Villiers vignettes - Rolling stock procurement

This from Cruella...

Maria Eagle (Garston and Halewood, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2011, Official Report, column 1021W, on rolling stock, how much her Department will spend on new passenger rolling stock in each year of the current spending review; and to which franchises such rolling stock will be deployed.

Theresa Villiers (Minister of State)
holding answer 1 March 2012 - The Government do not directly invest in rolling stock. This is a matter for the train leasing companies.

Splutter!!!

Eurostar causes Catwalk Catastophe

Big disruption to Eurostar services following yesterday's OHLE problems in France.

Judging by media coverage the only people affected were numerous Luvvies returning from the Paris Fashion Show (Yawn! Ed).

Prize for the top headline goes to Malta Today...

Eurostar delay angers fashionistas

From comments on Facebook and Twitter, leading models, designers and fashion label faces, talked about the distress caused by the delay.


Where is Derek Zoolander when you need him?

Command Paper to be published Friday?

According to today's lobby briefing...

Justine Greening will publish the Government response to the Sir Roy McNulty report on Friday.

So now you know...

UPDATE: This from one or two others...

No, the Command Paper will be published on Thursday! (You pays your money you takes your choice... Ed.)

BTP now armed at major stations

Sad to say police officers with firearms are now set to become the norm at major stations.

As pictured at St Pancras on Friday...


Eye shares the concern of others, including the World's Greatest Living Transport Correspondent, about this development which does little to reassure and serves only to create a climate of intimidation and fear.

Although, to be fair, this particular BTP officer was charm itself, despite his clutching a device with the power to make quite a hole in one's diary...

UPDATE: This from the Archer...

I assume the officer in question was on riot patrol...

What with the soi disant 'veteran observer' and others making an emotional return to Derby post the IMechE Luncheon.

Man fails to put kettle on - keeps job

Exciting news from the National Railway Museum!

According to the Yorkshire Post...

THE director of the National Railway Museum in York has confirmed he will stay in his job despite previously saying he would “fall on his sword” if the troubled restoration of the Flying Scotsman was not completed in time for a high-profile event next month.

Mr Davies announced this week that the Flying Scotsman would not be available for a major event at Barrow Hill in North Derbyshire, which would have seen the locomotive on show alongside the Mallard, Blue Peter, and the recently-constructed Tornado, even though tickets have already been sold.

Quite so.

Whoever heard of a Civil Servant actually resigning over anything?

No matter.

In happier news, Eye's International Correspondent has commissioned a Limited Edition Flying Scotsman model from Hornmann Models.

He assures collectors that it is utterly faithful to the preserved loco in as-seen condition.

Pointless signs - Battle

As nice an example of meaningless Newspeak as you are likely to see.


Anything wrong with the good old fashioned - Out of Order?

Railway Garden - Saltash Bridge

Welcome to the 2012 Railway Garden competition!


Good to see that Isambard's bridge is getting a lick of paint.


Perhaps between brush strokes someone could get the garden loppers out?

Pointless signs - Abroad

This from Snapper, out East somewhere...

I thought Eye readers might enjoy this picture from Asia.


Judging by the placement of this disabled sticker I reckon it's worth having a punt on the Thai team in this years Paralympics.

Pointless signs - Parson Street

This from a Mr Ethridge...

This pointless sign was photographed at Parson Street station a few days ago.


I feel the "For further information please call..." is a particularly nice touch to a sign with no actual content.

Pointless signs - East Coast

This from His & Mine...

Lavatory door of East Coast HST vehicle 41044 taken today.


The loo is working fine.

Ian Allan and the key to success?

Eye understands that the Ian Allan stable of magazines, which includes Modern Railways and Railways Illustrated, has been sold.

The new owner is Key Publishing of Stamford, better known for its aviation titles.

As Captain Deltic is no doubt saying, as he jumps up and down with excitement... Chocks Away!

Pointless signs - XC misses the point!

Eye salutes the crew of 1V50 (or possibly 1Z50).


Clear, concise and relevant information displayed.

And the technology did not get the better.

Good effort!

ORR statement on Grayrigg

This from the Office of Rail Regulation...

Grayrigg statement

Please find below Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) statement issued following today’s first hearing of the ORR prosecution against Network Rail for breaches of health and safety law which caused a train to derail near Grayrigg in February 2007, killing one person and injuring 86 people.

A spokesperson for the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) said:

"The Office of Rail Regulation's prosecution of Network Rail for breaches of health and safety law which caused a train to derail near Grayrigg in February 2007, killing one person and injuring 86 people, had its first hearing today at Lancaster Magistrates’ Court.

"Network Rail pleaded guilty to one charge under section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The court has committed Network Rail to Preston Crown Court where a sentencing hearing will take place on 2 April 2012.

"Our thoughts are with the family of Mrs Margaret Masson and all those involved in this incident. ORR will do everything it can to ensure that the prosecution proceeds as quickly as possible."

For further information on the prosecution, please see the press notice issued at the start of the criminal proceedings against Network Rail on 13 January 2012.

ENDS

Captain Deltic lauds Terry Miller MBE

The normally camera shy Captain Deltic was out and about yesterday contributing to a BBC 4 programme.

"Off to record a BBC programme about HST this morning. Don't usually do TV but make an exception for getting HST creators their due credit." he tweeted.

So let Eye add its own birthday congratulations to the High Speed Train, the prototype of which rolled off the production line in June 1972.

A mere 22 months, and £800,000, after it was authorised by the British Railways Board.

HST - 40 years and still going strong!

Where as IEP - over £70 million* and just plain wrong!

*Based on DfT consultants fees, plus bidding costs.

Refurbishing a train in three minutes

There's a nice time-lapse video over on Southern's website showing the refurbishment of a class 377 vehicle in 3 minutes.

Sadly it isn't embeddable so no chance of it going viral (railway PRs please note for future reference!).

No matter.

Eye's man in Croydon with the green ink writes:

"It's a really good vfm project (in-house, no long trips extending the non-availability of the unit etc etc)."

Good effort.

Pointless signs - St Pancras

Bombardier turns back on UK supply chain?

This from a Mr Tony Miles...

I see that the Captain of Netball has issued a written ministerial statement today on Crossrail procurement.

In it Ms Greening says:

My department has been working with colleagues across Whitehall, and suppliers and delivery bodies to implement these recommendations. Across the transport sector we want to improve dialogue with suppliers and increase the long-term visibility of forthcoming contracts in order to strengthen the capability of the UK supply chain....

The Invitation to Negotiate includes requirements for ‘responsible procurement’. This means that bidders are required to set out how they will engage with the wider supply chain and provide opportunities for training, apprenticeships, and small and medium size businesses within their procurement strategy. Bidders are also required to establish an appropriate local presence to manage the delivery of the contract.

And quite right too!

But what's this?

Rail Business Intelligence revealed last week that Bombardier is looking to source the electrical components for its Project Thor/eVoyager proposal from Sweden rather than Alstom in Preston!

The pleas for support for "The UK's last train builder" and all the stuff about supporting the local economy no doubt now seem rather hollow to the people of Preston and the Alstom workforce there.

I trust that MPs and union members who joined business leaders to campaign for the allocation of work to the Derby facility will bear this in mind should Crossrail not go Bombardier's way?

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...

Since the value added, high tech expensive stuff in a train is under the floor, the choice of traction package could have a big influence under the new Greening Doctirne of Responsible Procurement.

Might be worth running down the list of pre-qualified bidders for Crossrail to see if any of the train manufacturers hasn't got an in-house traction package supplier.

Olé!

Sleeper sunk by soggy loan?

This from The Herald...

The UK Treasury had offered a £50m contribution to upgrading the sleeper contingent on this being matched by the Scottish Government. The revelation in The Herald today that the Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney has rerouted this £50m to enable Scottish water to accelerate capital expenditure must raise questions about the future of the sleeper service.

As Gideon's £50m bung to keep the Deerstalker Express on the rails was dependent on match funding from the Scottish Executive this may get interesting.

Siemens fights back on Thameslink

This from the Independent...

Juergen Maier, head of Siemens' UK arm, told The Independent that media coverage had been "biased", that 2,000 British jobs would be created, and that rival Bombardier should accept that this is "a competitive world".

Ah!

The old '2,000 British jobs' ploy.

Would it be churlish to point out that these 2,000 maintenance and depot jobs would have been created by whomsoever had won the Thameslink contract?

Meanwhile, only Bombardier offered to manufacture the new trains in Britain, whilst Siemens plan to build the Thameslink fleet in Germany.

Perhaps Herr Maier can tell us precisely how many British jobs that will create?

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic, who raises a quizzical eyebrow....

2000 maintenance and depot jobs? for 1200 vehicles?

Perhaps 200?

Pointless signs - SWT Class 458 loo

This from the Grim Reaper...


Perhaps this is here to warn against any attempt to recover wandering bog brushes?