First but possibly not for freight

Industry and Twitter sources suggesting GBRf may be looking for a new home.

Freightliner GBRf anyone?

How the media works...

Eye yesterday...

Torygraph today (actually tomorrow if you still pay for it).

Nice to see the Telegraph using credible sources.

Chartered Institution irony

The following amusing email has just arrived from the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation

Reminder - cancellation of 14 April presentation

Dear Colleagues

Just a reminder to advise that unfortunately this event has been cancelled this evening, as notified below.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

And the title of the cancelled meeting?

The 'Advantage of Hindsight'!

White joins Stagecoach

This from TransportXtra...

Former National Express Group chief executive Phil White is to join Stagecoach's board as a non-executive director.

Souter circling NatEx?

Thin Controller's election Pilgrimage of Grice

The Thin Controller is out and about on the network this month.


To help voters keep tabs on the unelected Secretary of State the Labour party has created a special website covering this latest Pilgrimage of Grice.

As policy is evidently being formulated on the hoof - Adonis used Monday's visit to Sheffield to concede the Battle of the Barriers - this should make for some interesting announcements en-route.

Eye would welcome details of said as well as any pictures or observations that might not make it on to Labour's official site...

UPDATE: This just in from Only2misters...

Thanks for providing a link to Labour's 'Pilgrimage of Grice' mini-site.

However, you may be interested to see from the screen-grab below that NR sees this as 'potentially damaging' content and a possible 'security threat'.


Indeed!

UPDATE: This from Leo Pink...

Could not Eye itemise the miracles the Thin Micro-manager has wrought on his Pilgrimage of Grice?

Having had the casting out of the gates at Sheffield can we expect the miracle of the bodyshells and bogies which create 202 DMU vehicles?

Sadly the resurrection of IEP is probably beyond divine providence.

First for ruining the pleasure of rail travel

This from the BBC...

The first on-board TV service for train travellers in the UK has begun.

The service, which passengers have to pay for, has been introduced on some high-speed trains operated by the First Great Western (FGW) rail company

Presumably to ensure picture quality FGW will now dispense with cleaning train windows?

UPDATE: This from @cbuchanancubed, via Twitter...

On train entertainment - First Great Western fail to spot market moved on years ago eg laptops playing DVDs

UPDATE: This from a Mr Saltaire...

As reported on The Eye (and the BBC), I sampled the Volo equipment on a First HST today..... it’s rubbish!

The content is all repeats of old TV shows, and the equipment is in one coach (D) of Standard Class only.

Alas, our elected representatives (but not our brave boys) look set to be spared this indignity.

UPDATE: This from @tonyveitchUK, via Twitter..

GWR always different, eh?

GNER, GC, Amtrak, DB, Virgin, etc must have been barking up wrong tree.

LibDem Manifesto - Transport section

This from the LibDems manifesto launched today...

public transport you can rely on
Britain needs a well-run, efficient transport system.

Public transport is an important part of a fair society and the best way to cut carbon emissions from transport without trying to limit people’s opportunities to travel.

We want to improve the experience for the traveller and cut carbon emissions.

We will:

• Switch traffic from road to rail by investing in local rail improvements, such as opening closed rail lines and adding extra tracks, paid for by cutting the major roads budget.
• Cut rail fares, changing the contracts with Train Operating Companies so that regulated fares fall behind inflation by 1 per cent each year, meaning a real-terms cut.
• Make Network Rail refund a third of your ticket price if you have to take a rail replacement bus service.
• Overhaul Network Rail to put the interests of passengers first and bring it under the Freedom of Information Act to make it more open.
• Set up a UK Infrastructure Bank to invest in public transport like high speed rail.
• Give councils greater powers to regulate bus services according to community needs so that local people get a real say over routes and fares.
• Include the promotion of safer cycling and pedestrian routes in all local transport plans.

restricting aviation growth
The emissions from rising aviation are a serious problem in the fight against climate change. But in some more remote parts of the country, flights are a vital lifeline, and aviation is important for the economy as a whole.

Liberal Democrats believe that we should do all we can to ensure people use alternatives where that makes sense.

We will:

• Replace the per-passenger Air Passenger Duty with a per-plane duty (PPD), so capturing freight movements by air for the first time.
• Introduce an additional, higher rate of PPD on domestic flights for which alternative and less polluting travel is readily available.
• Cancel plans for the third runway at Heathrow and any expansion of other airports in the South East.

a fair deal for motorists
Our planned expansion of public transport will provide much-needed alternatives to private cars, and cut carbon emissions.

However, in many places there will always be a need for car travel, so we need to ensure that it is as environmentally friendly as possible.

We will:

• Work through the EU for a zero emissions target for all new cars by 2040 and extend targets to other vehicles.
• Undertake preparations for the introduction of a system of road pricing in a second parliament. Any such system would be revenue neutral for motorists, with revenue from cars used to abolish Vehicle Excise Duty and reduce fuel duty, helping those in rural areas who have no alternatives to road travel. Some of the revenue from lorries
• would be used to fund further extensions of high speed rail through the UK Infrastructure Bank.
• Introduce a rural fuel discount scheme which would allow a reduced rate of fuel duty to be paid in remote rural areas, as is allowed under EU law.

Still no mention of Thameslink or indeed Crossrail in this one...

Pointless signs - Baker Street

With a bowler tip to @swlines, via Twitter.

Merseyrail's grand Grand National

Unnoticed by most of the industry Merseyside operator Merseyrail pulled off quite a coup over the extended Grand National weekend.

This from PR man Rudi...

For us of course, it was our opportunity to show to the casual user what we are about.

Eye readers may be interested to know that we doubled services on the Aintree route to 8 trains an hour in each direction.

We also laid on all sorts of entertainment such as Juice FM broadcasting their programmes from the station and entertaining the waiting hordes, give-aways (remember the flipflops for ladies day?), extra toilets (with dedicated cleaners to keep them salubrious) etc etc.


Over the 3 days we had very little delays and even fewer trains failing PPM; in fact on Saturday, in spite of all the extra trains and the crowds, our network PPM was 93.95%...

And here is our MD Bart Schmeink's thank you to staff:

Hi all,

Thank you so much for another great Grand National performance by you all over the last three days.

We've had more passengers than ever before, even more then in our record year 2008.

First indication is that more than 100.000 passengers travelled with us over the three days.


The whole system worked as smoothly as a swiss watch with all our units in service and every station chipping in.

Our overall performance, including our showbiz X factor at Aintree, has pushed our reputation on Merseyside to new heights.

I know I shouldn't push it, by saying I'd like to have the Grand National every day but then again these 3 days seem to get the best out of everyone.

Thank you so much for a great performance, a great day and another truly remarkable grand national event.

All the best Bart

Good effort.

Don't mention the 'T' word

Telegrammed by Our Man at 222 Marylebone Road
Noticeably missing from both the Labour and Conservative manifesti is any commitment to Th*m*sl*nk.

This project is, of course, fully funded in Control Period 4 which ends on 31 March 2014.

But with London Bridge remodelling and the new train fleet deliveries running through to the end of 2016 - two years into CP5 (the Control Period of Doom) - Thameslink appears at serious risk of truncation.

And that's before the great experiment of resignalling with ETCS plus an ATO overlay for 24 trains/hour.

With CP5 promising massive cut-backs in railway funding is this mass aversion to the 'T' word an augury?

London's newest railway opens Thursday

This just in from The Sleeper...

It's not every day a new Overground line opens...

At 10:00 this Thursday the Mayor of London, BoJo the Great, will re-open the extended East London line and travel by special train from Dalston Junction to Shoreditch High Street.

As BoJo will be acompanied by the great and the good of the Metropolis, as well as myriad hacks, the occasion is expected to be marked in some style.

City Hall organisers are optimistic that this can be achieved by tying former mayor Ken Livingstone across the newly laid tracks.

UPDATE: This from a mildly annoyed Mizter T...

It would be rather churlish to tie ex-Mayor Ken to the tracks given that he is the reason the East London Line Extension project actually got off the ground in the first place, along with engineering the transfer of the lines that now make up TfL's London Overground from former operator Silverlink (aka Silverstink - at least when it came to their Metro operation).

One rather doubts Boris even knew where Dalston was until a couple of years ago - he certainly can't pronounce it right, calling it "Dahlston" when it is in fact "Dawlston".

Regardless, this ain't his doing by any measure!

Exciting news from Infrarail - Eye Exclusive

The Eye has been overwhelmed by the volume of exciting news from Infrarail.

Bringing together the great and the good of the infrastructure maintenance and renewal worlds this must attend event starts today at the NEC, Birmingham, and continues until Thursday.

A crack team of industry journalists are attending and Eye is delighted to have received this exclusive picture from the assembled hacks and their photographer.

Whilst not technically within the footprint of the show Eye has been assured that this particular part of the NEC site has been swamped by attendees and exhibitors alike.


For some reason the picture was captioned "Please can we go home now?".

Conservative manifesto: Transport section

This from the Tories manifesto launched today...

Create a modern transport network
A rebalanced economy requires an extensive and reliable infrastructure. but transport has been a low priority for Labour, and the hassle of getting around is bad for business, bad for families and bad for everyone’s quality of life.

A Conservative government will begin work immediately to create a high speed rail line connecting London and Heathrow with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. This is the first step towards achieving our vision of creating a national high speed rail network to join up major cities across England, Scotland and Wales. Stage two will deliver two new lines bringing the north east, Scotland and Wales into the high speed rail network.

Because travel abroad is so important for our economy and for family holidays, we need to improve our airports and reduce the environmental impact of flying. Our goal is to make Heathrow airport better, not bigger. We will stop the third runway and instead link Heathrow directly to our high speed rail network, providing an alternative to thousands of flights. In addition, we will:
• block plans for second runways at Stansted and Gatwick; and,
• reform air Passenger Duty to encourage a switch to fuller and cleaner planes.

To improve life for commuters and encourage people to switch to lower carbon public transport, we will reform our railways to provide a better focus on tackling problems that matter most to passengers, such as overcrowding. We will grant longer, more flexible rail franchises to incentivise private sector investment in improvements like longer trains and better stations.

We support Crossrail and the electrification of the great Western line to South Wales. We will turn the rail regulator into a powerful passenger champion and reform Network Rail to make it more accountable to its customers. and we will introduce a moratorium on building on disused rail lines still in public ownership, so they are available to be re-opened.

Britain has the chance to lead the world in making our transport system greener. So we will introduce incentives for electricity network operators to establish a new national car recharging network, making it much easier for drivers to move to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. We will support sustainable travel initiatives that work best for local communities by:
• giving the concerns of cyclists much greater priority;
• encouraging partnerships between bus operators and local authorities; and,
• helping people cut down on work-related travel.

We will stop central government funding for new fixed speed cameras, and switch to more effective ways to make our roads safer, including authorising ‘drugalyser’ technology for use in testing for drug-driving. We will make companies that dig up our roads accountable for the congestion they cause and crack down on rogue clampers. Councils will get more powers to get traffic flowing more smoothly.

We will consult on the introduction of a ‘fair fuel Stabiliser’. this would cut fuel duty when oil prices rise, and vice versa. it would ensure families, businesses and the whole British economy are less exposed to volatile oil markets, and that there is a more stable environment for low carbon investment.

Libertarians will be delighted to see an increase in Police stop and search powers proposed by the following:

We will introduce mobile knife scanners on streets and public transport, and extend the length of custodial sentences that can be awarded in a Magistrates’ Court from six to twelve months.

LibDems tomorrow...

UPDATE: This from James MacIntyre blog over at the Staggers...

The Tories say "We support Crossrail [and the electrification of the Great Western Line to South Wales]."

In contrast, the Labour commitment states: "We will complete the new east-west Crossrail line in London adding ten per cent to London transport capacity."

One more hard saving to add to Captain Deltic's spreadsheet?

UKIP manifesto - Transport section

This from the UKIP manifesto launched today...

UKIP believes the British people have a right to a reliable public and private transport system at an acceptable cost. UKIP will invest in a transport network that meets the needs of the British people and Britain’s economy. UKIP will:

• Invest an extra £3 billion p.a. in the UK’s transport infrastructure, using money made available by leaving the EU and saving the £6.4 billion net Britain pays every year in EU membership contributions
• Invest in an enhanced and safer road network, building new bypasses and widening major roads
• Offer a ‘Windfall Return’ on fuel duty above a set world dollar oil price. When this level is reached, government receipts from oil duties will be returned to motorists as fuel tax cuts
• Be fair to motorists by subjecting parking charges and revenue-raising devices, including speed cameras, to greater democratic control
• Repeal EU-generated road directives that
• impose unnecessary and expensive burdens, such as the new Road Transport Directive
• Introduce a ‘Britdisc’ which foreign lorries will have to pay for using major British roads.
• Currently, many of these lorries pay nothing for the wear and tear they cause
• Veto EU attempts to force the UK into accepting EU lorries that are a third longer and a third heavier than currently allowed - up to an unacceptable 60 tonnes
• Invest in three new 200mph plus high-speed rail lines including a new line between London and Newcastle with a spur to Manchester, a London-Bristol-Exeter line and a linking route via Birmingham
• Expand the rail network by re-opening rail lines where there is a proven need
• Improve passenger rail franchises by demanding higher standards of customer satisfaction, and by extending standard franchise terms to up to 20 years to encourage greater investment and stability
• Encourage a major transfer of freight away from road and onto rail and canal
• Invest in better rail and road links to ports
• Oppose a sixth Heathrow Airport terminal and third runway and the expansion of Gatwick and Stansted in favour of a major new Hong Kong-style Thames Estuary airport with motorway connections and a high-speed rail service to London, the UK and the Continent

This of course provided as a special Eye service to the three of you who intend voting for them.

UPDATE: This from Paddy O'Wigwam...

Eye readers may be interested to know that David Campbell Bannerman, UKIP's Deputy Leader and MEP for East of England, was formerly ATOC's head of communications (1997-99).

A platform to oblivion if ever there was one.

UPDATE: This from the Master...

What - you mean to say that bricking up the UK end of the Channel Tunnel isn't a key plank of their platform?

Monkey about on the railway at your peril

This with a bowler tip to the IRRU...

Last week the BBC reported that a Capuchin Monkey had escaped from a Cumbrian wildlife park.

This from yesterday's NR log

*** 12/04/10 13:28 #QRP8227 *** CREATED

12:40 Police Marksman have requested services to be suspended at Askam as they require to shoot a Capuchin ape that is hanging from a tree over the running lines at Askam.

12:55 Police Marksman informs the caution can be lifted as the Capuchin ape has left site

Evidently NR is taking a much firmer line on trespass and vandalism.

Battle of the barriers - Sheffield falls!

This from passenger and pedestrian champion Richard Malins...

Lord Adonis was in Sheffield yesterday.

The Sheffield Central constituency, which includes the station, is a Lib Dem/Labour marginal and the former Labour MP Richard Caborn is standing down.

It is being contested by Paul Scriven, leader of the City Council, for the Lib Dems, and the ticket barrier scheme is a political embarrassment to the Labour candidate as it has become a serious local issue.

Adonis announced that it will not proceed, pending the creation of an alternative pedestrian footbridge route, and EMT has announced that they have been relieved of the franchise obligation.

No shit Sherlock!

Could this volte-face by the Noble Lord be in anyway connected with events on the 6th May?

UPDATE: This from 28481k, via Twitter...

Hurray, so Park Hills regeneration project is saved (for access, for now)!

UPDATE: The Fact Compiler observes...

Apparently no deal has yet been signed with EMT on this.

So campaigners would be advised not to take their foot off DafT's throat yet...

2010 Railway Garden Competition - Halifax

With a bowler tip to Snapper...


Note the tree line seductively hugging the retaining wall immediately below Halifax station.

Labour manifesto - Transport section

This from the Labour Party manifesto launched today...

Rebuilding our transport infrastructure

At the heart of our growth plan is the commitment to a new high-speed rail line, linking North and South. Built in stages, the initial line will link London to Birmingham, Manchester, the East Midlands, Sheffield and Leeds, and then to the North and Scotland.

By running through-trains from day one, cities including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle and Liverpool will also be part of the initial network. Journey times will be slashed – those from the West Midlands to London will be as little as 31 minutes. We will consult fully on legislation to take forward our high-speed rail plans within the next Parliament.

High-speed rail is not just about faster journey times. It will free up capacity on existing intercity rail lines, enabling more rail freight, commuter and local services. We will press ahead with a major investment programme in existing rail services, hugely improving commuter services into and through London, and electrifying new rail-lines including the Great Western Main Line from London to South Wales.

We will complete the new east-west Crossrail line in London adding ten per cent to London transport capacity. Rail passenger numbers have increased by 40 per cent in the last ten years and punctuality and quality of service are improving steadily.

We will encourage more people to switch to rail with an enforceable right to the cheapest fare, while trebling the number of secure cycle storage spaces at rail stations. We will welcome rail franchise bids from not-for-profit, mutual or co-operative franchise enterprises and will look to remove unfair barriers that prevent such bids benefiting passengers and taxpayers.

Tackling road congestion is a key Labour priority. We will extend hard-shoulder running on motorways, alongside targeted motorway widening including on the M25. Too much disruption is caused by local road works: we will increase tenfold the penalties on utilities who allow work to overrun. We rule out the introduction of national road pricing in the next Parliament.

Heathrow is Britain’s international hub airport, already operating at full capacity, and supporting millions of jobs, businesses and citizens who depend upon it. We support a third runway at Heathrow, subject to strict conditions on environmental impact and flight numbers, but we will not allow additional runways to proceed at any other airport in the next Parliament.

Through our investment, Labour has put Britain at the forefront of electric and low carbon vehicle manufacturing. To promote the rapid take-up of electric and low-carbon cars, we will ensure there are 100,000 electric vehicle charging points by the end of the next Parliament.

Tories and LibDems manifestos to be published tomorrow and Wednesday respectively.

UPDATE: This from Billy Connections...

The Labour Manifesto says:

"We will encourage more people to switch to rail with an enforceable right to the cheapest fare..."

Er - so there will only be one fare for every journey then?

The end of any quotas?

Every passenger doing the same journey will have paid the same fare?

That'll make for some interesting renegotiation of franchises won't it?

Sounds a bit like the stuff those Open Access chappies do - surely the Labour Party hasn't suddenly decided it is in favour of free market competition after all?

Or did this come about after they tried to book a load of seats for their trip to the West Midlands today at the last minute and found they couldn't get any of the Advance Purchase bargains?

I presume they'll level the playing field by applying the same rule to the internal airline services - would be good to see everyone having "an enforceable right to the cheapest fare" on FlyBe, EasyJet and RyanAir....

UPDATE: This from Leo Pink...

So, no mention of Thameslink in a parliamentary term which runs to mid 2015. Although it may be implied.

And no mention of the McNulty review of value for money review.

And no mention of how it's all going to be paid for.

As for 'We will welcome rail franchise bids from not-for-profit, mutual or co-operative franchise enterprises'...

So can we expect to see not-for profit Network Rail taking on the Co-Op?

UPDATE: This, surprisingly, from Daisy Daisy...

Trebling cycle storage is all very well, but will this include provision for tandems and tricycles?

Eye detects the hand of the Noble Lord - expect paroxysms of delight from Wolmar...

UPDATE: This from 70s trio the Goodies...

Ecky thump!

Will there be provision for comedy tridems with more than two seats/pedals?

UPDATE: This Lookalike from Henry Macrory, via Twitter


Okay, he's the Tories head of press - but it is funny.

UPDATE: This from Sir Humphrey Beeching...

Is it not a licence condition that TOCs must offer passengers the cheapest fare?

So is the Labour Party now suggesting that Train Operating Companies (including state owned East Coast) are in breach of their licence conditions?

UPDATE: This from ATOC's response to the Labour Party manifesto....

“Train companies are already under an obligation to give customers full and impartial advice about tickets.”

Which party has the bigger commitment to rail?

Gordon using the train to campaign whilst Cameron uses the plane.

Go figure.

UPDATE: This from Steve Strong...

If Gordon is being prudent no doubt he is using an All Line Rover.

Presumably ATOC will now put the price up in May.

UPDATE: This from @RichardHebditch, via Twitter...

Cabinet ministers all on train to Birmingham for the manifesto launch. In second class, apparently.

General Election 2010 - policy briefings

There is a useful Election briefing on the rail policies of the main political parties over at the Norton Rose website.

Lawyers giving something for nothing - shurely shome mishtake - allegedly.