORR and has been a Board member since 20 March 2006. He holds an MSc in economics and has over 30 years’ experience of working in the railway industry, including roles in operations, planning and business management.
- ENDS -
This from the Yorkshire Rover...
I snapped this sign at Bradford Interchange today.
In the background is a Grand Central service awaiting departure for London.
According to the Open Access operator you can buy your ticket aboard their trains without penalty.
I wonder who is right?
UPDATE: This from a Mr Ed Chap...
Presumably this is all at the DfT's behest, to make it more difficult for the Open Access operators?
After all, WSMR has gone and I am sure some in Marsham Street would like the rest to disappear as well.
So. The battle for the country's hearts and minds over High Speed 2 is hotting up.
Latest into the fray is new campaign group Yes to High Speed Rail.
Led by David 'Beggy' Begg the new group has already signed up a legion of large underpanted individuals as members of its 'National Council'.
And of course Beggy himself is an industry big beast, listing his previous achievements on the new campaign's website...
...a former chairman of the Commission for Integrated Transport and has an international reputation as a commentator on transport issues. He is the non-executive chairman of Tube Lines, and is a former Director of the Centre for Transport Policy at Robert Gordon University , Aberdeen.
Ah! Tubelines.
A word to the wise.
Probably best not to ask London Underground for a reference when suggesting PPP as a funding option for the new railway...
UPDATE:This from Leo Pink...
So now we have the 'commentators' lining up in the HST2 wars.
But how does David Begg's 'international reputation' compare with Wolmar's 'enormous depth of knowledge'?
Can we look forward to a commentator's Top Trumps to settle the issue?
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