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For me, it’s beyond stupid to state this in writing in a company document. We know (and have discussed this in other threads) that the fee system associated with the NRC’s is virtually free money but, Owning Groups/TOCs, if you want the money to continue flowing to your shareholders, don’t say...

The problem with the ECML contests was the way the revenue was calculated and the risks that the owning groups were prepared to take on it. Unfortunately the DfT was wedded to MOIRA 1. It’s an industry system that tends to predict revenue “growth on growth” so it can overestimate future revenue...

No, the WR workshops did it as well - Derby only overhauled the smaller Dean panniers for a couple of years. Looking at absorbed engines in GWR days, painting wasn’t one colour - you need to look very closely at photos of clean engines if you are interested in a particular class - there are...

I wouldn’t be thinking about sub Sectorisation at all - that’s what started the balkanisation and “beggar my neighbour” attitude in the first place. Better to go back one step further to Regional BR. The savings are fairly obvious because you currently have 14 TOCs transacting with NR. So, say...

It has suffered quite a bit of damage so it isn’t expected back in traffic this month.

Thanks for the correction, I thought Anglia was separate from Eastern, although it could be in the future as Eastern is a bit too big these days to properly manage an integrated railway.

It is effectively acting as the DfT’s managing agent - to ensure that the DfT’s wishes are carried out and overseeing the TOC’s actions. To keep the private sector interested (remember this was originally only intended to be temporary), you have to pay them something for doing all this...

You also have the fixed track access paid through the TOC to consider. That was and is effectively a “laundered” DfT subsidy to NR and did go up and down by several million each year of a Control Period, affecting the actual premium paid or subsidy received, as the TOC was indemnified for any...

No, the 2% of costs has long gone for TOCs - under an NRC it is a fixed fee and contract performance fee only with the DfT paying for all authorised costs. The contract performance fee is around 2.5 times the fixed fee if you get 100%, which you won’t. It is all in Chapter 7.1 of the...

If by OTOC, you are meaning other Train Operating Companies, the following may help. Since 2020 all 14 DfT TOCs are either run through the OLR method (where some, usually two, ex railway execs sit on the existing TOC board for the DfT) or via a management contract arrangement with an Owning...

Over optimistic bidding was the reason - the expected revenue was the problem in both the NXEC and VTEC cases. Other bidders who bid a more realistic revenue line in their bids were ignored.

Commercial departments in transport organisations (together with their consultants) are big users of mobile phone origin and destination data, by post code, suitably anonymised. It is an absolute gold mine because nearly everyone carries a phone and keeps it switched on whilst making a journey.

This is adding competition on existing flows where there is competition already. There is a decent amount of London to Sheffield traffic that goes via the ECML now, mostly via Retford but some via Doncaster. Both Hull Trains and LNER are the beneficiaries of this existing competition with EMR...

If the service does get the go-ahead, the need for ETCS will be obviated because the 22x units will be replaced with new or newer (ETCS fitted) units before the signalling switch off date, currently 2030.

Not if they are going to get replaced before 2030, which is the latest date I have for switch off of conventional signalling on this section of the ECML.

If you are looking for conflicts, you have to look at the June 2024 database, not the December 2023 actual timetable. There are differences at Sheffield, amongst other places. But if any train isn’t currently on the database, you run the risk of any conflict - that’s one of the purposes of the...

The source of the timings is me and as I wrote the application, they have to be accurate. They fit on the June 2024 timetable database and when the December 2024 database is made available, the work will be done again (by an experienced planner familiar with the “geography”) to make them fit -...

Yes, because you don’t put in an application to the ORR that would not pass that test! At least HT won’t and, indeed, never have. And the exact location the 22x comes from in the morning depends on the deal HT can make with potential maintainers but it will be in the North. No fixed view yet...

Wrong - it will normally be one, I repeat, one 22x set on the Sheffield run. The 4th Hull 802 set is required for a double working to/from Hull. If an 802 works to Sheffield, it will be because the 22x is not available. The reason it will be HT rather than Lumo is that it is more of a service...

Absolutely no chance of 180 sets - they can rot. The proposed stock is either 221 or 222 sets.