Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Varche on 20 September 2018, 13:59:17
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It is years since I last went on a UK train. I wanted to get from an airport to Scarborough last year but gave up.
I followed the intro of the new timetable debacle with interest. It appears today that " No-one took charge during the timetable chaos that caused severe disruption on Britain's railways in May, a regulator has said." surely that is Grayling's fault or his predecessor? Someone must have given the go ahead within the industry. there must have been a project manager? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45572736
Anyway the government have announced a root and branch review of the fragmented rail industry. maybe Corbyn is right that it should be taken back into public ownership (slightly different , I suspect to renationalised). Without wishing to bring in the dreaded B word, one of the criticisms levelled by expats on the Uk is the parlous state of UK public services which , despite the country being mega rich, seem to be being run into the ground. Is this general lack of investment austerity or a deliberate policy to help cronies get richer at the expense of the populace?.
I dare say that if there is a root and branch review of the trains that they could do worse than to have some OOfers as their consultants. Lizzie and The Boy spring to mind but there are plenty of others!
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I will gladly sort out the mess, Varche, since I am the Transport Minister elect in TB's administration. Lizzie can be the "Edwina Curry" figure! :y 8)
Ron.
(Hiding.....)
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I will gladly sort out the mess, Varche, since I am the Transport Minister elect in TB's administration. Lizzie can be the "Edwina Curry" figure! :y 8)
Ron.
(Hiding.....)
so who will be John Major?
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It is years since I last went on a UK train. I wanted to get from an airport to Scarborough last year but gave up.
I followed the intro of the new timetable debacle with interest. It appears today that " No-one took charge during the timetable chaos that caused severe disruption on Britain's railways in May, a regulator has said." surely that is Grayling's fault or his predecessor? Someone must have given the go ahead within the industry. there must have been a project manager? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45572736
Anyway the government have announced a root and branch review of the fragmented rail industry. maybe Corbyn is right that it should be taken back into public ownership (slightly different , I suspect to renationalised). Without wishing to bring in the dreaded B word, one of the criticisms levelled by expats on the Uk is the parlous state of UK public services which , despite the country being mega rich, seem to be being run into the ground. Is this general lack of investment austerity or a deliberate policy to help cronies get richer at the expense of the populace?.
I dare say that if there is a root and branch review of the trains that they could do worse than to have some OOfers as their consultants. Lizzie and The Boy spring to mind but there are plenty of others!
Oh, I would really love to do that. But, do not underestimate the magnitude of the task. The truth is that after decades of politicians of all colours failing to invest in the oldest railway system in the world, the current government is at last doing just that, to the tune of billions of pounds.
Our Victorian railway system is now being virtually rebuilt; steam went out of service 50 years ago last August, but no real progress was made with the infrastructure. Bits and pieces were slotted in but changes were slow and disjointed. Everyone is complaining now because so much change, and bad management, has happened almost, in relation to the railways history, at once. When you rip stations apart, rebuild bridges, modernise track and dramatically improve the signalling systems, introduce brand new rolling stock, there will be difficulties no matter how good the planing and managerial competence.
Yes, mistakes have been made, the new timetable was compiled with obvious flaws, and poor punctuality coupled with "no show" trains are happening. But who can make an omelette without breaking eggs? The engineering challenge of what is being achieved is enormous, and throughout the first 80 years of our railways it was as well. Currently the railways are being rebuilt to a degree that would even challenge the great railway engineers of the past.
What is needed now is strong central management (not involving any politician!!) to pull everything together and just MANAGE the railways as the best of the railway companies did (NOT BR) before 1939; no that is no mistake with the date as the big four railway companies lost true control well before 1st January1948. During the war years the politicians did terrible damage to the railways by never paying the true cost of all the tens of thousands of extra train movements that led to worn out locomotives, rolling stock, track, and signalling, let alone the loss of thousands of skilled railwaymen who went off to fight.
A new approach is now required to manage the big change. It is not going to be TB's approach that is required though; he would close down the railways today!! :o :o ;D ;D ;)
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Who would be your "John Major", Lizzie?
As TB's Minister for Transport, I would be happy to have you work with me to overhaul the rail network completely and make it fit for purpose.
How about adopting Brunel's 7' 1/2" gauge? A lot of work there! :o :y
Ron.
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Who would be your "John Major", Lizzie?
As TB's Minister for Transport, I would be happy to have you work with me to overhaul the rail network completely and make it fit for purpose.
How about adopting Brunel's 7' 1/2" gauge? A lot of work there! :o :y
Ron.
No politician, or TB, should be involved in what is required. I would require true railway people around me who can truly 'manage' ;)
Brunel's gauge was actually 7 foot 1/4 inch, and regrettably now cannot be reserected for all the reasons given by the 1845 Railway Gauge Commission's decision. Although we MAY be leaving the EU, we still need to have a direct railway link with Europe. :D ;)
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To reply to Varche's original post, are foreigners aware of how few public utilities are still public? And are they aware that the private owners have treated the last 40 years worth of under-investment as a half-arsed attempt?
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I don't know about foreigners. My suspicion is they know as much about the UK as Brits know about any country that does not speak English.
As an expat, I try and keep tabs on things back in the homeland.
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What the Railways need is a successful , forward thinking businessman , perhaps someone like Richard Branson , to buy a franchise and run it profitably and show the world how it's done , err hang on a minute ;)
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To reply to Varche's original post, are foreigners aware of how few public utilities are still public? And are they aware that the private owners have treated the last 40 years worth of under-investment as a half-arsed attempt?
British Railways only became privatised 24 years ago, in 1994, and the public still own the track, stations, etc, under the banner of Network Rail ;)
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Best not let Lizzie get started on trains...... especially steam trains like the Mallard. :)
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Why not, Doctor? The Mallard is truly iconic and represents one of out finest achievements. 8) 8) 8) :y
Ron.
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To reply to Varche's original post, are foreigners aware of how few public utilities are still public? And are they aware that the private owners have treated the last 40 years worth of under-investment as a half-arsed attempt?
Yes because they bought them all! ::) >:( ;D
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How else could they ( we) keep our utilty prices down! ;D
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If you look at French SNCF debt it has been eye watering at times and the French government keeps writing off big chunks of it with Macron writing off another €37bn. :o Spain have had massive infrastructure subsidies from the EU which has included their roads, railways and regional airports.
We are a net contributor to the EU to the tune of £13bn per year. Hopefully with a Canada+++ or no deal this will stop in March 2019 and can be used in the UK with some of it spent on infrastructure. :y What must be remembered under Liebour recent 13 years, virtually all instructure investment stopped. What Gordon McRuin called 'investment in public services' was nothing of the sort as most of it went on increased running costs through excessive wage rises, increased staff numbers with a considerable increase in non-jobs and indirect subsidies to their union bosses like common purpose courses, full time union reps. paid out of public funds etc., etc. What little infrastructure improvements that were made were through incredibly bad value PFI borrowing schemes, which we are still paying eye watering amounts for. :(
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What must be remembered under Liebour recent 13 years, virtually all instructure investment stopped.
During the 1990's there were several road improvements and by-passes built around here on the A30, A303, A358 and A35. :y
In 1997 they were due to start construction of the Morcombelake and Chideock By-Pass and after many years of planning, public consultations, and seeing off objections from the likes of the National Trust and other NIMBY's, the route was agreed, the land purchased by the Dept of Transport and it was all systems go! :y
Then Labour got in and John Prescott who was Transport Secretary promptly cancelled it, citing environmental concerns! >:( My friends parents had their house compulsory purchased, had to move and then their house stood empty for nearly a decade before the DoT sold it on. >:(
The by-pass will probably never get built now and 20 years on, that stretch of road through the 2 villages is a nightmare. Especially in the summer, when it can take over an hour to do the 10 miles between Lyme Regis and Bridport! :( >:(
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The by-pass will probably never get built now and 20 years on, that stretch of road through the 2 villages is a nightmare. Especially in the summer, when it can take over an hour to do the 10 miles between Lyme Regis and Bridport! :( >:(
I've always wondered why they've never improved that stretch. ::)