All Line Rover - restrictions from the 23rd May

Twitter and the internet news groups were abuzz last night with stories about the All Line Rover.

Details can be found here.

It appears that ATOC has decided that All Line Rovers will not be valid for use before 10:00 on InterCity sercvices from the 23rd May.

Obviously this decision was made in advance of the election.

But Eye can't help but feel that this is akin to the train operators pissing on Lord Adonis' ministerial grave.

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

ALR not being time-restricted. ATOC.

Eye wonders why the change of heart?

Eversholt Rail Awards - funniest ever!

Extra-ordinary news from last night's Eversholt (nee HSBC) Rail Business Awards.

There were incredulous gasps when it was announced that Worst Group had won Business of the Year!

As Mary Grant glided onto the stage one hard-nosed operator was heard to spit:

"If First had put as much time into managing their demic franchises as they have obviously spent on making awards submissions they might actually have deserved it."

But the biggest laugh of the evening was reserved for the presentation of an award to FuCC for its communications skills!

No doubt furious Thameslink passengers, shivering on platforms and desperately trying to find out whether the train they're waiting for will actually run, are reassured to know that FuCC has an award winning Internal Comms team.

Talk about adding insult to injury!

Until these industry bunfights actually reflect the experience of the railway's paying customers they are in danger of doing more PR harm than good.

Meanwhile Eversholt must be wishing they'd stuck with their old branding.

ATOC - adrift from reality

Good news from ATOC!

Whilst their TOC members plead poverty it appears that the trade forum lives in a parallel universe where their suppliers have oodles of money.

Or so it would appear judging from this ratecard touted round suppliers by the agency selling space in the new ATOC Telephone Directory.

The ATOC Directory – November 2009

Advertising Space Available------Cost per Issue

Outside Back Cover--------------£10,000

Inside Back Cover----------------£6,000

Inside Front Cover---------------£7,000

Eye wateringly expensive!

Why for the price of the outside cover you could travel with Arriva XC from Newquay to Fort William almost ten times...

Adonis on fare increases

The latest issue of Rail has secured a nice quote from My Lord Adonis.

During the Pilgrimage of Grice the rail minister used an All Line Rail Rover, which he freely promoted in the media at just about every opportunity (something the train operators have singularly failed to do).

Alas.

As the Eye revealed two weeks ago ATOC are to increase the price of an All Line Rail Rover, from the 17th May, by a whopping 15%!

Indeed, so shocked was Adonis by the scale of the price increase he told Rail:

"With friends like that what enemies need the railways fear?"

With ATOC paying over a grand a day for PR consultants perhaps someone should have seen that coming?