Brummies revolting after journey time shock

Telegrammed by Sir Joseph Chamberlain
Much unease in the West Midlands over Virgin's current Euston - Birmingham - Wolverhapton service.

A Virgin advert in the Conservative Party Conference brochure claimed an average journey time of just over two hours for the journey between the Capital and the Second City.


Perhaps a tad embarrassing as the usual journey time is actually 81 minutes - a time already considered pisspoor by many of the region's great and good as it is only eight minutes faster than the service was 30 years ago.

Of course Virgin's PR boo-boo did little to reasure the local business community who are already feeling unloved.

The very same week that Virgin was unsuccesfully schmoozing the Tories for a franchise extension the TOC also sent a General Manager to sooth Business Leaders at the influential West Midlands Business Transport Group.

Sadly he declined to give a presentation, and struggled to list even three items on the route that had improved under Virgin's watch. The refusal to engage in meaningful discussion left many seething, with a consensus quickly emerging that the time could better have been spent on the Golf Course!

This apparent disspassion towards the West Midlands seems in marked contrast to Beardie Rail's successful relationship with business travellers in the North West

Indeed, some Virgin-endorsed posters promoting Warrington as a business destination, just 1h40 from Euston, have caused a significant sense-of-humour failure in Wolverhampton. Aggrieved Blackcountry businessfolk were horrified to learn that the journey from Wolverhampton to London (126 miles) actually takes nine minutes longer than the journey from Warrington to London (180 miles)!

Perhaps the final straw was to discover that the fleet-of-foot can change trains at Stafford, and reach Wolverhampton in just 1h32 minutes, saving eight minutes on the direct service.

Perhaps Virgin has relied too long on the reputation Brummies have for being slow on the uptake?

Sadly, they can do so no more.

The powerful West Midlands Business Transport Group, led by Birmingham Chamber's eminance grise Jerry Blackett, has had enough of the nonsense, and is determined to see the Midlands get a fair share of goodies in any future franchise:

"A future franchisee would have an impact on the economic well-being of the Midlands, and we would wish to see a policy of active engagement with business.

"Based on discussions with prospective franchisees, Birmingham Chamber Group will also provide a view to the UK Department for Transport on the alignment of the potential franchisee with the perceived needs of business."

So, with an 'end of term report' due to land on Petrol-head's desk expect the award of the West Coast franchise to become increasingly politically charged.

UPDATE: This from the Shunter...

I had assumed that the McNulty Value for Money review had put paid to Virgin's franchise extension negotiations.

After all DfT were taken to the cleaners twice before by Beardie Rail.

So presumably, for the good of the exchequer, Marsham Street was forbidden to have another go.

Exciting new catering offer from DOR

This from Puffing Billy...

Good news for those interested in railway catering.

There was much disappointment last month when East Coast cancelled, at short notice, the launch of its new catering offer.

Happily it would appear that the state owned TOC has found a new venue to unveil it's exciting plans for the future - no less a location than the opulent Stafford Hotel in the exclusive St James area of London.

As well as offering trade hacks the chance to meet with Rail Barbie and Karen Boswell over a 'special meal', tonight's invitees have also been promised a tour of the hotel's unrivalled wine cellar and, as an added bonus, a 'special guest' appearance by a senior figure from Network Rail!

In these austere times it is comforting to know that the public sector can still put on a good show.

Perhaps Sir Philip Green should call by to see such efficiency in action?

UPDATE: This from one of Eye's spies at last night's dinner...

It would appear that Ms Holt is one of Eye's growing band of devotees.

She began last night's festivities by introducing herself as 'Rail Barbie'...

Good effort.

Eye welcomes Maria the Eagle

Much excitement in Westminster this weekend following the news that Eddie the Eagle's sister has been appointed Shadow Transport Secretary.

Eddie, who was sadly unavailable for comment, said "My sister knows shedloads about transport, she even caught a bus once".

Maria Von Trapp is also famous for having a twin sister not called Maria and playing chess (according to an uncorroborated citation on Wikipedia) .

In slightly less depressing news the following also received junior shadow transport posts:

Jim Fitzpatrick MP
Andrew Gwynne MP
John Woodcock MP

Jim Fitzpatrick has some good indepth knowledge of Crossrail. Andrew Gwynne appears vaguely pro-railway and John Woodcock is MP for Furness... errr... where they once built locos and stuff a long time ago (will this do?).

Eye fears that any debate on transport cuts following the announcement of the CSR will be a pretty one-sided affair.

UPDATE: This from Steve Strong...

Aren't you missing something much more important about the Shadow ministerial appointments?

It seems that Tom Harris' blog has been saved for the nation!

UPDATE: Eye has been taken to task by both @BorisWatch and @TransportB...

Apparently it is official: Maria Sharapova likes chess, it says so here and here.

Perhaps more importantly, for the railway, Ms Eagle also says:

"I don't think you can do a proper operational ministerial job, which is about providing a function of the state, without going and having a proper look"

So. Farewell Lord Adonis! But your Pilgrimage of Grice lives on!

Eye says Clifton for Rail Regulator!

It's been a long time since a senior industry figure has publicly said that the 'Emperor has no clothes'.

So when one does it twice within the space of a month it is worthy of special mention.

Regular Eye readers may recollect that on the 23rd September a certain Mr Richard Clifton, of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, poured scorn on DB's claims that 'safety bureaucracy' would prevent ICE3s running through the tunnel.

Just three weeks later our brave fighter-for-truth is at it again!

This time exposing high level nonsense from the Frenchies, claiming Chunnel safety concerns, after Eurostar threatened to buy German trains.

According to the Pink 'Un:

Richard Clifton, head of the UK delegation to the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, said no party had raised serious concerns during a consultation launched in July last year about allowing trains with distributed power – motors distributed throughout the train – use the tunnel.

Richard Clifton - good effort.

Lookalike - James and Richard

Virgin fails to win extension

Telegrammed by Our International Correspondent
What a difference a day makes if you are Virgin Rail.

Last night the self-styled Big Red was lauded, somewhat improbably by the RSPCA, for the excellence of its animal breakfasts, which at least makes a change from the more self-serving of the industry award schemes.

Unfortunately every dog has its day and this morning the Saviour of the Jammy Dodger kicked Beardie Rail out of the franchise extension balloon.

This from the Pink 'Un:

"We won’t be accepting Virgin’s proposal for an extension. We think it’s important to open franchises to competition and we’re likely to get better value for taxpayers and the government,” said Transport Minister Theresa Villiers.

Whilst DafT plans to refranchise the West Coast route just before the Olympics (Doh!) there is still radio silence on when its own toy trainset - the failing Barbie Rail - will be returned to the market.

With the nationalised East Coast operator languishing at the bottom of the performance tables Eye would have thought that resolving this particular ownership issue was slightly more pressing.

Then again - perhaps not.

With Virgin West Coast bleeding time and effort to retain the franchise there will be an inevitable impact on the TOC's performance. Happily for Marsham Street this should make East Coast's dire efforts look almost credible.

Meanwhile, there is at least one piece of genuine good news.

With both AngloScottish routes turned into basket cases the clamour for an early start to HS2 will become deafening.

Train services return on Christmas day!

This from George Bradshaw...

Oh dear, oh dear. Network Rail has recently been bolloxed by the ORR for getting the May timetables wrong.

Now full timetables have been uploaded for Christmas Day, when a lot of trains seem to be running -- just like the early 1960s!


Can this be right?

GNER resurrexit !

This from a Captain Nolan...

I grabbed this screenshot after booking tickets on East Coast's site yesterday:


It was nice to see the both NXEC and East Coast have ensured that the money spent on re-branding the booking system has resulted in a thorough job being done.

Eurostar unveils order for new fleet

This video from Eurostar - note the absence of broom cupboards.



And here the details of the announcement:

Eurostar International, the high-speed passenger train operator between the UK and mainland Europe has today announced a £700 million investment in its fleet.

The investment includes:

• Purchasing 10 brand new 320kph trainsets, which will each carry 20% more passengers than the existing Eurostar trains to city centre destinations throughout Europe
• Commissioning Pininfarina to overhaul and redesign its current fleet of trains from 2011
• Adding wi-fi, real-time travel and destination information, interactive entertainment including video-on-demand, music and news-feeds to all trains

Why is there a train in Hyde Park Today?
Last night, Eurostar placed one of the new e320s in Kensington Gardens, by the Albert Memorial, for one day only, opposite the Royal Albert Hall next to the Albert Memorial.

Prize draws for London-Paris tickets via Twitter
To highlight today’s announcement and the e320 being in Kensington Gardens, by the Albert Memorial, everyone who uses the hashtag #neweurostartrains on Twitter today will be entered into a prize draw, for one of five pairs of return tickets from London to Paris.

Regular readers of Eye will know that today's announcement isn't without its contentious aspects!

Senior railway managers told to take a hike

This from the soi disant 'veteran' observer...

Eight days on a mountain versus a lifetime on the streets

As you read this an intrepid group of 25 railway men and women are beginning their ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Railway Children.

All those participating have paid for the cost of this trip themselves so any sponsorship money they raise will go direct to the charity.

The climbers are:

Tim Brawn, Robbie Burns, Dan Cole, Dyan Crowther, Samantha Davis, Jerry England, David and Jo Franks, Steve Frost, Peter Hobbs, Michael Holden, Sarah Kendall, Arthur Leithley, Arith Liyanage, Sean Maserson, Richard Molloy, Darran Moss, Mac Motraghi, Adam O'Connor, Alan Ross, Anthony Smith, David Taylor, James Vickers, Paul Watson and Mark Wilson.

Many of you will already have sponsored the individuals undertaking this arduous hike.

If you haven't made a donation yet and would still like to there is a Virgin Money Giving page where you can sponsor all the participants as a group.

Thank you.

Please consider doing so - it's for a very worthwhile cause. Donations can be made here.

Pointless signs - Edinburgh tram

Strange - the words 'late' and 'missing' appear not to the there.

UPDATE: This from Chionanthus virginicus...

Perhaps the word above the "C" of spacious says it all... "nothing".

UPDATE: This from Sim Harris...

One more point of interest: why does TIE persist in describing its growing but sadly jobless collection of rolling stock as Tram Vehicles?

Tautology rules OK in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle!

A divergence of views on HS2

So.

Petrol-head has decided on a 'Y' route for HS2.

By creating a junction just north of Birmingham both Lancashire and Yorkshire will now be served

Sadly not everyone at yesterday's conference welcomed the announcement.


But a more charming set of protesters you could not have wished to meet.

Wolmar woe at #CPC10

Oh dear!

Wolmar hasn't been having a good Tory party conference.

The star of stage, screen and amazon book-store was invited to sit as honoured guest on the panel at ATOC's fringe event last night.

The TOC lobby group had even been kind enough to provide a train ticket to get the great man to Brum.

Imagine Wolmar's chagrin when the gripper on his Virgin train pointed out it was valid London Midland only!

Eye is unsure whether this was an example of ATOC penny pinching or second thoughts in the Bernard Street bunker - perhaps they hoped the great man would miss the event by travelling on an oh-so-slow train

Meanwhile Wolmar's continues to woo the new members of the ConDem ministerial transport team.

Although judging by this tweet, sent from Bombardier's fringe event, not that succesfully!

Saw Ms Villiers at Con conf. She is v cross at me for being so hard on Norman re Cycling England's demise. I said it was 6 years work wasted.

What a picture that would have made - Wolmar being savaged by the Saviour of the Jammy Dodger!

Brown replaces Brown at London Rail

This from TfL...

Ian Brown, Managing Director, London Rail

Ian Brown, who has led London Rail with such great distinction over the last 10 years, has decided to retire from Transport for London.

In a career spanning over 40 years, Ian has made an outstanding contribution to public transport and the rail industry, and I know that he fully intends to remain active in the industry for many years to come.

In the meantime, I would like to acknowledge just some of the radical improvements delivered for passengers under Ian’s leadership:

• The transformation of the Docklands Light Railway, which has been integral to the growth of Canary Wharf and the wider redevelopment of east and south east London

• London Overground, established just three years ago, has improved services beyond all recognition, with new air conditioned trains, safe, fully staffed stations and massively increased customer satisfaction

• The East London line, reopened in May and linking Hackney and Croydon, is delivering huge economic and social benefits to some of the poorest boroughs in London and providing the first major stage in what will become London’s ‘orbital railway’

• Croydon Tramlink, taken into the TfL family and now providing an excellent service to passengers in south London

• Oyster pay as you go, now available for use on national rail services in Greater London, vastly improving convenience for millions of passengers

• A fresh and compelling vision for better use of the National Rail network in London, delivered through concrete improvements to franchises over the past few years, and has brokered an effective partnership with Network Rail which has delivered improvements

Ian has also been central to making the case for Crossrail and representing TfL’s interests as joint sponsor of the project, and also as future franchiser, as it has moved from the drawing board to implementation.

Over the years, Ian has made also made a wide contribution to the railway industry. In 2007, the Secretary of State for Transport appointed him to the Railway Heritage Committee where he is using his experience to preserve our railway heritage. In September 2009, Ian received an award for ‘an outstanding personal contribution to the rail industry’ at the National Rail Awards.

Ian will leave his current role after the TfL Board meeting on 4 November and take up an advisory role on London Rail and Crossrail until he leaves TfL on 31 March 2011. The way in which London Rail operates in the longer-term will be considered as part of our wider review of TfL’s organisational structure under Project Horizon.

In the meantime, Mike Brown will become Managing Director of London Rail, alongside his existing role of Managing Director of London Underground. Howard Smith will replace Ian as a joint TfL sponsor of Crossrail, with a mandate from Mike Brown. The Crossrail joint sponsor team which currently reports to Ian will transfer to Steve Allen, Managing Director of Finance.

I am sure that you will all join me in thanking Ian for everything he has done for London’s public transport, congratulating him on a remarkable career so far, and wishing him well for the future.

Peter Hendy
Commissioner
Transport for London

Sir Norman Wisdom RIP

Good effort.

HS2 - Cleggy giveth and Cleggy taketh away

Exciting news from the Deputy Prime Minister!

Cleggy has been busy twittering the following (several times in fact):

I'm delighted that we've managed to include Sheffield in the high speed rail route. It is a clear demonstration of this government's commitment to creating jobs and prosperity in the north. The Coalition will invest in capital infrastructure like high speed rail and continue to ensure a fair deal for Sheffield.

Good news indeed (what with Cleggy having a Sheffield constituency and all).

However, cuts will no doubt have to be made elsewhere in the transport budget to pay for this Lord Adonis-esque piece of Pork Barrel routing.

Friend Cleggy is already making ominous noises about sleeper services.

This from the latest edition of the Speccie:

"A long walk is overdue, especially after a night on the 'sleeper train' - surely one of the crueller oxymorons in the English language."

Oh dear.

Looks like the days of the Deer Stalker Express are numbered...

Pointless signs - Cardiff Central

This from the Wicked Weaver...


The train is a Cardiff - Cheltenham service with passengers boarding.

Heritage Rail leads the way in DDA compliance

This from Only2misters...

Whilst mulling over the innate difficulties of DDA compliance on heritage lines, I was pleased to see this effective and sturdy, yet Value for Money solution, deployed by Cumbria's Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway.


Clearly the National Rail network has much to learn from our heritage friends.

DfT pleads for responses to Future of Franchising

The Reforming Rail Franchising consultation document was originally published on the 22nd July 2010.

Eye understands that ministers have been "disappointed" by the number of responses to this consultation to date.

So the Saviour of the Jammy Dodger today launched this YouTube video to try and drum up some more responses.



As future franchising policy will effect the entire industry it is perhaps not a bad idea to think about responding.

The consultation document can be found here and the closing date is the 18th October.

Remember vote early - vote often!

UPDATE: This from Sinoda...

Despite the change of background logo, Ms Villiers appears to be speaking from Eurostar's famous broom cupboard from where Richard Brown made his very memorable broadcasts.

And what to make of the final salvo from Mr Voiceover: "If you are unable to access this video, please contact the 'digital engagement team' at the Department for Transport, so we can arrange an alternative format".

Surely you wouldn't know who to contact unless you had watched the video?

UPDATE: This from Herb Aceous...

The video clip lasts 2 minutes and 45 seconds but the clap board at the end refers to a running time of 3 minutes 40 seconds.

What sundry delights were edited out I wonder?

"They shall not pass" claims Frenchies

This, surprisingly, from Generals Helmuth von Moltke (senior) and Alfred von Schlieffen...

Unser liebe Fact Compiler

Can we through Railway Eye pass on our congratulations to Herr Doktor Professor Wolmar on the timeliness of his latest book, Engines of War, on sale yesterday.

Today as the French try to prevent German trains running through the tunnel can we commend pages 71 to 88 and 133 to 159 of his meisterwerk detailing our respective rail strategies in 1870 and 1914 to your readers.

It would appear that having lost the competition to supply new trains for Eurostar, technically and commercially, the French have resorted to rule bending in an attempt to protect their archaic railway industry.

Nach St Pancras!

UPDATE: This from Our International Correspondent...

In their understandable resentment at the traditional intransigence of French Railways to be cowed by Die Bahn, the German generals overlook the historic fact that while their attempts to come this way have a poor sustainability record during the last century, plucky old Britain’s one attempt to go east past the Calais Up Starter on her own was more successful.

As part of a larger coalition of English-speaking nations on tour in 1944, the Walmington-On-Sea platoon used a pretty ramshackle collection of British and American kettles to run trains as far as the Rhine.

They then went on to Berlin using German kettles whose ownership had become a little confused following the total surrender of the Thousand Year Reich at Luneberg Heath.

Somehow, all this was done without EU Interoperability Regulations.

Perhaps the British Army Railway Squadron, soon to be disinvented by the spending review, could have one Last Hurrah nach Berlin!

UPDATE: This from Ithuriel...

Eurostar's new trains - did a cunning plan backfire?

Eurostar has run its procurement of 10 new trains in unprecedented secrecy.

The news came as a surprise to the most experienced industry watchers.

Eurostar avoided issuing an OJEU, which would have given the game away, by using the Link-up qualification system.

Why?

Could it be that the aim was to use Siemens as a stalking horse to cover up an order destined to go, naturellement, to Alstom?

After all, everyone in France knows that German trains could not match the commercial offer from the French champion.

But les sales boche cheated and put in a more attractive offer. A knock-out offer, in fact, which could not be refused.

And now Johny Crapaud is trying to rectify this unfortunate error.

One question remains.

Was Bombardier invited to bid?