Shaken and stirred - NR Silver Ghost off to Royces

This from Rolls-Royce...

Rolls-Royce today announces the appointment of Barney Wyld as Director, Corporate Affairs. Barney will join Rolls-Royce later this year in a new enhanced role.

Barney is currently Group Director, Corporate Communications at Network Rail. He is responsible for all internal and external communications, public affairs and community contact and relations. Barney joined Network Rail from Unilever where he was Global Vice President, Communications. He was initially responsible for global media relations and digital channels and, after that, global employee engagement and stakeholder campaigns. Barney began his career as a speechwriter for a frontbench MP in the UK parliament.

Barney will leave Network Rail in 'about five months time'.

Of course, as any ful kno, some of Royces most important engineering facilities are to be found in Derby - which just happens to be the city at the Heart of the Railway industry!

Yet further proof, should it be needed, that all roads ultimately lead to the Shire. That is all.

Railway Garden Competition - Finsbury Park

This from Adam the Gardner...

Just south of Finsbury Park:

What a splendid scene of neglect.

Railway Garden Competition - Vauxhall

This also from a Mr Greg Tingey...

Vauxhall – between the Windsor Lines.

More please.

Railway Garden Competition - Stratford

This from a Mr Greg Tingey...

Stratford – westbound Central line is at left of picture, which is taken looking East (ish) – the Buddleia is growing up a good couple of yards or so!

Keep 'em coming.

EXCLUSIVE: Vote for the new Chair of the Transport Select Committee!

Time for an exciting new Eye poll!

Using your skill and judgement, select who you think should be the new Chair of the Transport Select Committee.

These are the Labour runner and riders, in no particular order (I see what you did there. Ed):

• Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South); 
• Bridget Phillipson (Houghton and Sunderland South); 
• Geraint Davies (Swansea West) 
• Clive Efford (Eltham); 
• Gavin Shuker (Luton South)

Note: The honour of Chairing the Transport Select Committee falls to the Red team, in line with Parliamentary arithmetic and as agreed today (alternative colours can be found on different select committees).

The poll is on the right hand menu bar...

Remember: Vote early, vote often!

Rachael Maskell MP - new Shadow Rail Minister

A big Railway Eye welcome to the new Shadow Rail Minister Rachael Maskell!

Ms Maskell is the Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for York Central and was first elected for the seat in 2015.

Biog details from Rachael's website:

Rachael graduated from the University of East Anglia with a degree in physiotherapy in 1994. On starting work, she rapidly became a trade union rep in the hospital, going on to becoming a Regional and then National Official for Unite, where she led many campaigns and was a strong voice in speaking out for those she represented.

On the national stage, Rachael led the union’s equality agenda, campaigning against discrimination and for equal pay. She then spent seven years representing the charity sector on improving voluntary organisations and the opportunities for those that work in the sector....

In September 2015, Rachael was appointed as a Shadow Defence Minister for Armed Forces Personnel and Veterans and served in this position for nine months before being appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2016.

Eye understands the portfolios for the rest of the Shadow Transport team are still being finalised.

RIA socks it to the man!

RIA supremo Darren Caplan has taken to Conservativehome in a push for more Treasury funding.

In the sponsored post Caplan argues:

An estimated shortfall of £500 million in Network Rail’s budget over the final 20 months of Control Period 5 is already translating into significant falls in renewals demand for contractors, primarily in the track, signalling and consultancy disciplines...

The problem we’re facing currently is particularly acute, because of high expenditure in the early years of the Control Period and partly because of increases in renewals unit rates. As a result, suppliers are reporting falls in demand of between 20 per cent and 45 per cent: this is already resulting in redundancies, short-time working, and reduced or frozen graduate and apprenticeship recruitment in the sector.

Furthermore, it is possible that some smaller or niche suppliers may not survive until Control Period 6 (which starts in April 2019) and some larger suppliers may choose to use resource in areas where there is a more stable workload – especially in the resurgent overseas railway market. This would reduce the supply chain available to Network Rail and potentially increase future costs....

So we hope the Treasury, and a supportive Chancellor, is willing and able find a way to address the current shortfall. Moving forward to a suitable funding mechanism needs to be found which avoids another repeat of the current situation again in five years’ time.

Indeed.

Although we might be in with more of a chance if NR hadn't already blown the CP5 budget...

Shaken and stirred: Andy Mellors

This from First Group...

FirstGroup and MTR announce that Andy Mellors has been appointed as Managing Director of the new South Western rail franchise, which launches on 20 August.

Andy Mellors has 25 years of experience in the industry. He has held a number of senior leadership roles since joining FirstGroup in 2002 and is currently Engineering Director and Deputy Managing Director at Great Western Railway, having previously held a similar role at First ScotRail. 

A good appointment and a loss to Great Western Railway

Branson outlines East Coast strategy - Shocker!

This from @Virgin...

Indeed.

Good effort @Virgin and an interesting picture choice.

Shaken and stirred: Long appointed CEO G&W (Freightliner)

This from Freightliner...

LONDON – Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) today announced the appointment of Gary R. Long as Chief Executive Officer of its UK/Europe operating region, which is led by the UK’s Freightliner. He succeeds Russell Mears, who will transition to the role of Senior Advisor in the third quarter of 2017.

Long was President and CEO of the North American freight railroad holding company OmniTRAX, Inc., prior to joining G&W in 2013. He has nearly 35 years of transportation industry experience, including roles related to rail, motor carrier, port, maritime and intermodal terminals, and currently heads one of G&W’s U.S. operating regions. “Gary’s strong operational, commercial and management background in the rail, trucking and maritime industries make him particularly well suited to lead G&W’s UK/Europe businesses,” says Jack Hellmann, G&W Chairman, President and CEO.

Eye welcomes the news of Mears' 'transition'. Whatever that may mean.

Hong Kong and UK railway procurement

Eye notes with interest that companies owned by the Chinese state are bidding for HS2 contracts.

Meanwhile, the same Chinese state is adopting an increasingly authoritarian approach towards Hong Kong citizens and has announced it has abandoned the joint declaration with Britain; the 1997 deal which guaranteed Hong Kong’s way of life and granted it a high degree of autonomy until 2047.

As a nation we still have a duty of care to the people of Hong Kong.

Whilst our options may be limited, it would be a great shame if our government rewarded China for this breach of faith with a slice of Britain's railway, or used UK taxes to procure Chinese manufactured equipment for HS2.

Just saying.

UPDATE: This from Howard Wade...

Having insisted on bidders for the West Coast Partnership including experience of high speed operations DfT seems to be taking a generous view of 'high speed' in the case of the Chinese team. 

The 300km/h plus experience of Trenitalia (FirstGroup) and SNCF (Stagecoach/Virgin) contrasts with the 200km/h quoted on the Guangshen Railway web-site.

'But Minister, think of the embarrassment if there were only two bidders for this flagship franchise'.

15,000 rail staff trained by Samaritans

This from the Samaritans...

15,000 rail staff trained by Samaritans in suicide prevention

Around 1 in 6 rail staff is now trained to prevent people taking their lives on the railway, as part of the suicide prevention partnership between Samaritans, Network Rail, British Transport Police (BTP) and the wider rail industry. Potentially life-saving interventions are increasing at the same time.

Between April 2016 and the end of March this year, 1,593* interventions were made across Britain’s rail network by staff, British Transport Police, local police and the public, an increase of 40 percent on the previous year.

In the same period, suicides and suspected suicides on the rail network dropped from 253 to 237**, showing a decline in rail suicides for the second year in a row. This is a fall of 18 percent in two years and 2016/17 represents the lowest yearly figure since 2010.

Good effort.

Alstom gears up for UK manufacturing

This from Alstom...

Alstom today opens the biggest and most sophisticated centre for train modernisation ever in the UK. In a major boost to the rail industry in the North West of the country, this facility was officially opened by Lord Prior of Brampton – Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and some of Alstom’s newest apprentices and graduates.

Of course, as any ful kno, Alstom are also hoping that the Widnes facility will give it the edge when bidding to supply new trains into the UK.

So it is good to see Alstom joining Hitachi and Bombardier in putting its money where its mouth is.

Come on Siemens, your turn next. (Unusual for the Germans to be late to a party. Ed)

The Case of the Chained Hound

The scene: A room at 221b Baker Street...

I say Holmes, what do you make of that whole VTEC thing? Pretty bullish of them to take so many hits on the nose?

But Watson, did you not notice the significance of Stagecoach’s reference in their market statement to Independent Economic Regulation?

Can't say I did Holmes, in fact I'm not even sure I saw the ORR mentioned at all.

That, Watson, is the significance.

Virgin déjà vu!

This from E. L. Bowe...

Stagecoach's apparent sang froid in the face of the Virgin Trains East Coast losses is easily explained - they have been here before.

An infrastructure owner fails to deliver upgrades vital to an ambitious intercity franchise plan?

Sounds familiar? Of course, it's the West Coast Route Modernisation debacle all over again.

True, Stagecoach and Virgin don't have the nuclear option of the WCML PUG2 contract which could have holed Network Rail below the waterline, but that's not needed when Network Rail is on the job, with vital capacity schemes like freight loops, Werrington grade separation and Woodwalton four tracking are sliding to the right and are now well into the second half of CP6 .

We'll know it really is groundhog day when Mr Kipling is recalled to descope the scheme and devise a rescue timetable.

UPDATE: Ministerial roles and responsibilities

Latest list of ministerial roles and responsibilities:

Secretary of State – Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP

• Oversight of all areas
• EU Exit

Minister of State – Rt Hon John Hayes CBE MP

• Legislation Minister, and Lead Minister for Parliamentary Liaison and Coordination
• Package Holiday Bill
• Autonomous and Electric Road Vehicles Bill
• Spaceflight Bill
• Contingency planning EU Exit
• Maritime, including London International Shipping Week
• Skills
• Taxis

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Dr Jesse Norman MP

• Strategic and local roads
• Road freight and safety
• Buses
• Cycling
• Light rail
• Devolution, including Northern Powerhouse
• Environment and Technology
• Housing

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Paul Maynard MP

• Rail
• Crossrail
• Smart Ticketing
• HS2 Policy and Legislation
• Accessibility (across all modes)
• Rail Security

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Lord Callanan

• Aviation
• International relationships
• Security
• Legislation in the House of Lords

East Coast - a franchise that keeps on giving

Stagecoach have published their results today.

And they make painful reading, with the company recording an £84.1m exceptional charge to provide for anticipated losses under the VTEC contract over the next two years and a £44.8m non-cash write down on the franchises value.

Chief Executive, Martin Griffiths, said: “We are engaged in discussions with the Department for Transport regarding our respective contractual rights and obligations under the current Virgin Trains East Coast franchise and reflecting the reprioritisation of Network Rail's infrastructure programme. 

"However, separately we have made financial provisions to reflect the short-term outlook for that business over the next two years, including in view of the weak growth environment affecting the UK rail sector as a whole. 

"We are disappointed to report losses at Virgin Trains East Coast. However, I am confident that we can return the business to profitability and build on the significant benefits we have delivered to date for customers and taxpayers."

Stagecoach remains optimistic that the franchise will be profitable by 2019.

Of course much of this may depend on whether NR can deliver on the upgrades to the ECML it promised in CP5? 

Oh, and a recast of the proposed Thameslink timetable?

We shall see.

Humza, I'm not sure that this is a great idea.

The SNP has decided to disaggregate the BTP!

Delighted to pass my first Bill with support from Greens. Will make Railway Policing more accountable & draw on wider pool of expertise

— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) June 27, 2017

Of course even in Scotland, it is rumoured that, fine Malts are watered down.

Why would you do this?

Amber Rudd, Chris Grayling, Tom Winsor, Philip Rutnam and Bernadette Kelly please note:

HANDS OFF OUR BOBBIES!

TSC: Farewell Ellman - runners and riders

This from Roger Ford...

Sad news from Westminster.

Under Parliamentary rules Select Committee chairs are limited to two Parliamentary terms, which means that a replacement must be found for Eye's favourite inquisitor Louise Ellman (Didn't we do this back in April? Ed)

Her modest, almost diffident, demeamour in the chair of the Transport Select Committee concealed a shrewd grasp of the issues and an interrogation technique which, unusually, generated more light than heat.

An abiding pleasure is her, and her Committee's dissection of DfT Permant Secretary Philip Rutnam over the Great Western Electrification Programme.

At her hearings you knew someone was in trouble when she gave them that quizical look over her spectacles before asking a seemingly simple question, which was often almost impossible to answer honestly without political fall out.

Louise - the railway industry will miss you!

UPDATE: Meanwhile, Eye understands that the following MPs are likely to appear on the ballot to be Labour's new chair of the Transport Select Committee:

• Lilian Greenwood (Nottingham South);
• Bridget Phillipson (Houghton and Sunderland South);
• Clive Efford (Eltham); and
• Geraint Davies (Swansea West)

Of course Eye is completely non-partisan about this election, so may the best man win! (Which in this case is Lilian Greenwood - a noted friend to the railway and its supply chain over many years. #JustSaying. Ed)

Alstom obtains ISO37001

Good news from Alstom...

Alstom obtains ISO 37001 certification for its anti-bribery management system

27 June 2017 – Alstom has obtained the first AFAQ ISO 37001 certification awarded by AFNOR Certification following an audit carried out between March and May 2017 at seven sites in France and Europe, confirming its commitment to fight corruption.

The international standard ISO 37001, introduced in October 2016, advocates a series of measures to help organisations of all sizes, both private and public, to prevent, detect and tackle bribery through the implementation of an anti-bribery management system.

Move along people, nothing to see here.