New Transport Secretary - Louise Haigh

[Howardh]

One thing I would love to see, as soon as the advertising contracts end, is the huge screen at Euston returned to showing the train times. Absolutely awful what they have done to Euston, and I'm sure the vast majority of pax would agree with this!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

One thing I would love to see, as soon as the advertising contracts end, is the huge screen at Euston returned to showing the train times. Absolutely awful what they have done to Euston, and I'm sure the vast majority of pax would agree with this!

Not sure if politics has any part of that.
It's just Network Rail doing its thing at its main stations.

 

[JonathanH]

The big problem is this effectively stops anyone moving from one company to another if they think the new T&C will be worse than they currently get. To join a new company will get the new standard terms and conditions and salary, and lose any better legacy terms.

There is nothing to stop a provision that employees already working for another company can enter on different terms to someone 'off the street'.

 

[Howardh]

Not sure if politics has any part of that.
It's just Network Rail doing its thing at its main stations.

I hope that's not the case and stations can be there to benefit the passengers rather than advertisers. If it's National Rail being awkward then National Rail should be disbanded for something government-owned and government-run. The state of Euston is inexcusable.

 

[WAB]

I hope that's not the case and stations can be there to benefit the passengers rather than advertisers. If it's National Rail being awkward then National Rail should be disbanded for something government-owned and government-run. The state of Euston is inexcusable.

Well you will be pleased to hear that HMG plan to disband Network Rail then.

 

[JamesT]

I hope that's not the case and stations can be there to benefit the passengers rather than advertisers. If it's National Rail being awkward then National Rail should be disbanded for something government-owned and government-run. The state of Euston is inexcusable.

Network Rail is government-owned.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I hope that's not the case and stations can be there to benefit the passengers rather than advertisers. If it's National Rail being awkward then National Rail should be disbanded for something government-owned and government-run. The state of Euston is inexcusable.

The new boards at Euston (and elsewhere) are part of the industry's (led by Network Rail) effort to improve passenger information.
You might have liked the old board but its technology was becoming out of date (as did earlier boards like the rotating flap indicators).
Monochrome dot-matrix signs are old hat now.

 

[Howardh]

The new boards at Euston (and elsewhere) are part of the industry's (led by Network Rail) effort to improve passenger information.
You might have liked the old board but its technology was becoming out of date (as did earlier boards like the rotating flap indicators).
Monochrome dot-matrix signs are old hat now.

I doubt few think the new system is better than the old.

 

[Energy]

The new boards at Euston (and elsewhere) are part of the industry's (led by Network Rail) effort to improve passenger information.
You might have liked the old board but its technology was becoming out of date (as did earlier boards like the rotating flap indicators).
Monochrome dot-matrix signs are old hat now.

It isn't the technology, its the positioning which was obviously done to fit in more advertising space to pay for the new screens.

 

[jon0844]

There's always the option to blame failures on the previous Government - cleaning up their mess, years of mismanagement etc.

True, but it's not quite the same. Might work for the first term though.

 

[BrianW]

It isn't the technology, its the positioning which was obviously done to fit in more advertising space to pay for the new screens.

If income from advertising is to be rejected, that will need to be replaced by higher fare income and/or more subsidy by the (mostly not rail travelling) taxpayer?

 

[Harpers Tate]

My prediction: those who thought that voting for "change" would actually mean anything material (especially, but not exclusively with the Railway) are going to be disappointed. Now, let's wait and see......

 

[jon0844]

My prediction: those who thought that voting for "change" would actually mean anything material (especially, but not exclusively with the Railway) are going to be disappointed. Now, let's wait and see......

The ONLY way to get fares down is throw more money at the railway. That's literally it. If you look at the running costs as a whole, shareholder dividends or drivers on £70 or £80k, really doesn't make much difference*. How much of the fare is subsidised is what counts, and I bet most people would go 'oh, wait, I don't want to pay more tax'.

* Of course there are lots of little things that can be done to help a bit, but it won't make much difference - especially when the mindset has been to save money to reduce the burden on the state, not to pass on fare cuts.

 

[Kaliwax]

I wonder how many areas will be in the process of bus franchising by the time of the next election

 

[irish_rail]

The only way I can see it could happen ( same salary and T&C’s for all crew ) is to employ newcomers on new contract countrywide and let the existing employees retire or transfer to the new one .
Similarly to GWR drivers after harmonisation - before 3 different T&C’s now just one GWR driver grade.

That's news to me. GwR very much still has two groups of drivers on different Ts and Cs (though on pretty much the same money). This conditions and wage harmonisation isn't going to happen on GBR, let's be honest. As much as I'd like it to, it will prove simply too difficult.

 

[Energy]

If income from advertising is to be rejected, that will need to be replaced by higher fare income and/or more subsidy by the (mostly not rail travelling) taxpayer?

Yes but it isn't that much (couple million from memory) and the advertising boards could be put elsewhere.

 

[BrianW]

True, but it's not quite the same. Might work for the first term though.

Re 'blaming the previous government'- the Tories banged on, and on, for more than 14 years, supported by the press barons, incorrectly blaming Gordon Brown for 'crashing the economy' when he 'saved the world' from economic meltdown. That's a lot longer than 'the first term'.

 

[NER1621]

• Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE as a Minister of State in the Department for Transport

Ministerial Appointments: July 2024

The King has been pleased to approve the following appointments.

www.gov.uk

 

[renegademaster]

Would have to give up his chairmanship of NR?

 

[Mojo]

I noticed that Lord Hendy, Network Rail Chairman and former London Transport Commissioner has been appointed as a junior transport minister. Haven’t seen anywhere that states what exactly his portfolio will be.

 

[YorkshireBear]

I think I would cautiously describe that as positive. He knows exactly the trouble the industry is having that the government are influencing, such as boom and bust cycles and micromanagement so maybe he can get them dealt with.

Maybe there is some hope...

 

[Thirteen]

I've seen Louise Haigh doing interviews when she was Shadow Transport Secretary and she came across as competent although those interviews also showcased how ill informed the interviewers like Kay Burley were about transport bodies.

 

[Donny Dave]

New MPs hit out at 'shambles' train services

Several newly-elected Labour MPs suffer disruption during journeys to take their seats in the Commons.

www.bbc.co.uk

Several newly-elected Labour MPs have criticised the reliability of train services after suffering disruption during journeys to take their seats in the House of Commons.

The politicians took to X to complain as they travelled to London ahead of Parliament sitting on Tuesday for the first time since the general election.

Paul Foster, MP for South Ribble in Lancashire, wrote, external: "Day One on my way to Parliament and guess what... AvantiWestCoast go and cancel my train just as I get to Preston station". He added it was an "utter shambles".

The rail company said: "We are sorry for any inconvenience caused to our customers with some of our train services being cancelled."

Mr Foster also posted an image of a departures board showing the cancellation of a 06:00 BST train to London Euston.

Another disgruntled Avanti West Coast passenger was Claire Hughes, MP for Bangor Aberconwy, who wrote, external: "In news that will shock absolutely no-one, my AvantiWestCoast train down to London for my first day in Westminster has been cancelled."

"That'll be my train too," replied Andrew Ranger, who was elected to represent Wrexham, adding "we have another thing to add to the list of things to tackle".

During the election campaign, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said that, if Labour won, the party would urgently consider stripping Avanti West Coast of its contract due to its "woeful service" on the West Coast Main Line.

She has pledged to bring all train services on Britain's railways into public ownership.

Josh Fenton-Glynn, MP for Calder Valley, suffered disruption while travelling with Northern, which is already controlled by the Department for Transport.

'Work to be done'
He posted an image, external at 09:24 BST of himself at Hebden Bridge station in Yorkshire, with the caption: "On my way to London! I'm so excited to be starting a journey to be the voice in Westminster for the Calder Valley communities I love."

In a subsequent post eight minutes later, he added: "In news that will shock absolutely no one, my northernassist train is delayed."

Kirith Entwistle, who represents Bolton North East, posted an image of the town's railway station, external with the caption: "Day 1 and my train into Manchester to get to London is cancelled. Off to a great start!"

Henry Tufnell, MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, who travelled to the capital on Sunday, posted, external: "Heading to London and excited to begin work as the MP for Mid & South Pembrokeshire.

"Unfortunately the journey involves no direct trains from #Pembrokeshire and a delayed GWRHelp train via Gloucester. Lots of work to be done..."

Northern apologised and said staff sickness and industrial relations issues were having an "impact".

"We are working hard with our colleagues and other train operators to improve service reliability,” a spokesman said.

 

[Djgr]

New MPs hit out at 'shambles' train services

Several newly-elected Labour MPs suffer disruption during journeys to take their seats in the Commons.

www.bbc.co.uk

Lots of evidence today about why the rail industry needs a total reform and clear out.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Would have to give up his chairmanship of NR?

Hes only part time and given its a state body i doubt he would have to but its question of what his brief is going to be but its got to be a good thing that its a transport industry lifer that has got this position as it should rapidly focus the DfT into the best way ahead for all forms of public transport.

 

[Thirteen]

I don't mean to be unkind but surely these new MPs are fully aware of the service from certain TOCs.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Jul 2024 ==

Hes only part time and given its a state body i doubt he would have to but its question of what his brief is going to be but its got to be a good thing that its a transport industry lifer that has got this position as it should rapidly focus the DfT into the best way ahead for all forms of public transport.

It's a shame that Andy Byford is running Amtrak because he would have been good as a Transport Minister.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

It's a shame that Andy Byford is running Amtrak because he would have been good as a Transport Minister.

Junior ministers don't have it all their own way, though.
As a political appointment Peter Hendy will have to conform to Cabinet rules and work within whatever parameters are set by Rachel Reeves and Louise Haigh.
Huw Merriman was very capable and industry-wise, but he couldn't step out of the Tory party line on things like industrial relations or HS2.
Louise Haigh's first speech/actions as Secretary of State will steer the way, perhaps.
As I understand it, Hendy is Minister of State which means he is No 2 at the DfT.
There will be a couple of other more junior appointments, probably covering roads, aviation and local transport.

Plenty of cancellations in the north today, by various well-known TOCs, "due to a short-notice change to the timetable".
Just routine poor performance, really.

 

[physics34]

Would have to give up his chairmanship of NR?

That role will disappear anyway with the creation of GBR. I sincerely hope there is a British Railways Board mk II.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

That role will disappear anyway with the creating of GBR. I sincerely hope there is a British Railways Board mk II.

It wont be there era re alot more regional stakeholders that are on the pitch these days

 

[Snow1964]

The shadow cabinet has been announced

Helen Wateley is Shadow Transport Minister