Possibly the best advert in the world... ever!

This Clog Rail advert via @Brilliant_ads...

To mix the beer strap lines - pure genius!

Pointless Pheasants - Marylebone

Not sure what sort of raptor this is meant to be, located atop the entrance to the ladies' loos at Marylebone...

Evidently the pigeons aren't convinced either.

Introducing the Potato line...

Seen at Wembley Park at about half past ten last night...

Nice!

Hammond Eggs - On Open Access

Time for an exciting new Eye feature!

Hammond Eggs records the searing insights of the latest member of the ministerial transport team to take responsibility for rail.

This from a written answer on the 14th October:

Christopher Pincher (Tamworth, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the contribution of open-access operators on the East Coast Main Line in support of the franchised operator.

Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon, Conservative)
The impacts of open access operation have been assessed against three criteria: (a) performance; (b) network utilisation; and (c) revenue of the InterCity East Coast franchise.

(a) Open access operators on the east coast route have typically delivered lower levels of performance than the franchised operator, in part because one of them operates relatively old diesel trains;

(b) Open access operation has had no material adverse impact on network utilisation, although the constraints on platform occupancy at Kings Cross, in particular, and Doncaster, to a lesser extent, have complicated operations at those two stations;

(c) Open access operators have generally tended to abstract revenue from the franchised operator. Furthermore, where bidders in the forthcoming InterCity East Coast franchise competition perceive a risk of additional open access competition causing further abstraction, they are likely to offer lower bids.

No sources cited of course.

Good to see that Stephen Hammond (of all people) is happy to repeat the prejudices of his civil servant masters (is this right? Ed).

As usual that old 'abstraction' canard gets an airing - perhaps Pete Wilkinson (Director Franchising and late of Renaissance Trains) can explain to Mr Hammond the 'not primarily abstractive' test, which the ORR uses to validate all Open Access bids?

At the same time the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State may even wish to read the Office of Rail Regulation's June 2013 consultation on On-rail competition, which states:

Despite the very limited role that competition currently plays, there is evidence that it drives passenger benefits including lower fares increases, higher growth in passenger numbers, direct services to new destinations, and various service quality benefits.

Open access entrants, who always face strong competition from franchised operators, have higher passenger satisfaction scores than franchised operators, including other intercity operators, who in the main do not face on-rail competition.

Quite so.

But then, since when have the residents of Great Minster House ever been interested in driving passenger benefits?

UPDATE: This from Depot Lad... 

On the subject of “old diesel trains”.

I thought the following key points might be helpful for Mr Hammond who is evidently new to his brief.

• Grand Central operates the same type of “old diesel trains” as those operated by both East Coast and Great Western, and some that are significantly newer than East Coast’s diesel and electric fleets;

• Hull Trains operates diesel trains that are significantly newer than East Coast’s diesel and electric fleets;

• Grand Central’s HSTs were the last on the network to be re-powered and upgraded and as such, are in a newer “mod state” than those operated by East Coast;

• Open access operators need less cancellations than franchised operators to seriously adversely impact on the stats;

• East Coast’s cancellations rate is well in excess of that of Great Western, who exclusively operate “old diesel trains”.

Note: Grand Central and Hull Trains are 'evil open access operators'. Great Western is a 'wonderful franchised operator'. Whilst East Coast is run by the minister's own department.

As our North American cousins might say - go figure!

UPDATE: This from Data Minor...

I thought Eye readers and the minister might be interested in the latest NFRIP figures below:

Operator	Fleet	Primary DPI	Primary DPI MAA	MTIN	MTIN MAA
Grand Central	Class 180	25.4	24.3	13,118	8,641
East Coast	IC225	38.4	33.3	11,537	12,326
Grand Central	HST Set	0	19.3	41,421	13,188
Hull	Class 180	18	27.9	14,380	14,561
East Coast	HST Set	34.9	47.3	18,653	18,619

Hull Trains class 180s and Grand Central HSTs are both more reliable than East Coast's IC225 fleet. 

UPDATE: This from a source close to DOR...

For the record:

1. EC's HSTs currently have the best MTIN MAA of all the HST fleets, and this is on an improving trend

2. Second spot in the HST MTIN MAA table is occupied by the XC HSTs, which just happen to be maintained by EC

3. The poor design of the 225 fleet leading to historically chronic levels of reliability is well documented by all operators including BR, GNER, NXEC and now EC.

MTIN MAA is currently at its highest level since this measure was introduced, and on a rising trend, despite the utilisation of the fleet being substantially higher than ever before.

Eye biased towards Open Access Operators? Just fancy that!!!
 

 

ATOC and RDG ushers in new era of transparency

Good news for fans of greater RDG and ATOC integration.

Word reaches Eye that tomorrow's RDG meeting is likely to see closer co-operation between the two bodies placed firmly on the agenda.

An ATOC spokesman observed today: 'Discussions are on-going'.

Quite so.

In fact so 'on-going' are discussions, that in certain recent conversations you might almost have mistaken ATOC speaking for RDG!

Perhaps helpful to recall that transparency is, as transparency does.

UPDATE: This from Sidney Supplychain...

No doubt there are plans in hand to communicate these exciting developments to, and engage more fully with, RDG's Associate Members?

Didn't think so.

UPDATE: This from Leftoutin Thecold...

This is the full list of RDG Associate Members, as at 16th September.

• Ashfield Consulting Ltd
• Babcock
• Birmingham Centre for Railway Research
• Bombardier Transportation
• Bond Dickinson LLP
• Brisk Projects
• British Transport Police Authority
• Carillion
• Derby and Derbyshire Rail Forum
• Gutteridge, Haskins and Davey Ltd (GHD)
• Jacobs UK Ltd
• MTR
• Optimum Consulting Limited
• Rail Freight Group
• Rail Media Group
• Railnews Limited
• Rail Vehicle Engineering Ltd (RVEL)
• Railway Industry Association (RIA)
• Siemens Railway Systems
• thetrainline.com
• Young Railway Professionals

No doubt they will be fully briefed on the exciting future for the RDG very soon...

Global capitalism explained - why new trains may cape Euro referendum

It will come as no surprise to regular readers of Eye that Hitachi have been lobbying HMG over relations with the EU.

In July Eye noted that the Hitachi website offered the following reflections on Britain's membership of the European Union:

"The Government of Japan expects the UK to maintain this favourable role."

According to Saturday's Daily Telegraph the president of Hitachi also bent iDave's ear: 

David Cameron has been warned by one of Japan's biggest UK investors that pulling out of the European Union could put at risk £1bn of funding for Britain's railways and nuclear energy programme.

The president of Hitachi, Hiroaki Nakanishi, has revealed that he met the Prime Minister in May and raised his concerns. Speaking in Tokyo yesterday, he said that any exit from the EU could lead to less investment by the industrial giant.

In November last year, Hitachi signed a £696m deal to buy Horizon Nuclear Power, a joint venture with GE to build as many as six new nuclear reactors at two sites, Wylfa in North Wales and Oldbury in south Gloucestershire.

Last summer, a Hitachi-led consortium also won a £1.2bn government contract to build new trains under the Intercity Express Programme. The deal will provide new rolling stock for routes to the south-west and on the East Coast mainline. 

Of course there is no suggestion of any connection between Hitachi rescuing the government's moribund nuclear power programme and DfT awarding Hitachi contracts to replace both HST and IC225 fleets on the ECML.

Even so the decision to replace the 225 fleet raised one or two eyebrows. As Eversholt Rail said when the DfT announced that it would proceed with IEP Phase 2:

“We continue to believe that the best option would have been to let the market decide...", a view shared by many in the industry. 

No matter.

What is perhaps more surprising is this section of the interview where Hitachi's President said: 

"One of the requests [from the DfT] was to set up the current Intercity Express Programme," Mr Nakanishi said.

"The Government requested me to set up the whole supply chain in the UK and try to sell UK-made train systems to the continent."

Eye can only presume that this was after Hitachi was declared preferred bidder in a procurement competition with the Bombardier/Siemens consortium! 

With Her Majesty's Government and Hitachi evidently hand in glove, what price now for Cameron's much vaunted 2015 In/Out EU referendum?

Virgin in denial over departure - Official

According to the Sunday Times, Richard Branson has gone off-shore. 

Has Beardie also taken all his webbies with him?

The forlorn picture of a recently departed VT director of communications still greets visitors to Virgin Trains' Media Room:

Eye understands it is not the first to flag this incongruous image with VT.

Evidently, Arthur is proving a hard act to follow, as predicted...

Lookalike - Rail in t'North edition

Pictured are Siemens Rail Systems' supremo Steve Scrimshaw and Nick Donovan, MD of First Transpennine.

Eye defies readers to tell them apart!

Look closely at the name badges...

Shurely shome mishtake!?!

Definitely shome mishtake!!!

Good effort and a bowler tip to both for being sports.

Government signals end to micro-management!

This from the Sunday Torygraph...

Patrick McLoughlin, the Transport Secretary, said he was “looking into” the mix of first class and standard class after the findings were presented to him. He agreed that there might be ways of “delivering a better passenger experience” by increasing the ratio of standard-class carriages. 

So what exactly are supposedly private sector train operating companies responsible for?

And which bits of Maria Eagle's renationalisation plans does this government now reject?

Potato Bob: On Safety - Exciting New Eye Feature!

Time for an exciting new Eye feature!

Potato Bob speaks!

This from CommercialMotor.com...

Goodwill spent many years working on his family farm, which, at its height, delivered and produced 1,000 tonnes of potatoes a year to the McCain chip factory in Scarbrough. The family became involved in the sulphuric acid desiccation of potatoes and, he admits, it was a bit of a slog having to travel up to Teesside to get his Hazardous Chemicals Certificates so he could drive the truck.

One of his more excruciating journeys came on his way to Scarborough. While driving his Volvo F10, the flexible exhaust pipe joining the main exhaust silencer box to the engine ruptured, and the hot exhaust gases went on to the clutch slave cylinder. Very soon, the clutch stopped working, completely.

Goodwill says he was unsure how to deal with the problem: "I thought OK, well I'll just keep going. So I drove all the way to Scarbrough without a clutch, just using the engine speed. Fortunately, I didn't have to stop because the lights were in my favour. I decided that if I did have to stop, I'd start it again in a very low gear. It was a 30-mile trip, though".

Good to see that Potato Bob, the minister charged with 'road safety and standards', has such a grip on his brief!

Ministerial responsibilities - the right Hammond finally gets rail!

Is there a worse website in the world than .gov.uk?

No matter. 

Thank God for twitter!

With a bowler tip to @wmtucker, who pointed Eye to the pages giving the new ministerial transport team's responsibilities:

Baroness Kramer

Baroness Kramer was appointed Minister of State for Transport in October 2013.

The minister is responsible for:

• HS2 – Phase Two
• rail – funding and futures (including RIS, SOFA, ORR, stations policy)
• cities and urban renewal (including growth deals and Heseltine Review)
• localism and devolution
• local connectivity (including smart ticketing, buses, taxis, light rail and trams)
• accessibility and equalities
• future transport (including ULEV)
• natural environnent (including biofuels)
• SMEs
• international

Stephen Hammond MP

Stephen Hammond was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport on 4 September 2012.

The minister is responsible for:

• rail – (including operational issues, major projects, fares and ticketing, Rail Delivery Group reform, franchising)
• London (including Crossrail)
• maritime
• Better Regulation
• corporate

Robert Goodwill MP

Robert Goodwill was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport in October 2013

The minister is responsible for:

• aviation
• strategic roads and Highways Agency
• motoring agencies
• road safety and standards
• freight and logistics – including lorry road user charging
• local roads
• cycling
• HS2 Phase One
• Europe

Eye congratulates Stephen Hammond, the minister for rail. It's about time!

UPDATE: This from Steve Strong...

I think there may be a stiff contender for the worst website in the world.

The website of Eye favourite, the Soi Disant Veteran Observer, continues to feature a twice failed candidate for London's Mayor and a still very much dead Madam Chair of the Transport Select Committee!

Perhaps the 'Soi Disant' played a role in designing the 'award winning' gov.uk portal?

Higgins before TSC on 14th October

This from the Transport Select Committee...

Oral evidence SESSION – Work of Network Rail
Sir David Higgins, chief executive of Network Rail, has been called to appear before the Transport Committee.
Chair of the Committee, Louise Ellman MP, has said:

“We have a wide range of issues to raise with Sir David Higgins including Network Rail’s problems in meeting its performance targets; the funding settlement for the next 5-year control period; and the work of the Rail Delivery Group, of which Sir David is deputy chair. We will also want to ask about how Sir David intends to tackle his important new role as chair of HS2 Ltd”.

Monday 14 October 2013

Witness:

4.15 pm
· Sir David Higgins, Chief Executive, Network Rail

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Committee Membership is as follows:

Mrs Louise Ellman (Labour/Co-operative, Liverpool Riverside) (Chair); Sarah Champion (Labour, Rotherham); Jim Dobbin (Labour/Co-operative, Heywood and Middleton); Karen Lumley (Conservative, Redditch); Jason McCartney (Conservative, Colne Valley); Karl McCartney (Conservative, Lincoln); Lucy Powell (Labour/Co-operative, Manchester Central); Adrian Sanders (Lib Dem, Torbay); Iain Stewart (Conservative, Milton Keynes South); Graham Stringer (Labour, Blackley and Broughton); Martin Vickers (Conservative, Cleethorpes).

ENDS

Labour reshuffle - final scores on doors

This via Labour List...

Transport
Mary Creagh MP
Lilian Greenwood MP
Gordon Marsden MP
Richard Burden MP
Lord (Bryan) Davies
Lord (Richard) Rosser

Eye notes a blast from the recent TSSA past...

Some thoughts for NR's new CEO...

The Fact Compiler's latest column in Passenger Transport published on the 27th September...

The next edition of Passenger Transport is published on the 11th October.

Labour reshuffle - Creagh new Shadow SoS

A big Eye welcome to @marycreagh_mp - new Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, with a bowler tip to @LabourList and @Markfergusonuk
— The Fact Compiler (@TheFactCompiler) October 7, 2013

Labour says no change to stance on HS2 despite Maria Eagle moving. @marycreagh_mp (who is excellent btw) a big HS2 supporter too.
— Sunny Hundal (@sunny_hundal) October 7, 2013

Mary Creagh is the MP for Wakefield.

Gibb to Network Rail Board

That didn't take long!
 
This from Network Rail...

‘Lifetime railwayman’ Chris Gibb to join Network Rail as non-executive director

Network Rail has today announced the appointment of one of Britain’s most experienced rail industry figures, Chris Gibb, as a non-executive director.

Mr Gibb, 50, has worked in the rail industry for more than 30 years and is currently chief operating officer of Virgin Rail Group, responsible for all aspects of the delivery of Virgin’s operations on the West Coast main line.

Last year, he undertook a successful six-month secondment to Network Rail to lead a taskforce focused on improving the performance and reliability of the West Coast main line, resulting in the implementation of a targeted programme of investment to tackle the most common causes of delay.

A big Eye welcome back to Chris Gibb, it only seems hours ago that you left.

Conservative reshuffle - Goodwill in

Robert Goodwill has been appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary at @transportgovuk #reshuffle
— UK Prime Minister (@Number10gov) October 7, 2013

Note this is a PUSS role rather then a ministerial one.

Robert Goodwill is the MP for Scarborough and Whitby.

UPDATE: This from Wikipedia with a bowler tip to ASLEFs @SimonWeller...

He takes a keen interest in steam engines and owns several; he once brought an engine back from the former Czechoslovakia to restore it.

Crank alert!

LibDem reshuffle - Baker gone. Kramer - in!

Staunch Cleggite Jeremy Browne being replaced at Home Office by Norman Baker. Biggest shock of reshuffle so far #reshuffle
— James Chapman (Mail) (@jameschappers) October 7, 2013

Flabber is increasingly ghasted today!

BOOM! The big one lands: Susan Kramer replaces Norman Baker at transport.
— Matt Chorley (@MattChorley) October 7, 2013

Speechless! 

Baroness Kramer has been appointed as Minister of State at @transportgovuk #reshuffle
— UK Prime Minister (@Number10gov) October 7, 2013

So Baroness Kramer (LibDem) takes Tory ministerial role. 

Key question - who gets HS2?

Virgin reshuffles the cards!

Virgin Trains  bosses Tony Collins and Chris Gibbs quitting Branson's firm
— Gwyn Topham (@GwynTopham) October 7, 2013

Gosh!

UPDATE: Chris Gibb confirms he is to retire.

Eye doesn't believe a word of it! He'll be back!!! 

UPDATE: This from Virgin Trains...

Virgin Rail Group (VRG) today (7 October 2013) confirmed details of its management team moving forward as Tony Collins, Chief Executive Officer and Chris Gibb, Chief Operating Officer  announced plans to retire after combined service of nearly 25 years.

Both Tony and Chris will step down this month.

Tony, who has had nearly 14 years with Virgin Trains and nine years as Chief Executive Officer, said now was the right time to hand over to a new team with the decision over the next West Coast Main Line franchise scheduled for 2017. He will remain as a consultant to VRG, ensuring the company retains access to his vast knowledge and experience for its franchise bid strategy.

Chris has also announced his retirement, after 10 years with Virgin Trains including six as Chief Operating Officer. Chris, a career railwayman, is hugely respected across the industry. He recently spent time with Network Rail, advising them on how to deliver performance improvements across the West Coast Main Line route.

The new management team will be overseen by Joint Executive Chairmen Patrick McCall and Martin Griffiths from shareholders Virgin Group and Stagecoach Group. Both have been involved in the management and growth of the business for more than a decade and will now chair the monthly executive meeting and drive the bid and growth strategy.

Phil Whittingham, as Director of Finance, is stepping up to become the Lead Executive. Phil Bearpark, Production Director, will become Director Operations and Customer Service and will also be the safety system duty holder. Patrick McGrath remains as Director Human Resources, while Graham Leech, Executive Director Commercial, and Andy Cross, Director Business Support, will also continue in their current positions. Each of the Senior Management Team has more than a decade of experience at Virgin Trains and together will have full responsibility for delivering every aspect of the business performance on a day-to-day basis.

Sir Richard Branson said: “Tony has been a wonderful leader of Virgin Trains over the past nine years, spearheading the development of a world-leading railway which is loved by its customers. He combines a brilliant grasp of the details of running the business with a passion for its people and the passengers.

“Tony, Chris and the team at Virgin Trains have transformed the West Coast Main Line from a laughing stock into Europe’s busiest long distance rail service. We have cut journey times, improved service and radically changed people’s experiences. Tony is passing the baton to a hugely experienced senior management team at Virgin Trains who are focused on how we can make services even better for our customers on what is on the backbone of the UK rail network.”

Sir Brian Souter, Stagecoach Group Chairman, said: "Virgin Trains is a fantastic partnership between two innovative transport groups. Tony, the wider management team and the thousands of people at the sharp end of delivering the train service for customers have done a superb job of making our joint vision of transforming rail travel a reality. There is more growth to come and the team we have in place will ensure we have continuity and experience to build on these achievements."

Tony Collins said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed leading Virgin Trains and working with the wonderful staff to build a railway service that we can be truly proud of. We have come a long way in the last 10 years and we could not have done it without the amazing support of our people. We overcame all the odds last year and I know the team at Virgin Trains will carry on delivering the excellent customer service and innovation that we are famed for. It has been a great ride.”

Chris Gibb said:  “Delivering great customer service truly is a team effort, requiring not only great staff, which we have in spades at Virgin Trains, but also co-operation between the different stakeholders across the industry. I am especially proud of the part I have played in bringing these important individual parties together to deliver improved performance. That's the foundation which great service is built on and I'm confident the team at Virgin Trains will continue to deliver further improvements to the service we provide for our customers.”

ENDS

Labour reshuffle - Eagle gone?

Maria Eagle has been moved from Shadow Transport brief, details of replacement to follow. #labour #reshuffle
— DeHavilland (@DeHavilland) October 7, 2013

Developing...