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I make no assumptions on who would carry out the work or what contracting structure would be used. However, it would be interesting to contemplate an Alliance model with NR, the TOC and the ROSCO forming the Alliance board. My main point however, is that there may be an opportunity here to...

I don't think that helps unless there is sufficient electrified railway for the units to run on. I suspect that will be their first solution.... but they might just run out of routes on which that might work.

In terms of the ROSCO's and Pacers and Sprinters, Coopercapped, you may well be correct that some charge is justified. However, I would love to see the full numbers. I have a strong suspicion that those units have been a cash cow for the leasing companies even with upgrades etc. However...

I don't think this has been posted/covered elsewhere. We know that there are many EMU's and MK IV's coming off lease soon. Some will be ready for scrap but many will be good for many years use. The party currently due to take a hit are the leasing companies. They may have hit initial...

As a resident of Herne Hill I have been pretty impressed by the pathing of the extra trains through a very busy bit of track. Plenty of delays etc but overall not too bad considering the size of the task. The sheer length of the trains seems to cause problems when they are moving through the...

If the overtime rate is 12 per cent that is not too bad. However, it would be much better to have property resourced services within normal contract hours. Every 12 per cent adds up to more expensive fares. The Sunday thing is completely unacceptable. The railways are finally adjusting...

I have to say I don't get this 4 day week non-Sunday business. Going forward would guards not prefer a 5 day week with guaranteed salary increase but in exchange for Sunday working as standard? Am I as a passenger paying for overtime rates for Sunday guards and for lots of guards hours that...

Is it? I took an average that included payroll taxes and overheads, so £30k average. I then divided this by 300 days and presumed 5 diagrams per day. This might be too low, I just don't know the exact average, but I can't see it needing 7/8 passenger fares on most routes at most times. Then...

The problem with the fare revenue collection, whilst completely valid in some existing contexts, argument for me is that over time, this will become less relevant as the ticket buying becomes easier at stations etc. Guards on Southern, for instance, don't undertake that function particularly...

As a matter of interest does anybody know how many guards there are in the UK and the average salary? It would be interesting to compare this with the Network Rail budget. I happen to think a safety essential second member of staff is important, especially on the modern, extremely crowded...

They might be better with a revolution in this case.

A quick question on this point if I may. Has the 140mph capable or in fact any speed equipment been ordered for stretches where the track speed can never realistically be upgraded to allow such speeds? If so, are we talking big stretches? To my mind, such a move would undoubtedly involve the...

I have spent many many hours on Mark IV's, including 6 yesterday, and don't mind them at all. They are a bit bumpy but the Mark 3's are not substantially better and have a good creak, draught and a very silly door opening mechanism. I would personally like to see another life for the MK IV's if...

The reason I think Mark IV stock may become attractive is that it will offer the opportunity to reform the Mark V stock into longer configurations, taking advantage of a little flexibility in the fleet. However, I am sure TPE will always prefer to take on new stock if they are allowed to. I can...

I am not certain, it is a prediction. I have used TPE all my life and use it regularly for business even now I live down in London. The trains are always busy, no matter what time of day and I would say more so than any other route I use. There are many people I know who won't use TPE...

Could the Mark IV carriages be used by Transpennine Express to strengthen services if, as I predict, the current order turns out to be too small. Could they use the same locomotives? I am just thinking that they will become available during the franchise and could offer a good value for money...

I think Southport is just being used as an example route. I am not sure that a through train beyond Southport adds much value and so would promote a switch in the franchise agreement there. I say that as somebody who has done Southport to Leeds twice this week on business! I would much...

Still a bit droll, especially as I had my calculator out for the rest of the post. The other point is that one problem can be fixed pretty quickly, whereas the TPE cannot, it will take about 20 years on past performance in the UK. I think most people along that line have been making the case for...

Well this is encouraging. It would appear to be the first time since privatisation that genuinely spare units will combine with new electrification and a decent engineering idea to produce something that could be transformational. I do not consider the current franchise commitments to be...

The Transpennine line should have been electrified 20 years ago with minimum 6 car trains. That service is one of the most important in the country. The upwards trajectory of passenger numbers pre-dates the switch to 185s. I do agree in general that new trains do generally mean new passengers...