Railway Garden Competition - Barbican

This from a Dr Strabismus...


I attach a picture of the "Hanging Gardens of Barbican" for consideration in the Railway Gardens section of your highly esteemed e-organ.

TfL destined to repeat past mistakes?

This from Our International Correspondent...

No-one can accuse Transport for London of being obsessed with its own history (despite being trapped in ancient infrastructure).

This from a call to the London Transport Museum at Covent Garden yesterday afternoon ---

Hello, can I speak to one of the curatorial team please?

No, sorry, they only work on Mondays and Thursdays. Please call back.

MThO curators? Broken Britain indeed!

Railway Garden Competition - London Bridge

Transport Select Committee does Social Media!

Louise Ellman, the Chair of the Transport Select Committee, has taken to YouTube to promote an inquiry into High Speed 2



Evidence is being taken from 10:15 this morning - details here.

The Fact Compiler deeply approves of this use of new technology and not a broom cupboard in sight.

UPDATE: This from the Transport Select Committee...

The Committee has agreed to publish an independent review of the Government’s case for a High Speed Rail programme that was commissioned from an independent consultancy (Oxera).

The review is available on the Transport Committee's website High Speed Rail inquiry page.

Network Rail posts first experts overseas

This from Network Rail...

Who’s tougher? The Army, Air Force or Navy? In fact, it’s Network Rail. So proved our apprentices in the annual Junior Leaders Field Gun Competition, held at HMS Collingwood in Gosport, Hampshire.

In the ultimate battle of strength, endurance, speed, accuracy and team work, Network Rail apprentices forced the armed services to surrender. Fending off the strength of all three military services, our apprentices claimed victory for the third year running.

Good news indeed.

Especially for our hard pressed Armed Forces.

For Eye understands that the Royal Navy were most insistent on buying drinks for the victorious team.

Having taken the Queen's shilling, NR's bravest were last seen being bundled onto a flight to Afghanistan!

Pointless signs - Paddington Gap

The Fact Compiler is unsure whether the following actually happened, but as Eye has received images from two different sources supposes it must have!



Is anyone able to confirm that this marvelous existential statement was indeed seen on the Western?

UPDATE: This from the Globetrotter...

Whilst I cannot verify the Paddington art installation, I can confirm that something similar certainly happened at my local station back in the NSE era.

Supplied with suitable stencils for 'Mind the Gap/Step', the local painters managed to produce 'Step the Gap Mind'.

And if I recall rightly one of the words was upside-down to boot.

Department for Transport to be renamed - Official

Exciting news from the Department for Transport!

Following the success of the Marsham Street Mandarins in awarding the IEP and Thameslink rolling stock contracts, as well as sanctioning the move of East Coast's call centre to India, the Government has decreed that the DfT is to be renamed in line with its new corporate objectives.

From henceforth the DfT will be known as the Department for Transfer and it will be expected to transfer 100% of all UK rail jobs, rolling stock orders and franchises overseas.

Cowardly Custard was unavailable for comment as he is auditioning for the role of McCavity's Cat.

Surrender monkeys stifle Chunnel competition?

This from Lloyds Loading List...

Attempts by three French Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to gain exemption from European railway law for services through the Channel Tunnel have been met with fury from the UK Rail Freight Group (RFG), which claims the move could shut out competitors....

The RFG said proposed amendments to the First Railway Package Recast would “exempt Eurotunnel from all the requirements of liberalisation, including fair and open access, interoperability and equitable charging”.

Good to see the Frenchies remain committed to the ideal of a free market Europe.

Pointless signs - EMT Passenger Charter

EMT launches personal Sleepers - Shocker

Apparently those naughty Top Gear boys have been filming on the Great Central Railway!

This from the Leicester Mercury...


To avoid palpitations, members of the 'Elf 'n' Safety taliban do not need to tune in.

UPDATE: This from NR's Internet Rapid Rebuttal Unit...

I can say from personal experience that Mr Clarkson takes his railway health and safety very seriously.

Here is a picture from 2006 where Top Gear pointed out the foolishness of car drivers trying to better trains at level crossings.


Note Clarkson wearing not just one but two hard-hats and accompanied by ahem, me.

Network Rail Projects goes back to the future

Eye notices with interest that Network Rail is opening up to 'contestability'.

This from the FT:

Under the plans, Network Rail’s project planning unit will be turned into a separate business and forced to compete with outside bidders to design and manage engineering projects in the UK. It will also be encouraged to pitch for similar work outside Britain, possibly in fast-developing rail markets, such as the United Arab Emirates.

Interesting too that NR's Simon Kirby hopes that his Directorate will be able to offer NR's accumulated wisdom worldwide.

An idea that will resonate with those who recall the value of BR and LT's former international consultancy arms.

Pointless signs - Warwick

Pointless signs - Paddington

NR announces more Route MDs

This from Network Rail...

Route managing directors confirmed for more routes

With the next routes moving to a devolved structure in October 2011, new route managing directors for Kent & HS1, LNW and Wales have now been appointed. The new route managing director for Western has also been announced as a result of the changes in Wales. All roles will be designate until the routes go live.

Dave Ward has been appointed RMD, Kent & HS1; Jo Kaye, RMD LNW; Mark Langman, RMD Wales and, in due course, Patrick Hallgate will take up the role of RMD Western, which will no longer include Wales.

“We've seen some outstanding candidates for these roles,” said Robin Gisby, Managing Director, Network Operations.

Using an independent and objective approach, all candidates were assessed and rated against a comparable external benchmark, giving a clear picture of capability and potential for an RMD role.

“It's been a rigorous and challenging selection process,” he continued, “and I'm confident we have the right people to take up the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

- ENDS -

So where is Philip Hammond today?

So where is the Secretary of State today?

Eye finds it a little surprising that Petrol-head should be missing on the day when his department announced that a £1.5bn order for new trains is to be awarded to a German manufacturing plant.

An announcement that will result in many thousands of British voters losing their jobs.

A decision that will result in the death of train manufacturing in Derby after 160 years.

An order paid for by the taxpayer that has little to offer either British business or UK PLC.

A contract award that might have been explained to the whole rail industry at Railtex, but was instead disclosed by a junior minister in a written answer and in calls to selected hacks.

Eye is sure that the decision was made for sound reasons, but is surprised that the Secretary of State didn't see fit to make it himself?

UPDATE: This from Flat Cap and Whippet...

Buried in a Whitehall website, under business rates at ports and waste, you would have surely noticed that Hammond was having a jolly in a landlocked European country.

Who cares about thousands of British jobs, when one has a comprehensive air transport agreement to start negotiating with Moldova.

Thameslink fleet announced

BBC reporting that Siemens has won the contract for the Thameslink fleet.

More to follow...

If true, brave of cowardly-custard Petrol-head to make the announcement the day after he visited Railtex...

UPDATE: And here the DfT press release...

RAIL PASSENGERS TO BENEFIT FROM 1,200 NEW CARRIAGES

Rail passengers are set to benefit from less crowded and more frequent trains after Rail Minister Theresa Villiers today announced the next stage in a plan to build around 1,200 new rail carriages. The carriages will be used on the busy Thameslink route, allowing existing Thameslink carriages to be redeployed to relieve over-crowded rail routes across the country.

The £6bn Thameslink upgrade - of which the new carriages are a crucial part - will almost double the peak-time capacity on Thameslink's core central London section, allow longer trains to run and provide new fast and frequent London connections to towns and cities both north and south of the capital. The trains will also be lighter, more reliable and more energy efficient. The first new carriages will arrive in 2015.

Siemens Plc and XL Trains – a consortium comprising of Siemens Project Ventures GmbH, Innisfree Ltd and 3i Infrastructure Plc - have been appointed preferred bidder to build, own, finance and maintain the new trains. Siemens is already one of the leading suppliers of trains on British railways and employs around 16,000 people in the UK. The contract will create up to 2,000 new UK jobs. This includes work being created at Siemens' factory in Hebburn, Tyne and Wear, as well as in the rail industry supply chain. It also includes jobs at two maintenance depots for the new trains which, subject to planning permission, will be built at Three Bridges near Crawley and at Hornsey in the London Borough of Haringey. The Thameslink infrastructure works will employ an additional 3,000 people at the height of construction.

Theresa Villiers said:

“This is a major step forward for the long-awaited Thameslink Programme which will make life better for thousands of commuters. Today’s announcement is further proof of the Government’s commitment to investing in Britain’s future. Despite the pressure on budgets resulting from the need to tackle the deficit, we remain fully committed to the Thameslink upgrade which will dramatically improve journeys for commuters and boost the economy.

“The announcement of Siemens Plc and XL Trains as preferred bidder for this contract represents the best value for money for taxpayers. It will create around 2,000 new jobs and will provide Thameslink passengers with modern, greener and more reliable trains.

"The new trains are a major part of the Government’s commitment to introduce an additional 2,100 carriages on to the rail network by 2019. Once the new trains are delivered, current Thameslink rolling stock becomes available to improve rail services in the North West of England, the Thames Valley and other areas yet to be confirmed.

"The Thameslink Programme includes major improvements to central London stations such as Blackfriars, Farringdon and London Bridge. It will reduce crowding by almost doubling capacity on the central section of one Britain's busiest railways. Passengers will also get the benefit of a new generation of electric commuter trains operating at metro-style frequency levels during the morning and evening peaks through the central section."

- ENDS -

Railtex - day two

The Fact Compiler remains busy at Railtex.



And, with the whole industry, awaits todays announcement with interest...

Eye at Railtex

The Fact Compiler has been busy at Railtex

See what you've been missing here...



Still two more days in which to come down and join in the fun!

Pointless signs - Par

New trains - an historical perspective

On the 801st day without an order for new trains.

This with a bowler tip to British Railways.tv...

It's all 'elf and safety gone mad!