Transport day at COP26 - an idea for an announcement

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Dear Graham
 
It is Transport Day at COP26 today and for those of you who follow us on Twitter (@GWRHelp) you will notice a series of tweets supporting the national rail industry campaign “We Mean Green” – we have also updated our Sustainability and Social Values Commitment and I have attached a copy to this email.
 
As the We Mean Green campaign notes a single train can take as many as 500 cars of the road.  By choosing rail our customers, and our stakeholders and partners are making a contribution to the Net Zero Carbon target. 
 
We know that rail travel has a key role to play in carbon reduction. Working together with Network Rail, with the Department for Transport and with local and regional partners we are committed to making modal shift from private car as easy as possible.
 
We are also a major employer and purchaser of goods and services, and a lead contributor within the communities we serve. We are committed to sustainability and social values in all those areas too, and if you have ideas on what more we could do, please do let us know – as our commitment sets out we are interested in innovation and willing to explore new ideas.
 
Best wishes
 
Mark
 
Mark Hopwood CBE | Managing Director | Great Western Railway
Milford House | 1 Milford Street | Swindon | SN1 1HL

You and your First Group colleagues at SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) could continue to run services such as the through trains from London (Waterloo) to Bristol Temple Meads - popular trains, the removal of which in November will be driving many people back onto the roads.

In fact - what an excellent day TODAY would be to announce that those trains will continue, in response to the latest data and overwhelming community support. Of course, there's an outside change that such an announcement may be made in Glasgow later today, and we live in hope and ready to support the continued service and help it grow further should that happen.

[broadgage]

And also push forward the running of trains to Minehead from at least Taunton and hopefully further afield.
Many persons and organisations speak in favour of this, but actual progress is lacking.

[eightonedee]

Or announce that you are going to lobby DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) (and the pot of alphabet soup that might be ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) and any successors) to press the Treasury to announce funding for a program of electrification of the remainder of the GW^▸ (Great Western) main line network in the next (5? 8? 10?) years

[grahame]

Let's see, Gentlemen - long shot for today.   A very thoughtful new friend from this campaign has reminded me "guard against the danger of getting stressed if we lose the battle on this ...."; he's right but yet we would come out of the battle much better informed and effective for subsequent public transport user support.

I HAVE taken the liberty, as you might have expected, of copying my suggestion above in this thread direct to key parties, bearing in mind that it would be unwise to assume they come here regularly.

[Lee]

Let's see, Gentlemen - long shot for today.   A very thoughtful new friend from this campaign has reminded me "guard against the danger of getting stressed if we lose the battle on this ...."; he's right but yet we would come out of the battle much better informed and effective for subsequent public transport user support.

I HAVE taken the liberty, as you might have expected, of copying my suggestion above in this thread direct to key parties, bearing in mind that it would be unwise to assume they come here regularly.

It will interesting to see if the timing of your thoughtful new friend's intervention gets your existing friends thinking.

I guess that's the 5630 signature question!

[Mark A]

Dear Graham
 

In fact - what an excellent day TODAY would be to announce that those trains will continue, in response to the latest data and overwhelming community support. Of course, there's an outside change that such an announcement may be made in Glasgow later today, and we live in hope and ready to support the continued service and help it grow further should that happen.

Good move.

Just seen a few of those tweets and now have to sit on my hands.
Mr Schapps Twitter account activity for the past few days hasn't exactly shown him in a good light, mind.

[ChrisB]

If they do any of those things, it's coz the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) has allowed them to. Money's tight.

[broadgage]

Or announce that you are going to lobby DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) (and the pot of alphabet soup that might be ORR^» (Office of Rail and Road formerly Office of Rail Regulation - about) and any successors) to press the Treasury to announce funding for a program of electrification of the remainder of the GW^▸ (Great Western) main line network in the next (5? 8? 10?) years

Whilst I would like to see through trains to Minehead, significant electrification of the national network is arguably a higher priority.
Perhaps 100 route miles a year could be a target.