Bombardier puts monkeys in front of typewriters

Exciting news from Bombardier!

As the recession bites the rolling stock manufacturer is now getting passengers to design their own trains!

According to the HYVE Innovation Community in Munich...

We, the HYVE Innovation Community in collaboration with Bombardier Transportation, are hosting the “YouRail – Visions of modern transportation” - online design competition.

The contest which runs from 26th October to mid-December is all about visionary designs that help create a unique new interior of a future train and that satisfy the special needs of different types of passengers (e.g. leisure or business).

A highlight is an online configurator by which users can develop their custom-made train seat in 3-D.

The monetary prizes and gifts for the winners and most active participants amount to a total in excess of 10,000 Euros with the winning design being presented at InnoTrans 2010.

Eye hopes lots of readers will want to help Bombardier reduce costs design their own trains.

And don't worry if you know absolutely nothing about rolling stock design.

Nor does DafT but it specified the IEP - the contract for which still hasn't been signed...

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...

If Ian Walmsley finds out about this the web site will probably crash.

But perhaps they have filters to prevent people designing subversive seats that people might enjoy sitting in?

Ben Fisher RIP

This obituary from the Grauniad...

Ben Fisher, who has died unexpectedly aged 45, was an inspiring teacher of French at Bangor University and the creator of one of the most visited railway websites in the world, the Welsh Highland Railway Project.

Visit Ben's website here.

UPDATE: This from Bushy...

Eye readers may be interested to know that there is a memorial service for Ben in Powis Hall, Bangor at 18:00 on Monday 23 November.

Golden Whistle Awards launched

Modern Railways is to celebrate best railway operating practice with Golden Whistle Awards.

More details at the MR website.

About time too!

UPDATE: This, surprisingly enough, from the late Mr Churchward...

Is someone having a larf?

The GW Awards?

Involving a whistle!

"Sir, we do not blow whistles at people from Newbury."

On whose say so?

No, no, no, no, no!

EU representatives have said that if Mr Blair became President of the EU Council he would expect to travel in a cavalcade and all local traffic to be halted when he made a 'state visit' to member countries.

And when, pray, did we get a say in any of this?

Pointless signs - St Andrew's Road

Southern unveils... Captain Permatan

This exciting news from Southern...

The Marketing team have been working with a top advertising agency (sic), who are responsible for the ‘118’ and ‘Compare the Meerkat – Compare the Market’ television adverts.

Our campaign will feature a brand new Southern character ‘Captain Permatan’, a Mexican wrestler who is passionate about trains…(is this right? Ed)


Perhaps Captain Permatan's first task should be to try and rescue doomed sister franchise London Midland?

WSMR doomed?

This from Railnews...

WSMR Managing director Andy Hamilton said: ‘Considering the current revenue position of Wrexham & Shropshire and the pressure put on the business by the current economic climate, I can confirm that if the ATW 38th Supplemental Agreement is approved it is very likely that DB Regio UK will cease funding and it is likely that Wrexham & Shropshire will immediately withdraw from the market.'

Perhaps time to recall the wise words of Beardie himself, after Virgin waved the white flag and withdrew its own plans to serve stations along the WSMR route earlier this year:

In return, I think that the people of Shrewsbury should now receive firm assurances from DB and W&S that they will continue to run this service for years to come.

Perhaps just as well such assurances were never made...

UPDATE: This just in from Scotch Corner...

According to the Railnews story the person leading ATW's London service bid is one Mike Bagshaw.

Could this be the same Mike Bagshaw who was previously Commercial Director at Chiltern?

Strange but true!

2009 Railway Garden Competition - Malaysia

This just in from Paul Bigland....

I'm back in the UK now and thought you'd like these images for the international railways gardens.

They were taken in Malaysia on what is known as the 'jungle' railway. The first shot is at Gemas.

The second much further up North near Kuala Perlis, where the chaps are indulging in a bit of jungle clearance with petrol powered strimmers.


Enjoy!

Specialists prove pope catholic - shocker!

This from the department of the bleedin' obvious and posted round various depots...

SPECIAL NOTICE

Seasonal Weather Warning

Advance reports from Network Rail weather specialists indicate that the Southern region may experience more adverse autumnal conditions during the coming few days.

To remind you, this may lead to the trees shedding their leaves and you experiencing low rail adhesion conditions.

No shit Sherlock!

Revolution's top ten tweeters

New-media savy Richard Baker makes it into Revolution's top ten tweeters

@richard_baker General Manager for Virgin Trains Liverpool, N Wales & Chester to London. Passionate about leadership, service, social media and innovation.

Good effort and congratulations.

UPDATE: This from a Mr Saltaire...

How times have changed…

Imagine this; You’re the boss of a company. You walk into an office full of your employees and you find they are all sitting at their computers Twittering…

Question is, do you congratulate them – or fire them!?!??

First Directly Operated Railways

Rumours on the interweb that FCC's Customer Services Director is to join DOR.

Mutterings from other owner groups that First Class Partnerships is aptly named.

Railway not getting its message across!

Total Politics has published its list of Top 100 Public Affairs Professionals.

Sigh!

Spot the missing industry.

UPDATE: This from the Major...

That the Falkland Islands should make it into the Top 100 puts the railway's lobbying failure into perspective.

Where's a soi disant veteran observer when you need one...?

Mixed trains return to the ECML?

Telegrammed by our Independent Expert
Looks like hard-up NXEC is bringing back mixed trains.

Senior Conductor on a packed HST from Newcastle this afternoon:

Will people with bulky luggage please tell the guard who will lock it away in the brake van...

Presumably with the pigs, chickens and smokey anthracite stove?

UPDATE: This from Shiny Shoes...

Just curious why a 'senior conductor' was working a NXEC HST (or any of their trains for that matter) as such grade does not exist on NX.

Admirably and sensibly NX use the correct term guard.

The term senior conductor was part of the 'train crew' concept of the 80's that sought to bring some promotional steps to the role... (cont p94).

In any event, as far as the public were concerned the term senior conductor was all a bit silly, there being no 'junior conductor' on any train worked by a SC.

Level crossings - a request for consistency

Network Rail has been busy reminding drivers and pedestrians of the dangers of level crossing abuse.

Such as this story from the BBC...

Network Rail has released footage of pedestrians risking their lives at a level crossing in Dorset, including a mother pushing her baby in a pram.

A video shows the woman running across the track with her child moments before a train passed.

Iain Coucher, Network Rail chief executive, said: "The rules around level crossings are clear and simple.

"When the lights flash or the barriers are down, don't cross - a train is approaching."

However, this particular footpath crossing is not gated and the miniature warning lights, of either hue, are steady and do not flash.

Which means that here the 'clear and simple' rules don't actually apply.

And if they don't apply then the rules are not consistent.

Inconsistent safety messages and procedures actually import risk rather than reduce it.

Yet one more reason to undertake a thorough review of the methods by which level crossing users are alerted to on-coming rail traffic.

UPDATE: This from @swlines via Twitter

Although the crossing in question does have a siren that goes off before it goes red.

And that CCTV vid is from signal box.

Friday safety briefing

This from 'Is 1A03 out of Chester yet, Bert?'

Can you spot the significant safety failing in this video?



That's correct. The hard hat has not been secured by a chin strap.

A beautiful city...

This from the National Rail website:

Engineering work affecting Arriva Trains Wales from Monday 19 until Friday 23 October 2009

Start date	19/10/2009
End date	23/10/2009
Route Affected
TOC Affected	Arriva Trains Wales
Description	The following changes will apply: Monday only 23:22 Chester to Manchester Piccadilly will be diverted via Norwich. A bus will run between Chester and Manchester Piccadilly. Journey times will be extended by up to 65 minutes

The Fact Compiler's flabber is well and truly gasted.

RMT claims mass dismissal threat

This from the RMT...

RAIL UNION RMT revealed today that Network Rail have threatened to sack their entire maintenance workforce of 13,000 and to re-employ a reduced number of workers on new terms and conditions in a bid to bulldoze through a multi-billion pound cuts package.

Gosh!

Twitter news

According to the Hansard Society...

• Percentage of Conservative MPs on Twitter: 6%

• Percentage of Labour MPs on Twitter: 13%

• Percentage of Liberal Democrat MPs on Twitter: 24%

Just thought you might like to know.

Kettle heaven

The A1 Truss appears to be rewriting history...



Good effort!

Pointless signs - RVAR edition