Friday 31 May 2013

London Bridge to Aberystwyth? Sort of...

Good to see that all this modernisation malarkey doesn't necessarily mean that our history gets scrapped.

This from the Beeb... 

Part of London's oldest railway station is set to be rebuilt in Aberystwyth as part of a £10m plan for a narrow gauge railway museum.


Sections of London Bridge station's roof have been given to Vale of Rheidol Railway which operates small steam trains for tourists in mid Wales.

London Bridge station, which opened in 1836 and is used by 55 million people, is undergoing a £6bn redevelopment. 

Network Rail has saved 16 columns, 14 beams and other elements of the roof.

Good effort NR. And well done Vale of Rheidol Railway for offering a home.


Somnambulism aboard the Civil Service Express

This from Battersea Bertie...

The 87 bus that runs from Westminster to SW London is not called the "civil service express" for nothing. 

Last night I espied a young female "bureaucrat" falling asleep in front of her very own copy of the TSC "Lessons from the Intercity West Coast rail franchise competition" report!

At least this shows a degree of consistency.

Officials asleep both before and after the event.

NRMM - bypass Whitehall, head to Bruxelles!

This from Sue La Manche...

Ne pas jeter le bébé avec l'eau du bain!

As the rhetoric over our relationship with Europe grow ever louder, some of the more enlightened (!) ministers are seizing the opportunity to stand tough and demand greater concessions from Brussels in support of the UK economy and UK businesses.

They would have you believe this is something new, yet the UK has historically been rather successful at securing such amendments. 

Take, for example, Directive 2011/88/EU, the so called Flexibility package of the Non Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM) Directive which allows UK businesses to order a limited number of new diesel locomotives, and to re-engine old locomotives at the previous IIIa emissions limit instead of the otherwise mandatory IIIb standard.  


After much negotiation, the Directive was passed into European law in November 2011, triggering a three year period for orders to be placed.

Yet, rather that shout about the great concession we have secured, UK Government has just sat on its hands.  


Halfway through the extension period, the Directive is still not transposed into UK law, to the intense frustration of those businesses looking to invest in new or modified equipment, yet who cannot, in the UK, gain the necessary clearance for their plans.

And, whilst they wait, what is the best advice that Government can offer to industry?

To get approval from the Belgian Safety Authority!

Thursday 30 May 2013

EMT Automated Comedy Gold

This from Derby Anoraknophobic...

Those boarding the 06:04 to St Pancras at Derby this morning were greeted by an announcement asking all passengers and staff to immediately vacate the train!

From the platform it was clear to confused passengers, from the excessive smoke around the power car, that there was a small engine fire.

As staff dealt efficiently with the incident and evacuated the platform an automated station announcement bellowed out reminding passengers that smoking was prohibited anywhere on the station premises!

There's a lesson in this somewhere...



Wednesday 29 May 2013

Maria the Eagle blusters on bonuses

Another belly flop from Maria the Eagle...

Labour's beleaguered Transport shadow opined...

“Commuters facing inflation-busting fare rises will be outraged at the scale of the bonus packages being enjoyed by a few at the top of the rail industry. This comes on top of the Tory-led Government cutting taxes for the most well off while millions pay more.

“Ministers must now act and make clear that bonuses on this scale are simply not appropriate in a company that receives nearly four billion pounds of taxpayers’ money every year."


Eye supposes it is just too much to ask for Maria to actually understand the industry that she mouths on about?

It is ORR that requires Network Rail to have a 'management incentive plan' (bonuses in Maria speak) not government! 

And it will be remembered that ORR is not part of government - the clue is its role as an 'independent economic regulator'.

No matter.

Of course if we are looking round for someone to blame for NR's bonus culture perhaps we might focus on the party in government when the company was actually set up?

Not much from Maria on that one, eh!

Tuesday 28 May 2013

TPE introduces PEDs!

Exciting news for fans of Platform Edge Doors! (shurely Platform Edge Designs? Ed)

This from 'Northern Spirit'... 

Obviously the standard yellow line with white platform edge is not sufficient at Dewsbury (this is the slow line with fast trains in this direction using the through line). 


Good to see that in these times of austerity First TPE has discovered a cheap way to keep passengers away from platform edges, or an expensive way to waste paint...

Railway Garden Competition - Birmingham New Street

This from JT19...

Although these are some weeks old it appears that there has been a good start to the new growing season at Birmingham New Street..

 

Good to see the LNW Route is able to maintain the very best traditions of a centralised NR.
 


Pointless signs - Brundall

This from Anonymous Please...

I thought Eye readers might enjoy this sign seen at Brundall Station in Norfolk last week.


It seems that the Dutch have moved the international dateline to somewhere around the Wash!

Thursday 23 May 2013

CrossCountry rejects use of IEP! - Shocker


Good point. Well made.

Pointless signs - Euston

This from Joseph-Michel Montgolfier...

Not really a pointless sign...


More a statement of ride quality South of Rugby.

Brompton on manouveres

This from The Man in Room 205...

Given recent snaps of industry Brompton bikes, I thought you’d appreciate a picture of my SWT Brompton decidedly off region in my office at London Marylebone (Class 67’s & MK III’s sadly out of shot, as I know this blog appeals to those with a ‘professional interest’).



A great innovation, that is sadly under review. I hope the review concludes the scheme is worthwhile and should continue beyond the rumoured 3 month deadline.

Notwithstanding the health and environmental benefits of cycling, it is actually cheaper than my equivalent Oyster fares.


Wednesday 22 May 2013

Railway Garden Competition - Belper

A welcome return for that Eye hardy perennial - the Railway Garden Competition!

This from the Wicked Weaver...


Perhaps, in the 'Spirit of Partnership', NR's Route is helping EMT save on carriage cleaning costs?

The railway and the rise and rise of Ukip

The Fact Compiler's latest column in Passenger Transport published on the 10th May...



The next edition of Passenger Transport will be published on the 24th of May.

Monday 20 May 2013

McNulty strikes again!

This from the Evening Standard...

The Gatwick Express “at times veers towards Third World conditions” giving some business executives and tourists flying to London a poor first impression of Britain, an airport boss warned today.
 

Sir Roy McNulty, the new chairman of Gatwick Airport, stressed it was vital to improve the rail service to the Sussex airport.

How's that Value for Money stuff going for you Roy?

Friday 17 May 2013

Pointless signs - Pendolino

This from Pendolino Warrior...

Does anyone actually read the safety notices?

Let's work through the Virgin Pendolino window smashing guidance. 



  1. Locate window hammer and strike cover with fist.
  2. Strike emergency window repeatedly in one area to form a small hole.
  3. Tear out a large hole in the inner window pane.
Then what? Stare though the outer window pane?

Thursday 16 May 2013

PWC appointed to advise on IEP

This from Our Man at 222 Marylebone Road...

I understand that DfT has just appointed Price WaterhouseCoopers as financial advisers for IEP.  

The announcement says that:

'DfT is looking to secure excellent value for money and the appointed firm will be required to provide proposals that offer cost reduction, efficiency and improvement opportunities throughout the contract term'.

Presumably it would be too much to expect PWC to say 'bin it'?


(Unlikely as PWC has form with the "biggest privately financed passenger rolling stock deal in history, anywhere in the world". Ed)

Eye gives you Christian Farage!

The leader of UKIP had better look to his laurels!

This from Mayoral candidate Christian Wolmar, reflecting on the impact of EU policy on Croatia's railways:

So the net result of EU interference is precisely the opposite to what it was supposed to be set up to do, improve international relations and cross border trade and passenger flow.

I have always been against the Euro but in favour of the European Union. However, this type of imposition of a neo-liberal agenda on the railways does make me hesitate about what we should do about the EU. 

Clearly, the Eurocrats still have a naive federalist agenda that they are trying to impose and they need to be stopped.

There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents...

Wednesday 15 May 2013

May slams 'ugly' bridges

This from GetWokingham...

Theresa May disappointed with "ugly" Woodley railway bridge

Disappointment surrounding an ‘ugly’ new railway bridge has been forwarded to rail officials by Theresa May MP...

The Home Secretary met senior Network Rail officials to discuss improvements to the Great Western route when she raised people’s concerns that new bridges appearing in the ongoing work are “ugly”.

Eye wonders whether 'kitten heels' might improve the overall effect?

Burns Lite - RMT unspins the big man

This from the Brothers...

RMT research and answers to parliamentary questions have revealed that in an effort to justify the government’s decision to privatise the successful publicly owned East Coast Mainline the Rail Minister Simon Burns has recently deliberately mislead Parliament about the performance of East Coast Mainline in the public sector.

The Minister wrongly told the Transport Select Committee on 24th April that the West Coast Mainline operated by Virgin pays more in premium payments than the publicly owned East Coast Mainline. The Minister then repeated the misinformation the following day at Transport Questions.

Yet Parliamentary answers and official figures recorded by the Office of Rail Regulation show that, Publicly owned East Coast Mainline through Directly Operated Railways has paid the taxpayer significantly higher premium payments than Richard Branson’s Virgin on the West Coast Mainline.

  • Publicly owned East Coast paid the Treasury £411 million between 2009 and 2012 whilst Virgin’s West Coast paid £282 million during the same period. A difference of £129m.
  • Publicly owned East Coast through Directly Operated railways also paid almost twice as more (£602m) than its predecessor National Express (£370m) over a four year period.
Just fancy that!

Eye awaits with interest to see whether Mr Toad is required to apologise for misleading the House...

UPDATE: This from the Editorial Team at Rail Business Intelligence
 
Simon Burns is also convinced that returning East Coast to “the private sector” will bring about improved punctuality.

According to the details of an interview on BBC Two's Daily Politics contained on the Minister's own website:

[Mr Burns] said there have been improvements on the East Coast Mainline since it was taken into public ownership into 2009, but said there had now been a "plateau".

He said now was the time to return it to the private sector "for a number of reasons".

"...Firstly, because the improvements have now plateaued and we believe that passengers should get even better service from it, better punctuality..."

"We now believe it is the right time to move forward so we can get a new franchise holder coming in, providing the service, using their innovative skills to improve the service for passengers."

 
Readers of tomorrow’s Rail Business Intelligence will no doubt find the following table of interest.


 
RBI readers will of course draw their own conclusions about how much better the private sector is at delivering a more punctual railway.


UPDATE: This from Alecto...

Here is some ORR Data which tells us a lot about the Department for Transport's commitment to 'transparency':


In this Table premia paid to government are shown as a negative number.
 
So when Mr Burns says that West Coast pays more in premium he is clearly right.

BUT under Cap & Collar Virgin gets revenue support because the fare revenue coming in is less than forecast.

So the Treasury got £209.7 million, but paid back £44 million, thus vindicating the RMT claim and showing that Mr Burns either can't do difficult sums or is a political weasel (Shurely: political colossus! Ed)

And here are the comparative net payment figures for the three years (premia shown positive)



Of course the real issue is not about the Minister, but whether the Permanent Secretary is party to this dissimulation.

Tuesday 14 May 2013

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?


Monday 13 May 2013

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 !

Friday 10 May 2013

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.

Thursday 9 May 2013

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


Wednesday 8 May 2013

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.

Tuesday 7 May 2013

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.

Saturday 4 May 2013

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!

Friday 3 May 2013

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)

Wednesday 1 May 2013

Exceptional customer service explained...

You may need to click on this to view it in all its glory...

 
Pure genius and thank you Twitter!

Pointless signs - Railtex edition


I counted them all out...

This from the Thin Controller 

Perhaps Eye readers can advise just how many of the industry's great and good (including one if not two ministers) made it to the Rail Delivery Group away-day at Westwood... before Freightliner's Felixstowe - Ditton sat down with a failed brake pipe, completely shafting the southern end of the WCML?


Just asking.