Crossrail 2 consultation launched

So. Today Boris Johnson launched the consultation for Crossrail 2.

According to the TfL blurb:

Crossrail 2 would create a new high-frequency, high-capacity rail line running between south west and north east London.
 
Transport for London (TfL) and Network Rail (NR) are seeking the views of people in London and south east England on Crossrail 2.

Of course there is no guarantee that this new railway will follow the alignment as proposed or indeed ever be built.

At least not until Chris Stokes comes up with an 'improved' version, after that it's a dead cert...

UPDATE: This from Tunnelling Tim...

I thought all it took for a new railway to succeed was the opposition of Wolmar?

Burns Lite: A week is a long time in politics

More wise words from Third Degree Burns.

This written answer given yesterday...

Chris Williamson (Derby North, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the reasons are for the time taken to agree the signing of the Thameslink contract; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns (Chelmsford, Conservative)
The Department intends to award the contract for Thameslink Rolling Stock shortly. Transactions of this size necessarily include a significant volume of both project and finance documentation. The Department is working with Siemens and Cross London Trains to finalise these arrangements.

Eye has temporarily lost the office copy of Dods Guide to Parliamentary Obfuscation, but from memory "shortly" is further away than "imminent" but perhaps not as close as "Later this month". 

Hitachiballs - East Coast IEP contract signed!

Good news for fans of 'British built' trains!

This from Hitachi...

Hitachi Rail Europe Signs Contract with Merchant Place Developments for Construction of New UK Train Factory

NEWTON AYCLIFFE, May 14, 2013 – Hitachi Rail Europe Ltd. today announced that it has signed the contract with Merchant Place Developments for the construction and fit-out of a rolling stock manufacturing plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, UK. Merchant Place Developments therefore have now gone from preferred bidder status to full contract award.

The contract paves the way for the construction of Hitachi’s first train factory in Europe, which represents an investment of £82 million to create its state-of-the-art manufacturing hub in the North East of England. Hitachi Rail Europe receives a £4 million grant by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to support the build of the factory...

The factory will initially be used to build the Super Express Trains for the Great Western Main Line and the East Coast Main Line, with the potential to be used for other orders such as building Crossrail rolling stock in the facility, should Hitachi Rail Europe be the successful bidder. Hitachi places great emphasis on employing locally where possible and the factory will create long-term employment for 730 people. This figure includes a Research & Development department. It is expected that 200 jobs will be created during the construction phase of the factory. 

Good news indeed!

But what's this?

The release continues...

"The decision to build a manufacturing plant was taken after Hitachi Rail Europe won the contract with the Department for Transport (DfT) to replace the ageing fleet of diesel-powered Intercity trains currently running on the Great Western Main Line and the East Coast Main Line. The contract with the DfT was signed in July 2012."

Errr....

What contract to replace 'ageing' diesels on the East Coast Main Line?

Perhaps DfT might care to share?

UPDATE: This from the East Coast High Panjandrum...

The DfT's contract with Hitachi does indeed see the replacement of the HSTs with IEPs.

Of course the issue under debate is what happens with Phase 2 - replacing the 225 fleet or not.

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...

There seems to be some confusion over IEP contracts. 

This is not surprising, given the byzantine structure created by DfT to replace IC125.

Here is an extract from the Janet & John guide to Today's Railway:

• DfT has signed a total train service provision contract with Agility Trains to replace IC125 sets on Great Western and East Coast.

• Agility trains is led by Hitachi which will supply the Super Express Trains and depots and maintain the fleet for the next 27.5 years.

• Where the confusion arises is that the two fleets are being replaced separately through separate subsidiaries of Agility Trains, each of which will have contracts with a train operator.

• Agility Trains West is responsible for the Great Western fleet and has reached financial close.

• Agility Trains East will provide the East Coast replacement fleet and this deal has yet to reach financial close. 

There is an option in this contract  to replace the EC IC225 fleet with IEP. DfT was due to have appointed a financial advisor to monitor this deal last month. 
 
Meanwhile, can I commend Nigel Harris' editorial in the latest RAIL on this very subject?

Pointless signs - Tile Hill

This from the Vice Marshall...

Not sure that this sign at Tile Hill station can be described as 'pointless' since it points to Trains to Coventry.  It has recently become visible again as a result of the shrub against the fence being cut down.

Problem is that to follow that arrow one would have to climb over a 6ft security fence, cross two 100mph running lines and another 6ft security fence to reach the platform for Coventry.

Sadly the sign has not been amended by London Midland since the level crossing at Tile Hill was replaced by a £3m new road bridge some six years ago.

This was built as part of the original PUG2 plan for Virgin Pendolini running at 140mph - but, of course, that never happened, either!

Hadfield does Bowie

Wildly off topic but absolutely brilliant! 

Commander Hadfield offers his variant on 'Space Oddity' before departing the Space Station to return to Earth.



On a scale of 1 to 10 just how cool is this?

Pure 11 !

Reading remodelling steps-up?

This, apparently, taken yesterday...

Ouch!

Hutton, Kelly and 45 minutes

Much excitement across the airwaves!

The most recent edition of Radio 4's excellent programme 'The Reunion' brought together some of the key players involved in the Hutton Report.

Amongst the likes of Geoff 'Buff' Hoon, Andrew Gilligan and former BBC DG Greg Dyke was NR's very own media guru Tom Kelly - then the PM's official spokesman.

Fans of hard core verbal punch-ups can enjoy the prog courtesy of Listen Again.

Those with long memories may recall the questionable claim that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction that could be "ready within 45 minutes".

Unlike Gilligoon, whose eventual arrival at the studio exceeded even that generous time frame.

Brompton frenzy takes over rail industry?

This from Oratorian Brother Cletts...

Regularly seen nipping between Waterloo and Friarsgate House your snapping sleuths might try to catch Phil Dominey of SWT on an SWT branded Brompton folding bike.

Less certain is whether you'll see Andy Saunders FGW Integration & Partnership manager on an FGW version, or whether Arthur Leathley can be persuaded to swap his own machine for a Virgin branded Easy Rider type.

Charles Horton also has his own Brompton, but they are scheduled to go live with hire points at Ashford, Canterbury W, Maidstone E and Tonbridge by the end of May, so whether he gets snapped on a SouthEastern branded bike is up for grabs.

East Coast has also partly supported the bikes at Peterborough (but no jokes about on your bike and the refranchising). I did try to suggest that RAIL's brightest and best might find the 5-6 miles from PBO to their offices a suitably invigorating and time saving way to connect with the local rail service but no joy yet.

Other cyclists of the folding fraternity include Alistair Dormer MD of Hitachi Europe and Tony Berkeley chair of the Rail Freight Group (who used to have a most venerable machine, often seen outside the House of Lords).

Yet to convert Anthony Smith of Passenger Focus to the glories of folding, but he regularly rides in to the Passenger Focus offices from S London.

Surely Eye readers can supply photos of some the above great and good aboard their noble collapsible steeds?

UPDATE: This from a Mr Philip Haigh...
 
I rather enjoy my Brompton ride from PBO to RAIL Towers.

Although I must be honest and say the novelty of winter was beginning to wear off by April.

No matter.

Do I win a 'Brand Pride' award? 

UPDATE: This from SouthEastern's Sarah Boundy... 

Here is a picture of Charles Horton beside Friar's Bridge Court.

Good effort!

More please.

UPDATE: This from Iolanthe...

One of My Lord Berkeley upon a Brompton for Eye's collection.

DG Rail goes on tour!

Interesting news from the 'heart of the railway industry'.

According to the Derby & Derbyshire Rail Forum the new DG Rail, Clare Moriarty, has been out and about visiting rail businesses in the East Midlands:

Ms Moriarty met with the forum’s Chairman Colin Walton and Vice-Chair Michelle Craven-Faulkner together with the Managing Directors of forum member organisations Datum, ESG and Garrandale.

Ms Moriarty also spent time with DDRF member companies Porterbrook Leasing and Railway Vehicle Engineering Limited (RVEL), concluding her visit by touring RVEL’s extensive workshops on London Road...

Ms Moriarty said that she was keen to work with partners from across the rail industry to advance a shared agenda and promote the success of rail in the UK.

Could it be that Whitehall is finally waking up to the fact that the railway industry also consists of a massive supply chain, as well as Network Rail and the TOCs?

Hopefully next in-line to experience such a Damascene conversion will be the Rail Delivery Group! (In your dreams! Ed)

Pointless signs - Greenwich

Brand Pride - Porterbrook

This, allegedly, from a Mr Tudor Arrow...

Unbelievably some people in the railway industry still believe that we Roscos are populated by rather dry and humourless people.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

The image below had my colleagues in Accounts Payable rolling in the isles so hard that we had to move their comptometers out of reach for precisely 2.75 seconds! Can you imagine what that did for productivity!

How we laughed! Until the boss returned from lunch, obviously.

Just in case the office's new Oyster 25 million megapixel camera doesn't make the picture Cristal clear I should explain that my Jermyn Street shirt cleverly juxtaposes both the old and the new Porterbrook pantones, offset to very best effect by a solid Platignum set of cuff... (cont' p94).

Please tell me there are other entries to this. Ed.

26038 named Tom Clift

This from Northern Spirit...

On Saturday 27th April locomotive 26038 was named "Tom Clift 1954 - 2012" at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

Tom had close links with the KWVR, having held a party in March 2012 aboard a steam charter on the railway to celebrate his retirement from Open Access Operator Grand Central.

26038 was Tom's pride and joy and the loco is now owned by his family.

Good effort.

Time for NR to take power?

The Fact Compiler's latest column in Passenger Transport published on the 26th April...

The next edition of Passenger Transport will be published on the 10th of May.

UPDATE: This from a Mr Tony Miles...

May I add a response to your interesting (and timely?) column on electrification?

Why just Network Rail? 

I understand Siemens has an interest in power generation in another part of its empire and I’m sure others do too. Why not offer a “design, build, maintain and power” contract for new trains? The builder would be obliged to either construct a power plant of some sort itself or join a consortium that would include a power generation partner.

As you suggest with NR – there’s nothing to stop them creating additional capacity and selling it to other rail operators or the market at a good price….

Of course had IEP been let on this basis would the bidding consortium have been so happy to agree to build a load of trains which would consume additional electricity to carry round those heavy diesel engines or would they have come up with an alternative solution?

Virgin avoids wardrobe malfunction

This from the Daily Mirror...

Sir Richard Branson has been forced to buy his train staff new bras – because their latest uniforms are too skimpy.

Virgin Trains workers say their blouses are too short and so flimsy that passengers will see if they are wearing dark bras.

Virgin’s business support department is now offering them a £20 voucher for new underwear after delaying the uniform by three weeks.

Unlike Beardie Rail to get into a pickle over ladies' embonpoints, as this picture from 2009 shows...

No indeedy.

Brand Pride - South West Trains

Or should that read South Western Railway?

No matter.

This is the bespoke case that SWT's twitter supremo has had created for her iPhone.

Cool, no?

Anyone else done something similar?

Additional points in this game if it annoys the brand police!

East Coast introduces Dry Train on Fridays!

Bad news for thirsty North British passengers!

This from East Coast...

Train operator East Coast is to trial an alcohol ban on a morning train from North East Scotland to ensure comfortable travel for passengers.

The four-week trial will apply on Fridays only from 10 May to 31 May inclusive, and will only apply to the 09.52 service from Aberdeen, for journeys as far south as Newcastle. The train calls at several stations along Scotland’s North East coast, including Stonehaven, Montrose, Arbroath and Dundee.

The restriction means passengers will not be able to bring alcohol in any form onto this train, or to drink it on-board. No alcohol will be sold at the train’s cafe-bar, though other hot and cold refreshments will continue to be available as usual.

East Coast’s Commercial and Customer Service Director Peter Williams said: “We are trialling this for four weeks from next Friday, following discussions with the British Transport Police.

“The trial follows a number of recent instances of anti-social behaviour on this train between Aberdeen and Newcastle. Our aim is to ensure that all of our customers can enjoy a more pleasant and comfortable journey." 

Happily those travelling on 1E15 beyond Newcastle can break the fast at 13:59.

Britain's least friendly station?

This from the Mad Hatter... 

Passing through Gainsborough I thought I'd pay a visit to the town's Central station.

Alas!

I was unable to access the platforms or footbridge as station is open SATURDAYS ONLY, although there is nothing to say as much on the outside of the palisade fencing. 

Inside the locked and bolted gates are three notice boards, but because of the angle of the board and the small type size you cant see what time the trains run (on the Saturdays they do run), only a printed part of the timetable that says ‘Saturdays only’.  Even National Rail doesn’t list the station’s opening times.

A contender for one of the most unfriendly stations – with no payphone, no notice with opening times on the locked gate, no easy sight of the notice board for train times, etc...

Oddly, just a few miles up the line at Kirton Lindsay, where the service is the same (Sat only), you can walk on the platform with no restrictions. 

Daft, innit. 

Freighties diversifying?

This from the Hammer Man...

Genius!

Lookalike - Fastest in the West edition

Parry flees First for the Cut

This from the Canal and River Trust...

New chief executive appointed

Richard Parry is to swap trains for boats as he takes up the role of chief executive of the Canal & River Trust starting this summer.

Currently at FirstGroup, Richard headed up First's bid in 2012 for the InterCity West Coast line and more recently has been leading First's highly-regarded Hull Trains company as well as other wider development programmes across First's rail businesses 

Before that he spent 19 years at London Underground (LU) and Transport for London (TfL) where he had a range of senior roles, spending eight years as a director of LU, including a year as interim LU managing director (2009-10), and then a further 18 months as deputy managing director, TfL Rail and Underground (2010-11).
 
Interesting. Does this herald some further moves at First?

UPDATE: This from a Mr Tony Miles... 

Am I alone in wondering whether the role of MD at First Hull Trains is now timed to change with the same frequency as that of the Secretary of State for Transport? 

If so anyone offered the job may want to take this into account! (Which one, Parry's or McLoughlin's? Ed)