LetterS
deliver faster journey times – just trains could form a key plank in beyond Bedford to Nottingham and Nottingham, with portions joining
two hours, seven minutes for the government’s attempts to Sheffield. and splitting at Leicester, where cross-
London-Manchester, for example, encourage people out of cars and If this scheme is carried through platform connection is possible into
and a much improved passenger planes and instead onto trains, to fruition, it will provide a wonderful stopping services.
experience. which will in turn deliver net opportunity to extend the current Together with a resourcing plan
The result is that rail is attracting reductions in transport emissions. First Capital Connect services to based on a new train care depot at
passengers from other, more carbon This is where the real debate over Leicester, covering the stops at Leicester, with all crews also based
intensive modes, which helps to rail’s green credentials needs to be the intermediate stations north of in Leicester, this would create a true
keep load factors high. had. Bedford and scheduling the new 21st century railway.
One area where we agree Richard Davies electric expresses fast from Leicester, I would also commend to all
wholeheartedly with Robert is on Atoc head of strategic policy with set-down-only stops at Luton your readers the Clive Kessell article
the potential of electric trains to and West Hampstead southbound, entitled ‘Solving capacity issues’,
reduce both rail and wider transport MML electrification would pick up only northbound. published in the December issue of
emissions. bring wide benefits If the rolling stock used on the The Rail Engineer, which covers many
Electric trains already emit 20-30 How pleasing to read (December expresses is correctly specified and topics which should be of interest
per cent less carbon than diesels, 2009 issue) that Atoc and Network designed, the new timetable should across the full spectrum of railway
but this advantage will widen as Rail are united in support of the be able to provide two trains per management activity.
the electricity industry reduces its very sensible proposal to extend the hour to and from Sheffield via Derby David Smith
emissions. Clean, reliable electric Midland Main Line electrification and two trains per hour to and from by email
Tocs need To prove Themselves before geTTing improved condiTions
So Atoc’s members want longer franchises and less How about starting with Prism Rail, the former like cherry-picking. Which is just what it is.
oversight by the DfT, do they? It certainly sounds operators of the London Tilbury & Southend? They Want something a bit more up to date? Govia
most attractive from a Toc’s point of view. were removed from bidding for a second franchise won the London Midland franchise in November
Longer to operate a protected franchise, longer term because of revenue allocation irregularities. 2007 but chose not to carry a full establishment
to return a dividend to shareholders, and less Next came Connex, which was ejected from South of train crew and instead make extensive use of
troublesome interference by the client. What a Eastern due to poor financial management. GNER? voluntary overtime.
nuisance it must be to have the taxpayer constantly Bid too much, got into financial difficulty and the Almost all London Midland trains were cancelled
poking their nose in, wanting their subsidy spent parent group went into receivership. on Sunday 6 September. Two years into the franchise
wisely. National Express East Coast? A carbon copy, but and it has been formally warned by DfT that trains
Atoc’s report offers many warm words about the it bid even more! National Express East Anglia and need drivers and they might reasonably have been
future, if only Tocs had more control and for longer. I C2C? Won’t be renewed in 2011 because handing expected to have done something about it by now.
prefer an evidence-based approach in looking at the back the unprofitable East Coast and keeping the First Capital Connect is identical in every respect to
Tocs’ management record over the past 15 years. profitable ones looks to the taxpayer uncomfortably London Midland, but has had three, not two, years in
which to discover that running a line of such strategic
thameslink has
importance as Thameslink is not amenable to the
struggled with a
onnect
goodwill of drivers and working of overtime midweek.
driver shortage.
Result? Four hundred trains cancelled on Thursday
F
ir
st Capital C
12 November alone. First says it will train more
drivers and be up to full establishment by ‘next
spring’. The cancellations continue. Is it likely that
the good things promised in Atoc’s report could
be quickly or efficiently delivered and managed by
organisations such as these?
Current large Tocs can’t even contrive a driver
at the front of each train to avoid extensive
cancellations. Instead of taking on more
responsibilities, Tocs would be well-advised to sit
down, shut up, and fulfil their existing franchise
obligations.
Perhaps in 10 years’ time, once Atoc’s collective
membership have placed enough clear blue water
between their recent performance and 2019, there
might be a case for greater Toc involvement and
looser oversight of subsidy.
Andrew Chilcott
by email
JANUARY 2010 : raiL profeSSionaL 13
RPJan10 pp12-13 Letters.indd 13 10/12/09 15:16:38
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