Branson blasts government ‘insanity’ over West Coast decision

admin
-
2

“The Government decision to award the West Coast Main Line Franchise to FirstGroup is extremely disappointing for Virgin, and for our staff that have worked so hard to transform this railway over the last 15 years.  We submitted a strong and deliverable bid based on improving customers’ experience, increased investment and sustained innovation. To have bid more would have involved dramatic cuts to customer quality and considerable fare rises which we were unwilling to entertain.

“We also did not want to risk letting everybody down with almost certain bankruptcy at some time during the franchise as happened to GNER and National Express who overbid on the East Coast mainline. Sadly the Government has chosen to take that risk with First Group and we only hope they will continue to drive dramatic improvements on this line for years to come without letting everybody down.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. When will the Department for Transport learn?

“We won the franchise in 1997 with an agenda to change radically the way people viewed and used the train. At the time the track was run-down, staff demoralised, the service riddled with delays and reliant on heavy subsidies. We set hugely challenging targets to dramatically speed up journey times with modern tilting trains, increase the frequency of the service, improve the on-board experience; as well as double passenger numbers and return the line to profit.

“We were told it was “Mission Impossible” and our plans were laughed at by critics. However 15 years later, despite continued problems with the track, we have achieved our targets. Passenger numbers have more than doubled to over 30 million, the fastest growth in the UK and world leading. We have the highest customer satisfaction of any long distance franchise operator and dominate the air/rail market between London and Manchester. It has been a remarkable achievement by an outstanding team who have successfully delivered on our promises.

“I am immensely proud of our staff for turning the West Coast line from a heavily loss-making operation into one that will return the taxpayer billions in the years to come.  Last year we paid a net premium of £160 million to the taxpayer and have created a franchise worth more than £6 billion which is hugely valuable to the country.

“These achievements have counted for little – as this is the fourth time that we have been out-bid in a rail tender. On the past three occasions, the winning operator has come nowhere close to delivering their promised plans and revenue, and has let the public and country down dramatically. In the case of the East Coast Main line, both winners – GNER and National Express – over promised in order to win the franchise and spectacularly ran into financial difficulties in trying to deliver their plans.  The East Coast is still in Government ownership and its service is outdated and underinvested, costing passengers and the country dearly as a result.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. When will the Department for Transport learn?

“Interestingly before Virgin took over the West Coast there were more passengers using the East Coast than the West Coast. Now there are 12 million fewer.

Based on the current flawed system, it is extremely unlikely that we would bid again for a franchise.

“Under our stewardship, the West Coast Mainline has been transformed from a public liability into a valuable asset for the UK, worth many billions of pounds.  The service is a British success story and one to put up against rail companies around the world. It is a great shame that such a strong track record has been discounted in the evaluation process for one of the UK’s most important infrastructure assets. The country’s passengers, taxpayers and the West Coast employees deserve better.

“Based on the current flawed system, it is extremely unlikely that we would bid again for a franchise.  The process is too costly and uncertain, with our latest bid costing £14 million. We have made realistic offers for the East Coast twice before which were rejected by the Department for Transport for completely unrealistic ones and therefore will have to think hard before embarking on another bid.

“Our amazing staff have been the driving force behind the West Coast Main Line’s transformation and I am sure that for the last months of the contract they will all continue to run the high quality service that has helped win us many awards and attract millions more customers to rail.”

Sir Richard Branson, founder Virgin Rail

‘Stop listening to my music’ – Professor Green joins level crossing safety campaign

admin
-
3

English rapper Professor Green has become the face of Network Rail’s new campaign warning people about the dangers of wearing headphones while using level crossings.

In the campaign the music artist is asking fans to stop listening to his music in a bid to bring down the number of deaths on UK level crossings.

This year, two people have died at footpath crossings where it is thought they were wearing headphones.

In the past five years, train drivers or railway staff have reported 19 incidents where pedestrians, joggers or cyclists wearing headphones have crossed the railway, seemingly oblivious to the approaching train.

We hope people will listen up, lose their headphones, and not their lives.

Professor Green said: “I never imagined asking people to stop listening to my music but this is about staying safe, so just for a minute, I want them to stop.

“I know it’s very easy to get caught up in a track when you have your headphones on and get distracted from where you are and what’s around you but I’m asking, please, lose your headphones when at a level crossing and pay attention to all the safety warnings. I don’t want anyone to end up on the tracks listening to one of mine.”

Martin Gallagher, Network Rail’s head of level crossings said: “Trains can travel up to 125mph on the main British rail network and even with safety warnings such as lights and signs at footpaths across the tracks, it’s easy to get distracted if you’re caught up with your favourite tune.

“If Professor Green is asking people to stop listening to his music just for a few minutes, we hope people will listen up, lose their headphones, and not their lives.”

Why should the Government have to pay half my train fare?

Collin Carr
-
7

The news is full of the latest increase in rail fares. With the rate of inflation declared at 3.2 per cent, fares are set to rise by 6.2 per cent in England in January 2013.

The screams of indignation from commuters and regular travellers can be heard for miles. Comparisons are made with fares on the continent. Some claim that privatisation is the root of it all, and that the Fat Cat bosses are taking all the cream.

But let’s look at facts, and reality, and fairness.

Railways are expensive to maintain.  The civil engineering infrastructure was built 150 years ago, using techniques thought to be highly advanced at the time but woefully outdated now. Bridges have to be replaced, track maintained and drainage rebuilt (especially after the latest British Summer).  Some of the trains themselves were built 30 years ago, and they need replacing – not just for comfort but because they are very inefficient in terms of energy consumption.

And comparing British railways with continental ones is not sensible either. Bridges in Germany cost as much to replace as British ones, French trains are not particularly cheaper to buy, and track is expensive to maintain wherever you are.

So just because other people choose to go to work not by car but by train, why should they expect the government to pay half the cost?

So not only does someone have to pay the day-to-day running costs of the railways, but the maintenance and rebuild costs as well.

And who should pay that?

I live in Leicestershire, a 15-minute drive from work. I have bought my own car, I pay for road tax and insurance, and I pay for the petrol that goes into it.

There is no way that I would expect the government to pay for half my petrol. Why should they?

So just because other people choose to go to work not by car but by train, why should they expect the government to pay half the cost? Is it reasonable?  Is it even fair – particularly on people like me who don’t get a subsidy?

Similarly, if I go to London, I can drive down.  That costs me more petrol, tyre wear and other running costs.  If I decide to go by train instead I can read a book or do some work rather than having to concentrate on my driving. That’s fair enough – but should I then expect the government, or more accurately you – the taxpayer, to pay for half my fare?

It’s a question of choice. People commuting long distances choose to do so.  They chose a particular job because it pays better, or is more readily available, than one around the corner. Or they may have chosen to move to their current location because it is more pleasant than living close to work. That’s all fair enough. After all, I chose to live where I do, and to work eight miles away.

But having chosen to do that, why do these commuters think that I, or you, should pay them to travel to work?  They don’t pay me to do it – so is it fair that I should pay them?

Of course it isn’t.  They chose to live where they do, and work where they do, so they have to face the cost of that decision. Don’t ask me to pay for their commuting – I’m too busy paying for my own.

From an industry commentator

Urine poured on female passenger through train window

admin
-
0

Police are looking for a man who poured a bottle of urine on a female passenger as she sat waiting for her train to depart.

The victim had sat down beneath an open window on the 20.46 Plumstead to Greenwich service when she felt the liquid running down from her head onto her clothes.

“The horrified woman recognised the smell to be urine,” said PC Tracy Mesher.

“She realised that the liquid had come from a drinks bottle which had been placed through the window she was sitting by.”

The victim seized the bottle and later handed it in to police.

Following the incident on May 24, British Transport Police (BTP) have now released a CCTV image of the suspect.

PC Mesher added: “This was a sickening experience for the victim, who was understandably left upset by what happened to her.

“We would like to speak to the man pictured as we believe he may be able to help us with our enquiries into this incident.

HS2 will build on Olympic success

admin
-
0

Andy Milne spells out four reasons why the rail industry and Britain needs High Speed Two.

 

As the surge of national optimism reached its crescendo at the London Olympics the great and the not so good were lining up to oppose the plan to build a high-speed railway between London, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester. Leave to seek a judicial review of the consultation process could, if granted, delay the project by a further two years.

Grandees like Lord Parkinson, Christopher Chope and Stephen Norris have come out against the scheme saying the cost is unlimited and we would get more motorways for the £32 billion involved. ‘I am very sceptical about the whole thing. I see it as of limited value and almost unlimited expense,’ said Lord Parkinson.

Assumptions made by the trio are at best ill thought through and at worst defeatist and negative. Shame on those who misled you.

Railway supporters of the HS2 are keen to stress four basic arguments as to why High Speed Two should go ahead.

Building on Success 

The rail industry is a success, a safe bet, a reflection of a returning Britain, confident and determined. Rail projects have consistently been delivered on budget and on time. This proven record makes it very attractive to invest in railways. We know the money is well spent. Yes, it’s true railway people would say that – wouldn’t we?

RailStaff is right behind High Speed Two because our readers and advertisers are the people who will build the link, crew the trains and operate the network. It means better careers, a boost to rail businesses and an engaging challenge for a resurgent rail industry. Railways have waited a long time for this. However the underlining reason comes back to the fact that railways are a success. Like our heroes at the Olympics we are outstripping our competitors. Britain has the fastest growing rail industry in Europe. We are now carrying almost double the amount of passengers we were a few years ago on half the amount of track. Rail staff manage this challenge day and night rising to it with Olympian aplomb. Lengthen all the platforms you like, the truth is we need more space.

Railways make economic, environmental and social sense. You get more bang for your buck…

Increasing Capacity

The big gain from HS2 is the capacity for extra trains it creates. This is not just about shaving an hour off a journey time. HS2 will take conga reels of passengers off the bursting main lines elsewhere The scheme is as important to the beleaguered commuter who can’t get a seat on the 7.23 as it is to the inscrutable Chinese shipper with container loads of laptops bobbing about outside Felixstowe. More capacity will be created for the hugely successful rail freight companies connecting deep sea ports with the bustling commerce of Kirkgate Market, Arndale and the Bull Ring. These are goods currently careering around by lorry and jamming up the A14, M1 and M6 and a whole host of feeder roads.

Clean and Green

High Speed Two will take more traffic off the roads by freeing up paths for extra freight trains and suburban services. The net effect of this is to make significant gains in the struggle to reduce carbon emissions caused by road.

Plans to electrify much more of the network mean trains in future will be predominantly electric, green and clean. We need more of them not less. Building more motorways is an appalling idea. An eight lane motorway, plus hard shoulders and slip roads, is a much wider prospect than a railway. The rigor mortis of  meadow wide tarmacadam creates eco-altering rain water run off chaos.

Motorways are certainly more expensive – even before you factor in the social and human cost of flooding and car crashes.  Neither do they connect places very well. Robin Gisby over at Network Rail is fond of saying he can build several miles of railway for the price of a mile of motorway. Railways are thin, clean, green and safer.

Social Connection

Britain has an unhappy and persisting discontent between north and south. Wages are less in the north. Business and job opportunities are fewer away from the south east and the economic phenomena centred on London. The great effect of high-speed railways is to pipe this effect outwards. Look at high-speed railways abroad. Towns like Barcelona and Bologna have benefited hugely from the arrival of a high-speed railway.

Currently our high-speed railway runs to France. Lets not be churlish but how good it would be to be able to do for Leeds and Manchester what we are magnanimously doing for Calais. Various government have tried all sorts of vapid welfare programmes to narrow the gap between north and south. High Speed Two will do more to close it than any amount of public money spend locally. Railways make economic, environmental and social sense. You get more buck for your bang to quote Chope. High Speed Two will help unify Britain and build on the success of the London Olympics. Never mind the gap, m’lords, get behind HS2 and do something positive for your country’s future .

Cost benefit bonus for IEP

admin
-
0

The new fleet of IEP trains to be built at Newton Aycliffe in County Durham will provide better value for money than an equivalent Pendolino fleet, rail analysts believe.

Agility Trains, a consortium made up of Hitachi and John Laing, has signed a £4.6 billion contract with the government for the provision of 596 new IEP carriages to replace the ageing fleet of HSTs. The trains will be assembled and maintained at a purpose built plant in County Durham.

Controversially the first IEP train will not enter service until 2017. Pendolinos could be brought into operation within two years and, the argument runs, would have been a cheaper and quicker option. However the IEP train is 26 metres long, 3m longer than existing conventional Intercity trains.

Despite being longer IEPs are cost comparable to Pendolinos. A nine-car IEP set, whether bi-mode or electric, will have approximately 188 more seats than a nine-car Pendolino. Analysts at the DfT argue that an electric IEP carriage costs £2,431,389, compared to an estimated £2.7 million for the Pendolino equivalent, and a bi-mode IEP costs £2,829,187.

A DfT source said, ‘An 11-car Pendolino only holds as many people as a nine-car IEP, so you need fewer IEPs to transport the same amount of people – and you have room for further expansion with a nine-car IEP – it is only 234m in length, not 254m.’

The IEP contract is expected to create over 730 jobs. The new fleet will replace the Intercity 125 high speed trains currently in use on the Great Western and East Coast routes. The East Coast part of the contract will be financed next year.

The construction of a mixed fleet of both electric and bi-mode trains, the first time in recent history that bi-mode rolling stock has been earmarked for the UK rail market, means that services will be able to continue along non-electrified routes without the need to attach a diesel locomotive. This decision not to introduce a fleet of all electric trains is estimated to save approximately £200 million.

The first IEPs should enter service on the Great Western Main Line in 2017 and the East Coast Main Line in 2018. The new fleets will be maintained in new and upgraded maintenance facilities at Swansea, Bristol, west London and Doncaster.

Welcoming Hitachi, transport secretary Justine Greening said, ‘Hitachi is the latest major international company to invest on this scale in Britain and I look forward to this new factory in County Durham following in the footsteps of Nissan’s successful car plant in Sunderland. There can be fewer stronger signs that the UK is the best place in which to invest, and from which to develop new markets, than Hitachi’s decision to base its European manufacturing base right here in Britain.’

Ironically the first locomotive to arrive in Japan was built in Britain. In 1868 Thomas Glover brought steam locomotive Iron Duke to Japan, where it worked along an eight mile stretch of track in Nagasaki. It took until 2007 for the first Japanese built trains, the class 395s, to arrive in the UK.

Boost for FirstGroup shares amid West Coast speculation

admin
-
0

FirstGroup’s shares have been given a boost ahead of industry speculation that the company is to be awarded the West Coast franchise.

FirstGroup Plc has experienced its biggest monthly advance in three years as the company waits to hear whether its rumoured £7 billion bid has been successful.

Shares climbed by 0.2 pence to 256.7 pence.

Services on the London to Scotland line – the company’s last remaining franchise – are currently operated by Virgin.

Richard Branson has described FirstGroup’s bid as ‘unrealistic’ and claimed that it could only be achieved with massive cuts to the quality of the service.

Rail fares to rise by 6.2 per cent

admin
-
4

Campaigners and rail unions are protesting at stations up and down the country in reaction to the Government’s announcement that rail fares are to rise by 6.2 per cent next year.

This morning the Government confirmed July’s Retail Price Index (RPI) at 3.2 per cent which, with the current calculation of RPI plus three per cent in England, will see ticket prices again rise above inflation.

Fares will go up in Scotland by RPI plus one per cent, while Wales is yet to announce a figure.

TOCs will also be allowed to increase some fares by more than this rate, with a number of routes potentially costing passengers 11 per cent more in 2013.

This government is allowing more hikes in fares but commuters will get a worse service because of staffing cuts.

TUC deputy general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “These fare rises will add even more pressure to passengers already feeling a massive squeeze on their incomes.

“The government is asking train operators to make cuts to staff on trains, stations and in ticket offices while continuing to receive public subsidy and give millions in dividends to shareholders.

“Passengers are being asked to pay more to get less. We want cuts to rail fares, not rail staff.”

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Transport Secretary Theresa Villiers was unable to give any indication as to when passengers would see the end of above-inflation fare hikes.

Unite National Officer Julia Long said: “Long-suffering commuters already face some of the highest rail fares in Europe, while hard-working rail workers face the sack with thousands of jobs at risk.

“This government is allowing more hikes in fares but commuters will get a worse service because of staffing cuts. This is disgraceful behaviour at any time but to do this in the middle of a recession is unforgiveable.

“To make matters worse the privatised rail companies have been given a series of blank cheques by government to subsidise their operations. There is another way – that is to bring rail back under public ownership to cut fares and improve the service.”

Reaction to RPI announcement

admin
-
2

The Government has confirmed that rail fares are to rise by around 6.2 per cent next year.

Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), said:

The government decides the average increase of commuter ticket prices and other regulated fares which train companies will be required to introduce in January 2013.

It has been government policy during the past eight years for passengers to pay a larger share of the cost of operating the railways and to focus taxpayers’ money on investing in longer term improvements to the network. Any flexibility train companies have within the rules is to maximise revenue for the government.

ASLEF general secretary Mick Whelan said:

Rail workers and the travelling public are united in this campaign. Commuters, environmentalists, businessmen, holidaymakers – even motorists! – all have a vested interest in an affordable, accessible and reliable rail service.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said:

Passengers will be rightly angry when they find out the full extent of the inflation-busting fare increases imposed on them by government diktat. The idea that this extra money will be invested in the railways is a sick joke, it will simply be trousered by the greedy train operators, same as it always has been since privatisation.

The case for renationalising our railways, and throwing the extortionists and rip-off merchants off the tracks, is now overwhelming. The public is sick and tired of being charged through the nose to travel on creaking, overcrowded trains while the rail companies are robbing them blind. The campaign to Bring Back British Rail is an idea whose time has come.

TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said:

Justine Greening’s cynical predecessor Philip Hammond famously said that rail is now a rich man’s toy. She seems determined to turn that quote into firm reality during her time at the DfT.

Bring Back British Rail spokesperson Ellie Harrison said:

It’s obvious that people are angry and frustrated with the railway system in this country since it was dismantled and sold off in the 1990s, and these extortionate train fare rises will only make this situation worse. We need a radical rethink of the way our railways are run so that passengers can, once again, take priority over profits.

Climate Rush spokesperson Siobhan Grimes said:

Affordable rail fares are essential in getting more people using trains and out of cars and planes. Travelling by train helps to tackle the toxic levels of air pollution in cities throughout the UK and reduces our carbon emissions too. Instead of pricing commuters off the railways, we must make green transport choices possible.

CDI AndersElite sponsors awards for second year running

admin
-
0

Recruitment specialist CDI AndersElite is sponsoring the RailStaff Award’s Rail Team of the Year award for the second year in a row.

The category draws nominations from right across the industry, with every kind of team eligible from track workers and telesales teams, to signallers, sales managers and train crews.

Scott Siwicki, director of strategic accounts and emerging markets of CDI AndersElite, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring Rail Team of the Year for a second year.

“We believe that by managing and being involved at all levels, our experienced team play an active role in our clients’ supply and visibility on site to ensure all staff services meet our high standards.

“Our consultants here understand the importance of team work throughout the Rail industry and, as such, we supply a large number of successful gangs to major contractors within the market. These gangs work cohesively to help ensure delivery is on time and on budget.”

CDI AndersElite is a subsidiary of CDI Corporation, an integrated market-leading Engineering and Technology Services organisation providing differentiated client-focused solutions in select global industries. Covering permanent, temporary and contract positions, CDI AndersElite is a specialist in resourcing and placing thousands of technical personnel equipped with good expertise and relevant knowledge across a wide range of Rail and Safety Critical clients. These include fulfilling the ever expanding demands of the National Rail network, London Underground and many local transport providers.

Rail Team of the Year is a great category articulating the rail industry’s dependence on team work

The organisation has worked with some of the leading names within the rail industry on some of the most prestigious projects to date, engaging with clients from conception level through to build and maintenance.  Their diverse portfolio of services has supported a number of major rail projects including the Evergreen extension and upgrade project, the redevelopment of Blackfriars Station and the East London Line.

Disciplines comprehensively covered include rail designers, rail engineers, quantity surveyors, technicians, rail safety experts, document controllers, quality assurance systems managers, civil engineers and executive management. Rail teams at the market leading firm are currently involved in recruiting safety critical management and labour (including track gangs and protection experts), as well as professionals to work on track renewal and maintenance projects.

Andy Milne, editor of RailStaff, said: “Rail Team of the Year is a great category articulating the rail industry’s dependence on team work. Team work saves lives, keeps people safe and guarantees the efficient running of the railway. We are delighted CDI AndersElite is sponsoring the Rail Team of the Year Award. Teams that work together and achieve together deserve better recognition for the challenging work they do. CDI AndersElite has made a magnificent contribution to the industry over the years and has always been a stalwart supporter of RailStaff.”

Safety, reliability and cost are key factors for CDI AndersElite’s rail business. The company adds significant value not only through rigorous safety management and quality assurance systems, but also through possession planning, co-ordinating sub-contractors, programming critical activities and performance monitoring.

The organisation’s compliance manager, Katie Hancock, said: “Quality assurance is a top priority at CDI AndersElite which is recognised by our ISO 9001:2008 accreditation.

“Our national QA Team ensures our Best Practice recruitment procedures are second to none by continuous review and refinement, benefitting clients and candidates alike.”

1...1,1791,1801,181...1,721Page 1,180 of 1,721