ECML to be redacted - Shocker!

An excited press release from the RMT announcing the end date of NXEC!

Of course Rail Business Intelligence and Eye readers already know that the Department plans to nationalise the East Coast franchise at timetable change.

No matter.

Railnews gives further details of the leaked document which alerted the RMT.

The piece also contains a rather natty mock up of a Mk3 in its state owned livery.

Sadly the new East Coast logo may alarm the good burghers of Lincoln and Harrogate.

And come to that the citizens of Leeds as well.

Apparently, under state control, the ECML is to become a siding!

To be fair the logo was probably designed by the Department for Transport.

And what do they know about railways?

UPDATE: This from Leo Pink...

At least the logo is close to First Group purple.

UPDATE: This from our man at 222 Marylebone Road...

Shouldn't the new logo say 'InterCity East Coast' since Roger Ford's Manifesto is bound to be adopted after the election

A Grand day out - NOT

This from the Standard...

First £1,000 rail fare in history of British train travel

The commentariat will have a field day with this.

Does anyone at ATOC consider the PR implications of fares decisions?

No matter.

Eye salutes all involved.

UPDATE: This from Peter...

As a seven day all line rover costs only £650 for seven days who would buy this ticket?

UPDATE: This from Gulliver's blog over at The Economist....

Yes it is appalling value for money, though you could suggest that £1,000 fares are indicative of too little micromanagement by Labour...

It gets even better further on!

Railway 0 Road 1

UPDATE: This from our International Correspondent...

Not that a Gentleman going properly equipped concerns himself with public fares, let alone how to pay one, but something's a bit odd about the Standard's XC fares story.

According to NRES this morning, a 1st Class anytime single Kyle-Newquay or v.v via London* = £374.50

*It won't give a walk-on 1st Class return, and why are XC setting Via London fares anyway?

Single berth Night Riviera sleeper supplement £45 each way. This doesn't come to a Grand return, even in new Sterling-lite.

Surely the Standard hasn't been sold a pup?

UPDATE: Now STV has taken up the story...

It has emerged that amid rising train fares, a ticket for a service running from the Scottish Highlands to Cornwall will cost over £1k.

Mind you, it's good to see the West Lothian Question inverted!

UPDATE: This from Rudi over at Merseyrail...

As Eye predicted - it's now gone global!

And as a favour for the linguists amongst you...

Brits treinretourtje overschrijdt 1100 euro

UPDATE: This from the TSSA...

Gerry Doherty even manages to squeeze in a mention when talking about First Group's £140m taxpayer subsidy to run 'profitable' franchises...

It is the economics of the madhouse to pay millions of pounds to private rail operators who are then charging passengers the highest fares in Europe.It makes far more sense to pay the money to cut fares on publicly-owned franchises which would operate in the public interest.

Yesterday we saw the logic of this present Alice in Wonderland system with the first £1,000 UK rail fare. It is time to end this farce which has seen a Labour Government price millions of hard working families of the railways altogether.

Nice link Gerry.

Lookalike - The R&B session

UPDATE: This from Leo Pink...

Since the R&B Session lacks captions I assume it is a competition.

I suggest Diesel head and Petrol head.

Merseyrail abolishes kiss and ride

This from the Commuter...

Merseyrail has published it's own decalogue.

Good to see that they have already managed to surpass the eight 'thou shalt nots' contained in the original 10 Commandments.



Amongst the list of 'don'ts' is the surprising injunction that station car parks are not to be used as meeting places.

And as you can't loiter on the station either presumably vast numbers of local citizens are now in breach of whatever draconian laws are used to enforce this nonsense.

Just because you think you're innocent doesn't mean that you're not guilty.

UPDATE: This fruity suggestion from Leo Pink...

Is 'meeting place' the bowdlerised form of 'Thou shalt not dog in station car parks'?

UPDATE: This from Chionanthus virginicus...

So here's a bit of Merseyrail logic...

Command No 2: "Customers are expected to be in possession of a valid ticket if they intend to travel on our trains"

is listed as the

"...type of behaviour which is unacceptable and have (surely that should be "has") a detrimental impact on other passengers etc......" ???

Now cahrm down, cahrm down, it could only happen on Mareseyside !!

UPDATE: This from Rudi over at Merseyrail...

Believe it or not, nefarious practices do go on in station car parks.

I know of one car park which was being used by a dodgy local car dealer as his shop window to display and sell cars...

And there is anecdotal evidence of other types of dealing (don't know about dogging; maybe the CCTV cameras add another dimension to some exhibitionism enthusiasts?).

Our Code of Conduct signs are the "layman's translation" of the railway byelaws which run into many pages, are full of legalese and in their written form are about as riveting as the phone book.

As you will know, we are the only TOC to actually actively apply these byelaws to combat feet-on-seats, loud music from phones, drunkenness, smoking and other forms of anti-social behaviour which turns people off using trains.

And our passengers love it and so do passengers from other parts of the country who tell us that they'd love their TOC to do the same!

Up in smoke

This from Analytica...

Stobart and Schenker complete first UK reefer rail service

Presumably the train was crewed by Cheech and Chong?

UPDATE: This from a fan of Private Eye's Psuedo-names...

So:-

"Each refrigerated container is monitored remotely by Stobart from ‘pack-house to customer’ to ensure the temperature is precisely controlled and the produce arrives on time and in optimum condition."

Why can't the Voyager/Meridian TOCs (and others) do the same for their vehicles so I too can arrive in optimum condition?

Yours Fr. O'Zenstiff

October thank you

In October Railway Eye received 25,677 visits from 8,376 unique visitors.

Apparently you viewed 36,717 splenetic utterances in total.

Since the site launched on the 13th May 2008 (or there abouts) Railway Eye has received 215,847 visits from 48,586 unique visitors.

Thank you.

Lookalike - The Bee Gees twins

HS2 will create a nation of Pimbys - Official

Exciting news from the High Speed Evangelist.

The Noble Lord is planning to release the proposed route for HS2 in the New Year and with cross party support!

So convinced is Lord Adonis of overwhelming backing for High Speed rail that he confidently predicts a transformation in Middle England's mindset from Nimby to Pimby.

Please in my back yard!

Watford - St Albans to be 'tram line'?

Via Twitter

@transportgovuk: Adonis launches a consultation to convert Watford and St Albans railway into a tram line.

Let's hope this is more successful than the abandoned conversion of the Penistone line.

Merde!

Swiss unveil new tilting train

With a bowler tip to Blick.ch via Bushy

DafT shows commitment to local democracy

This update on the Battle of the Barriers from the BBC...

A rail company is appealing against a decision not to allow ticket barriers at York railway station.

The appeal is apparently to be heard in the New Year, by which time NXEC should have shuffled off its mortal coil.

So there is precious little benefit to be gained by the franchise, NatEx or indeed its hard pressed shareholders in mounting this appeal.

So who is yanking NXEC's chain?

Step forward Lord Adonis, DafT and DOR.

Eye salutes this unholy triumverate for learning from Ireland's experience with the Euro constitution.

Just keep asking the same question until they come up with the right answer.

Troughing news - £13,837 of our money!

Good news from the mother of Parliaments...

Former transport minister Tony McNulty has apologised to the House of Commons 'without reservation' and agreed to repay £13,837 of expenses he claimed towards his second home.

Well that makes it all better then.

UPDATE: In his statement to the House McNulty says its time to move on.

Indeed it is.

Directly to gaol without passing go.

Furze-Waddock joins Virgin Trains

This from Beardie Rail...

Virgin Trains has appointed Paul Furze-Waddock as its new Business Development Director.

Paul takes up his new job in the new year and his main focus will be future franchise bidding, including the West Coast franchise, which is due for re-bidding in March 2012. He will report directly to Virgin Trains’ Chief Executive Officer Tony Collins.

Will the First one out last please turn off the lights.

Pointless signs - South Eastern Trains

NatEx walks away from Stagecoach talks

This from The Times...

National Express, the struggling transport group, has walked away from a last-gasp merger with rival Stagecoach over concerns that competition regulators could derail a deal.

State operator 'East Coast Mainline' is expected to take on the NXEC franchise at the December Timetable change.

Arriva trading statement

This from nebusiness.co.uk...

Passenger revenue growth was 1.3% up on the CrossCountry rail franchise during the 42 weeks to October 24 and jumped by 3.8% in the last six weeks. The figure was even higher at Arriva Trains Wales at 6.7%.

Stand down DOR...

UPDATE: This from City Boy...

Remember that Arriva XC needs annual growth of 10% to maintain profitability on the franchise.

Steve Davies pots black at NRM!

This from the Doncaster Free Press...

Steve Davies will join the NRM at a date to be agreed in the New Year, from his position as Director of the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) in Manchester.


Judging by this picture he might, just, make an honorary railwayman...

UPDATE: This from Driver Potter...

TFC has clearly lost his marbles; Mr Davies fails to score in the following vital areas;

• No high-vis,
• No hard-hat in case of Health and Safety,
• Looks pleased to be at work.

He also appears to be passing water vapour from the rear.

Clearly his fusible plug has gone...

Return of the Parly

This from the Daily Telegraph..

If Sir Christopher Kelly has achieved nothing else, he has provoked an unprecedented level of interest in railway timetables among our MPs.

A big welcome back to the Parliamentary Train.

Arriva announces interims tomorrow

City excitement as Arriva prepares to unveil interim management results tomorrow.

But with the market distinctly twitchy the Eye thought it might be helpful to introduce this splendid new logo.

Just in case.