Silver Stump Watch - Reading doomed

This from Concerned of Caversham...

Seems that NR are planning to deploy an impressive array of 'nad-busters' at Reading:

Lucky old Reading!

A case of poor regulation?

This from the ORR...

From: Data Portal 
Sent: 26 February 2013 11:19
To: Data Portal
Subject: Average age of Rolling Stock by TOC report - correction

All,

Due to an error in the report design, the data for the ‘All’ category in the Average age of Rolling Stock by TOC had been displayed against the wrong quarters between 2009-10 Q2 and 2012-13 Q2.  This has now been rectified and the report currently displays data  for the appropriate financial quarters. 

The most likely cause for this error was due to changes in the way the data was loaded.  Now that the report has been amended this error should not occur again. In addition, we will amend our existing validation procedures to ensure further checks against raw data are undertaken. 

Apologies for any inconvenience that this may have caused you. 

What is it with spreadsheets and Government departments? 

UPDATE: This from The Sleeper... 

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

UPDATE: This, it would appear, from Morris the Man...

Non solum fumo speculisque, sed etiam tintinnabulis fistulisque fit.

DfT - Uniformly dreadful

So. The Public Accounts Committee has published its report into the cancellation of the InterCity West Coast franchise competition.

The accompanying press release is littered with phrases like "complete lack of common sense", "fundamental errors" "littered with basic errors", "failed to learn from previous disasters", "failed to heed advice from its lawyers", "failed to respond appropriately to early warning signs", "did not have proper oversight of the project" and comments that "the project showed a lack of leadership".

The release continues: "There was no single person responsible from beginning to end and, therefore, no one who had to live with the consequences of bad policy decisions...".

"We are astonished that the Permanent Secretary did not oversee the project because he was told he could not see all the information which might have enabled him to challenge the processes, although it was one of the most important tasks for which the department is responsible."

"Given that the Department got it so wrong over this competition, we must feel concern over how properly it will handle future projects, including HS2 and Thameslink. The Department needs to get its house in order and put basic principles and practices at the heart of what it does, with an appropriately qualified and senior person in charge of the project throughout and an accessible leadership team ready and willing to hear and act on warning signs."

Quite so.

Of course it is all too easy to snipe from the sidelines.

Therefore, Eye is determined to make a constructive contribution to helping DfT "get its house in order".

On page 42 of the PAC report is this telling gem:

£230,000 on uniforms that will never be worn!!!

Eye insists that all officials at the Department (as well as Villiers, Hammond and Greening) are required to wear these totems of profligacy when in Whitehall and on or about the railway.

Perhaps that might engender a greater sense of team spirit and visible accountability?

UPDATE: This from Alias Schmidt & Jones...

Hey, are there any picture of these uniforms? 

And are they now for sale somewhere?

 If so, where can I get one? 

If not why not?

Eye understands that they are in secure storage and ready to be used as required. Apparently there are sufficient for any large-ish size TOC!

 

Silver Stump Watch - Kettering, in mufti

Pointless signs - Greater Anglia 7-Up

UPDATE: This from the Lost Gardens of Hackney...

I recall this from my former days on said patch but it gets even worse:

The yellow caution sticker depicted contains the classic typo 'The train may be longer than the platfrom'...!!!!!   

Proof reading?  No chance!

Silver Stump Watch - On the move at Euston!

This via @BCCletts...

The menace advances?

Pope Kipling the First anyone?

In the latest issue of Passenger Transport, published on the 15th February the Fact Compiler gets all ecclesial...

The next edition of Passenger Transport will be published on the 1st of March.

Smith to Crossrail

A busy day for TfL and those named Howard!

This from Crossrail...

Crossrail today announced the appointment of Howard Smith as Operations Director.

Howard Smith is currently Chief Operating Officer for Rail at Transport for London and has successfully led the £1bn East London Line extension project as well as the development, launch and operation of London Overground and management of its operating concession.

Howard Smith will be responsible for leading the development of Crossrail’s operational and customer service strategy, defining the structure of the new railway’s operating and maintenance organisations as well as leading on the arrangements for the future Crossrail operating concession.

Note the magic word 'concession'.

What possible reason, apart from DLR and London Overground, could Crossrail have for preferring a concession over the hugely discredited and thinly capitalised franchising model? (shurely: "highly successful and investment rich franchising model"? Ed)

Collins to Upside-Down-Land

This from the Sydney Morning Herald...

THE man who made the London Tube work during last year's Olympics will be the next boss of Sydney's rail system.

Howard Collins, made an officer of the Order of the British Empire for his management of transport during the Olympics, will be the first head of Sydney Trains, the new organisation to run trains in the city.

The appointment continues a long tradition in Sydney of appointing British rail executives and has been hailed as a coup by the Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian.

And so the brain drain down under continues! 

Silver Stump Watch - St Pancras

Helpful of someone to put double yellow lines alongside these Silver Stumps.

No doubt to prevent damage to car doors when exiting your motor.

Anyone care to hazard a guess at the unit cost?

Silver Stump Watch - King's Cross

Beautiful, a veritable host of Silver Stumps.



A shame they don't take into account mopeds or motorbikes...

Silver Stump Watch - Waterloo

Nice - Just where people want to walk.

 
What a great blessing for the visually impaired.

Latest ABC - RAIL reverses the trend

It's ABC time again.

Remember most industry titles don't submit their titles to circulation audit so a bowler tip to those that do.

Here the 2012 circulation figures with those for 2011 in brackets...

Railway Magazine 37,298 (36,523)
 
Rail 20,123 (19.801)
 
And by way of comparison, Steam Railway 31,810 (32,266) 

Railway Magazine continues to perform strongly and RAIL has grown its circulation for the first time in several years.

If Eye has missed anyone out, please shout.

Once again reports of the demise of Dead Tree Media appear somewhat exaggerated.

UPDATE: This from the Railway Gazette...

Railway Gazette International has been a member of ABC since the 1960’s and has every intention of remaining a member for the foreseeable future.

Our 2012 certificate has been submitted to the  ABC.  We were a week later than usual in submitting this but well within the ABC deadline.  ABC have issued the draft certificate to us and the official one will be live next week.

Figure for 2011 was 10,548 print copies, figure for 2012 will be 10,533. 

We are 15 print copies down but this has been replaced by a huge increase in our digital only copies which are not counted in this audit.

Dear Hatfield Colliery... You slag!

Please can you remove your slag heap from our railway?

Ta.

Meanwhile, these taken today...
 

That is all.

Lawson's Arrived!

This via, ahem, Network Rail...

New Director, Maintenance and Operations Services

I am delighted to announce the appointment of Neal Lawson as director, maintenance and operations services within Network Operations, reporting to me. Neal joins us from First Capital Connect (FCC), where he is currently managing director.

This new post will give us a more joined-up, strategic view across Network Operations, which will help us to support the routes more efficiently and effectively.

Leading the central maintenance and operations services functions, Neal’s role will include the operating strategy, timetabling, national performance management, improving infrastructure reliability, improving operational and workforce safety, level crossings, CrossCountry and open access operators, stations and depots, and the coordination of a £1 billion capital programme covering a range of activities during control period five. 

Neal will also take on a new role within the company, becoming the client for the implementation of the European Train Control System on behalf of Network Rail. He will coordinate the operational, technical and commercial interfaces with the train operators.

Neal has extensive industry and technical experience. Prior to joining FCC, he was senior vice president, asset engineering at Metronet and vice president, engineering and product development at Bombardier. His comprehensive, senior experience in asset management, rail vehicle manufacturing and train operations make him an excellent addition to the Network Operations leadership team. His start date will be confirmed shortly.

I would like to thank Fiona Dolman, who stepped in as interim director, operational services when Dyan Crowther left the post to become route managing director for LNW. Fiona will return to her permanent role as head of operational planning, and will report to Neal. Mac Andrade, director, maintenance services will also report to Neal.

- ENDS -

Silver Stump Watch - Euston

Time for an exciting new feature!

Introducing Silver Stump Watch.
 
In the Age of Austerity, where every penny counts, it is only right that the railway should invest heavily to prevent the merest possibility of some ne'er-do-well driving a vehicle onto railway property with the aim of committing some dreadful abomination.

This picture from Euston with a bowler tip to Strawbrick...

Presumably these magnificent Silver Stumps appearing across the network will deter those of evil intent, as they will now be forced to find a free parking space or take public transport before simply walking through these eyesores?

Does anyone really believe that these offer value for money or is this a visual manifestation of derriere covering?

Update: This from The Major...
 
York has some fine examples which serve only to provide a nuisance to those towing trolley bags (themselves a nuisance but let's not go there!).
 
I believe these stumps fall under the little-known 'Business Case Exemption (Security Measures and Ticket Barriers) Regulations 2011'.

First Class question from My Lord Berkeley

So. A director of First Class Partnerships is now leading franchising for DfT.

Meanwhile First Class Partnerships has form for advising Directly Operated Railways 'on preparations to take over' franchises, most recently on the West Coast:

On the 12th of February, My Lord Berkeley asked the following...

Lord Berkeley (Labour)
To ask Her Majesty's Government following the appointment of Pete Wilkinson as Interim Franchise Director at the department for Transport, what are the terms and conditions of his appointment; what is his expected remuneration; and what arrangements are in place to separate his activities at the Department for Transport from his other business interests.

Earl Attlee (Whip, House of Lords; Conservative)
Mr Wilkinson has been appointed on the terms and conditions of an interim member of staff. He has been appointed initially for a period of six months at a daily rate.

He has declared his interests in any actual or potential businesses to the Permanent Secretary and appropriate measures have been taken in accordance with the Civil Service rules and the terms of his appointment to address any potential conflicts of interest.

So that's all right then!

Pre-Valentine industry love-in lite?

This from Orville...

Yesterday, 200 or so of the industry's brightest and best attended the ORR's consultation workshop on NR's Strategic Business Plan.

NR put on a polished performance, with a number of senior executives there to present all that the Plan has to offer.

And the ORR? 

Did they perchance outline their emerging views and concerns with the plan and its costs? Were Walker, Price, and Ross there listening intently as industry grilled NR on the details?

Er, no.

Why tie down senior management talent focusing on the industry's view of the 'greatest investment in the railways since the Victorian era' (sic) when there are much more interesting things to do?

Such as managing the team of 60 ORR staff, or 21% of total headcount, busy duplicating the role of Passenger Focus (shurely "working on 'consumer protection' matters"? Ed).

Aye, it's a fine life at One Kemble Street.

Pointless signs - Greater Anglia first class

This from I Remember Alborough...

This was the sight that greeted me as the train was ready for boarding at Liverpool Street on Friday.

It had been cleaned and was not late in.

GA pulled out all the stops for the Olympics. Quite clearly they have now pushed all the stops back in again!

Loo Roll - quicker to walk?

This from the Man by the Photocopier...

I note approvingly that Transport for London has extended the LOROL contract to run Overground until late 2016.

But what is this? 

“LOROL will continue to be responsible for the operation of the London Overground train services, maintenance and operation of the stations which they manage and the maintenance of the 172 trains which run on the Gospel Oak to Barking line.” 

Buffer to buffer, presumably?