GREATER ANGLIA MARKS JUBILEE WITH TRAIN NAMING


By Peter Brown


Greater Anglia got into the Royal spirit currently


sweeping the UK when Richard Jewson, the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk named one of its class 90 electric locomotives, No 90 009 Diamond Jubilee at Norwich station on Monday 30 April. After the ceremony, the


locomotive returned to its base at nearby Crown Point depot before entering service with its new identity the following day hauling express trains between Norwich and London Liverpool Street. The Lord Lieutenant said:


‘It’s a tremendous privilege to represent the Queen at first hand. When she succeeded to the throne in 1952 I was eight.


Thameslink procurement row rumbles on


by Pippa Vine


Ongoing frustration at the government decision to


choose Siemens over Bombardier as preferred bidder for the Thameslink project is fuelling a continuing challenge from MPs. Members of the House


of Commons Transport Select Committee’s report on rolling stock procurement are championing the British train manufacturing industry by calling for greater clarity on why the decision was made.


The committee has published the government’s response to its report on Thameslink rolling stock procurement, including its reply to the committee’s recommendation that government clarifies how it intends to use Network Rail’s passenger rolling stock route utilisation strategy to ensure a steadier flow of future procurements. Welcoming the committee’s


support for future procurements to have a ‘sharper focus on UK strategic interests’, the government agreed to publish more details about its plans for future rolling stock orders. Committee chair Louise


‘As well as looking back


over her 60 year reign, it is also a time to look forward and I have no doubt the Queen will look forward. We all look forward to a summer of positive celebration.’ Customer services director


Andrew Goodrun told the guests at the ceremony that the naming was the idea of three Greater Anglia apprentices at the Crown Point Depot, Norwich. He said: ‘They felt it would


be a fitting tribute to recognise the Diamond Jubilee with union flags on a locomotive. It follows a long tradition of naming locomotives on the Great Eastern route.’ Goodrun went on to say


that the locomotive will be seen by people attending the Olympics and Paralympics as Stratford is on the route.


PAGE 8 MAY/JUNE 2012


Ellman said: ‘Following our recommendations, the government is taking steps in this direction, but it remains to be seen how this will affect firms like Bombardier and the long term


Arriva Trains Wales squeezes more capacity out of rolling stock


Additional services and extra carriages will help Arriva


Trains Wales add 330,000 more seats to its passengers following the introduction of the new timetable on 14 May. The Toc is responding to growth in passenger numbers, but has no additional rolling stock to use.


There will be more seats between Shrewsbury, Telford, Aberystwyth and Birmingham in


the morning commuter period as well as more services and extra seats between Chester to Llandudno Junction in the afternoon and evening.


There will also be more servies between west Wales, Swansea and Cardiff.


Mike Bagshaw, commercial director at Arriva Trains Wales said: ‘We are delighted to be able to deliver this great new investment in additional seats,


extended services and improved train timings to our customers. ‘Arriva Trains Wales remains committed to the enhancement of services above and beyond our franchise commitments.


‘In excess of 340,000 extra seats a year will be provided in response to rising customer demand, reflecting a significant investment by Arriva in the future of rail services throughout Wales and the English Borders.’


security of UK supply chains. ‘Our train manufacturing


industry needs a steady flow of work opportunities to support employment in the sector, not occasional major orders. ‘If the government decides to contract with Siemens for the Thameslink trains, we would like more information to be published about why their bid was preferred to Bombardier’s. This is essential to restore public confidence in the Department for Transport’s procurement process and we urge the secretary of state to act.’ A more combative reaction came from Maria Eagle MP, Labour’s shadow transport secretary, who said the government’s response suggested nothing had been learnt from the Thameslink fiasco, which


had resulted in a multi-billion pound contract being awarded to a company that would build the trains in Germany.


‘It is no good ministers


welcoming the call for “a sharper focus on the UK’s strategic interests” when the government’s own rail strategy hides a worrying new threat to the future of British train manufacturing.


‘Buried in the government’s


new rail strategy is a decision to increasingly allow the private train companies to lead on buying rolling stock, with the government procuring trains only on “limited occasions” in future. ‘Ministers will, therefore,


simply be unable to apply the new rules they have promised to help secure train manufacturing jobs for British workers.’


Siemens’ UK MD Steve Scrimshaw with a model of the train the company put forward for Thameslink


Peter Brown


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