Are we headed for a new age of rail cuts and austerity

[whole diary]

[Mark A]

Meanwhile, on Twitter: 'Thread' - as they say.

https://twitter.com/RailBusinessUK/status/1455866344424022016

UK^▸ (United Kingdom): After speaking to a range of senior industry figures, almost all on condition of anonymity, @RailBusinessUK
 can confirm widespread concern that significant investment is coming to an end after three decades of rail growth, with major implications 1/9

Article here: (free) registration required:
https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/rails-growth-agenda-evaporates-as-treasury-takes-control/60218.article?clearcache=1

[grahame]

This post/thread cut from http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=25368.msg314174#msg314174 at the suggestion of Trowres. 

Very much a key subject we'll hear a lot more about.   The storm clouds are indeed gathering and whilst on one hand we see the funding of "Restore you Railway" studies (final tranche) just announced, on the other hand we see cuts from SWR^» (South Western Railway - about), GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway), Cross Country and Transport for Wales.

[ChrisB]

Just the first stage of removing costs from the railway by removing service 'duplication' across the country as quick wins.

Followed by the voluntary redundancy offer to railway staff.

Not that I'm in support, but I appreciate that costs of £10billion a year cannot continue.

[Electric train]

There is a reshaping of Britain's Railways which commenced with the selection and appointment of Andre Haines as CEO^▸ (Chief Executive Officer) of NR^» (Network Rail - home page).  NR being reorganised into Regions under 'Putting Passengers First' initiative, this has vested the power into the Regions and the Regional Managing Directors and their executive teams.

The Williams / Shapps report the formation GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) and the demise of the franchise model will have the biggest impact on the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) railways since 1994.

The post pandemic environment will effect when and what train services will be run

[TaplowGreen]

..............whilst well over £100,000,000,000 (and counting) is pledged to the ever greater, whiter elephant that is HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) 

[ChrisB]

If you want more trains to run, and trains to cover donestic internal flights, then HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) is required

[grahame]

..............whilst well over £100,000,000,000 (and counting) is pledged to the ever greater, whiter elephant that is HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) 

So that's one hundred thousand times what it would cost to retain through trains from Bristol Temple Meads to London Waterloo??  Equivalent of 5 minutes in a year?

[ChrisB]

Graham - even you know the difference between capital & revenue spend. They’re completely differentv& I believe you know this?

[grahame]

Graham - even you know the difference between capital & revenue spend. They’re completely different & I believe you know this?

I do. They are not completely different.  If I spend £100 I have not got, then my bank will get shirty with me whether I'm paying my electric bill (revenue) or buying a left handed USB dongle (capital).  "The "Waterloo" is an interesting case; we are asking for / looking at a one year bridge and not ongoing revenue, so it has characteristics of both revenue and capital.

[ChrisB]

No, it’s purely revenue as there is zero capital spend in running a service that requires no additional stock to be bought

[IndustryInsider]

The post pandemic environment will effect when and what train services will be run

And I think that environment remains unclear still.  Partly because we are still not 'post pandemic', or anywhere near to being, and partly because we don't know how the momentum towards returning leisure travel and commuter journeys will continue. 

It has surprised me how quickly rail travel bounced back, even commuter numbers started picking up more than I expected after the summer holidays.  But, any more national lockdowns and we could easily find ourselves back at square one again.  And of course, revenue will continue to be significantly down on what it was no matter what.

[PhilWakely]

The post pandemic environment will effect when and what train services will be run

And I think that environment remains unclear still.  Partly because we are still not 'post pandemic', or anywhere near to being, and partly because we don't know how the momentum towards returning leisure travel and commuter journeys will continue. 

It has surprised me how quickly rail travel bounced back, even commuter numbers started picking up more than I expected after the summer holidays.  But, any more national lockdowns and we could easily find ourselves back at square one again.  And of course, revenue will continue to be significantly down on what it was no matter what.

Problem there is that HM Government is behaving as though we are already at 'post-pandemic'

[Electric train]

The post pandemic environment will effect when and what train services will be run

And I think that environment remains unclear still.  Partly because we are still not 'post pandemic', or anywhere near to being, and partly because we don't know how the momentum towards returning leisure travel and commuter journeys will continue. 

It has surprised me how quickly rail travel bounced back, even commuter numbers started picking up more than I expected after the summer holidays.  But, any more national lockdowns and we could easily find ourselves back at square one again.  And of course, revenue will continue to be significantly down on what it was no matter what.

Problem there is that HM Government is behaving as though we are already at 'post-pandemic'

Politicians do suffer from event amnesia and politicians in government have an acute case of this, their only focus is the next election   

[TaplowGreen]

The post pandemic environment will effect when and what train services will be run

And I think that environment remains unclear still.  Partly because we are still not 'post pandemic', or anywhere near to being, and partly because we don't know how the momentum towards returning leisure travel and commuter journeys will continue. 

It has surprised me how quickly rail travel bounced back, even commuter numbers started picking up more than I expected after the summer holidays.  But, any more national lockdowns and we could easily find ourselves back at square one again.  And of course, revenue will continue to be significantly down on what it was no matter what.

The direction of travel in respect of commuter/business travel is pretty clear, that may be unpalatable for those within the rail industry to accept, but the way in which businesses are introducing and adapting to hybrid working with staff in the office 1 or at most 2 days per week at a rate of knots is a matter of fact and the momentum is only going one way - it is the future, and it largely suits employers and employees.

Leisure is up for grabs - but as has been discussed and highlighted elsewhere, the rail industry needs to respond with greater reliability, particularly at weekends and during holiday periods, flexibility, a culture which shifts more towards customer service (an area of great weakness at the moment), more competitive ticket pricing and adaptability to customer needs and demands if it wishes to get people out of the car and onto the train - and that encompasses a whole host of more nuanced offerings and variables.

[Red Squirrel]

The post pandemic environment will effect when and what train services will be run

And I think that environment remains unclear still.  Partly because we are still not 'post pandemic', or anywhere near to being, and partly because we don't know how the momentum towards returning leisure travel and commuter journeys will continue. 

It has surprised me how quickly rail travel bounced back, even commuter numbers started picking up more than I expected after the summer holidays.  But, any more national lockdowns and we could easily find ourselves back at square one again.  And of course, revenue will continue to be significantly down on what it was no matter what.

The direction of travel in respect of commuter/business travel is pretty clear, that may be unpalatable for those within the rail industry to accept, but the way in which businesses are introducing and adapting to hybrid working with staff in the office 1 or at most 2 days per week at a rate of knots is a matter of fact and the momentum is only going one way - it is the future, and it largely suits employers and employees.

Leisure is up for grabs - but as has been discussed and highlighted elsewhere, the rail industry needs to respond with greater reliability, particularly at weekends and during holiday periods, flexibility, a culture which shifts more towards customer service (an area of great weakness at the moment), more competitive ticket pricing and adaptability to customer needs and demands if it wishes to get people out of the car and onto the train - and that encompasses a whole host of more nuanced offerings and variables.

In this analysis, is the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) considered as internal or external to 'the rail industry'?