Great Western Coffee Shop

From Rail Magazine (https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/dft-has-no-idea-what-to-do-say-top-railway-insiders)


Article continues somewhat ... worth a read and perhaps worth a purchase of the magazine.  Potentially worded as above to tempt you to purchase, but sadly there may be more than a grain of truth in it!

Whatever they decide financially, they are not likely to get that many passengers back soon after all their scare tactics over public transport.

The DfT by its nature only thinks at the maximum one General Election to the next, the ToC's are constrained by their franchise as much as they would like to think more long term and strategically.  NR is constrained by both of these, plus constrained by Treasury Rules.  NR gets criticised for not taking an industry lead and chastised when it does.

"Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris says only that “work is under way within Government to determine the most effective approach once this six-month period ends”.

So in other words, planning is ongoing, as it is in every other sector, in the face of absolutely unprecedented circumstances. Seems an entirely reasonable position - there is something in place for the next 3 months via EMAs.

I'd suggest that the "senior RAIL source close to the discussions" (who naturally chooses to remain anonymous) should perhaps cool his jets (and his rhetoric) a little?

Discussion "lead" for today's Zoom meeting at 16:00, me thinks. http://www.passenger.chat/23707 - all registered Coffee Shop members welcome for a "fireside chat".

The media (and in this instance Rail Magazine) tends to ambulance-chase for stories, just like the BBC tends to put the position opposite to the government as a contrast - accused of being too far left when we have a right wing government and vice versa.

I have ... learned ... to be very careful of the media looking for the exceptional cases which reflect badly on an organisation that overall is doing a fair to good or even excellent job ... to help (one suspects at time) increase their viewers / listeners.

I have a feeling the EMA scheme will be in place for at least another year, perhaps amended slightly over time.  No chance of any of the franchises being returned to how they were any time soom, renegotiating them all will be a big and lengthy undertaking, and the only other option is to cut services or close lines and stations.

It would seem the most sensible course of action