Informed Sources
Has signalling lost the plot?
■ Specifications still in ‘NR credit card’ mode
■ ORR competition addiction out of touch with reality
■ ‘ETCS-ready’ trains face obsolescence
Passenger revenue recovery stabilising
■ Revenue now consistently just under £10.5bn a year
■ Long-distance travel leads recovery
■ Elizabeth Line success distorting data
BR stock – still in demand
■ DMUs cling on while EMUs scrapped
■ Cost of replacement units increasing
800 Series cracking – ORR final report
■ No independent technical investigation
■ Call for review of standards
■ Six-year modification programme
■ Four weeks out of service for nine-car set
■ Fresh crack locations emerging
Carmont report triggers Mk 3 safety scare
■ Extensive industry studies validated life extension
■ Structural integrity the key
■ Crashworthiness standards focused on low-speed collisions
Anglia pioneers 21st Century Operations
■ Network Operations Strategy starting to deliver
■ Liverpool Street IECC pilots radical reorganisation
■ Key role for Luminate TMS
South Eastern milked over 13-year period
■ DfT imposes £23.5 million penalty
■ Overpayments hidden in TOC accounts
■ DfT recovers £64 million
Limited scope for train operator cost cuts
■ Switch from net premium to subsidy signalled problems
■ Rolling stock and track access dominate rises
■ Costs stabilised after year-on-year increases