Lookalikes

Are they related? I think we should be told!

Quote of the week

Said Ray Stenning, of Best Impressions design consultancy, in an interview with routeone's Andy Izatt:

... I thrill to live opera, walking along the Seven Sisters in Sussex, cycling, enjoying the sun, working out and eating healthily (I'm a vegetarian as well as bent, but I am right-handed)

'Bashing' before they're gone

I'm not an authority on the London Underground network. I enjoy travelling by Tube, benefiting from the efficient service offered when compared to other modes of surface transport in the Capital and enjoy my time while below the streets of London because, after all, they are still trains and I've always enjoyed train travel. Not everyone shares this viewpoint. Daily commuters tend to begrudge having to travel in crowded carriages in hot, sweaty condition and then paying what they perceive to be a premium to do so, using one of TfL's Travelcards.

I've never been a commuter in London but can sympathise with the day-to-day problems that can occur on the Tube (and lest we forget other transport modes all over the country, too).

It's still a work in progress, but my plan is to travel along every stretch of the Tube network, operated by passenger carrying trains. I've done a fair bit, but there are still a number of extremities that need covering. A number of people, enthusiastic about transport, find it staggering that I'd want to subject myself to this level of 'torture'; as I tell them, it's the mountain climber in me - I do it because it's there. And I can.

Most service on the Metropolitan Line terminate at Baker Street, with 'only' 6 per hour extending to/from Aldgate. Seen here, after having worked a 'fast' from Amersham is one of the soon-to-be withdrawn A-Stock ('A' named after 'Amersham')

The Metropolitan Line is the oldest line on the Tube network and with the London system being the first ever created, it makes the good old 'Met' the oldest line in the world, opening on 18 January 1863. Its one of my least-travelled lines, owing to very few places I visit when in London being found along its route length. Today, the line has been greatly extended from its original, but it does boast a further two London Underground prestigious claims: that it has the longest gap between any two adjacent stations and that its terminus is further from any central London station.

One of Chiltern Trains' Class 165s on the Down line from Amersham

Additionally, the Sheffield-build A-Stock used is in the process of being withdrawn and replaced by new, air-conditioned S-Stock electric multiple units. The Met Line's A-Stock is now the network's oldest trains, being built in the 1960s and due for replacement. Trains are generally formed of 2 x four-car units, with the exception of the Chesham branch, which is formed of just one four-car unit. It's the Chesham branch that boasts one of the Met Line's prestigious claims, with the distance between the junction at Chalfont & Latimer station and the branch terminus at Chesham being further apart than any other two Tube stations.

Only 6 miles of the Met Line are located beneath the surface and the four-track layout beyond Harrow-on-the-Hill enables fast and semi-fast variants of the main service to operate, benefiting those living at the north-west extremities of the route to reach central London faster than they'd otherwise be able to. The A-Stock fleet does not comprise any sideways-facing seats, so passengers feel more like being on a train as they face either forwards or backwards. The umbrella hooks really date the stock, too, and are a nice touch even though they're rarely used for this purpose today. Met Line trains used to be able to travel at a maximum of 70mph along sections of track in outer London, though today this has been reduced to 50mph (normal maximum speeds for other Tube lines is 40-45mph).

Chesham is further from its neighbouring station than any other on the Underground network. It only sees two services per hour, formed of one four-car A-Stock set that trundles up and down the line to the next station all day (Chalfont & Latimer)

The general service composition is as follows:

Amersham - Baker Street (fast) x 4 trains p/h
Watford - Baker Street (semi-fast) x 6 trains p/h
Uxbridge - Aldgate (all stations) x 6 trains p/h
Chesham-Chalfont & Latimer x 2 trains p/h

Chiltern Trains operates a further two trains per hour between Amersham-London Marylebone direct. Only at peak periods can trains operate the full route length between Amersham/Watford-Aldgate and some direct trains also run to/from Chesham. When the S-Stock fleet is introduced, the bay platform at Chalfont & Latimer will be too short to house a single unit and so alternating, direct Chesham services will be introduced at the expense of Amersham's current frequency.

Seen at Marylebone is a Chiltern Class 165, forming the 1027. Very quiet it was, too

I've never been to Amersham before (I've done the Chesham branch a few years ago but time did not allow for me to head to the furthest extremity of the Tube network) so it was on the cards as a result of my weekend in London meeting with friends. We travelled out aboard a Chiltern Trains service, but with it being a Sunday, only one per hour operates, with a journey time of 35 minutes from Marylebone.

Amersham station is no different to that you'd expect to find in any leafy suburb of a large town or city, except this one is served by London Underground with four departures each hour to the centre of one of the world's largest cities. And it's not in Greater London either; it is located in Buckinghamshire. The Met Line's Watford branch's terminus in the same-named town is located in Hertfordshire. TfL's ticketing zones extend to 9, in which Amersham is to be found. While nearer London, the Watford terminus is classified as being beyond Zone 9 on account with fares to/from here with central London being in-line with direct, non-stop National Rail services provided by London Midland, who accept TfL's Travelcards and Oyster.

Having turned round in the sidings, out A-Stock 2 x four-car set arrives, operating 'fast' to Baker Street. Four departures per hour leave this station - the furthest from central London, which is actually located in Buckinghamshire

It was quite a chilly Sunday it has to be said, though by no means as cold as yesterday. There was no mention of snow! The under-seat heating on board the A-Stock was very welcome and effective and I couldn't help wonder just how the new S-Stock would compare with its climate control. Experience has taught me that as theoretically simple as climate control is, there's nothing more tangible than a heater on/off switch and an air conditioning on/off switch. Allowing a computer to make the necessary temperature adjustments has just too many potential problems with air con not working at all in the summer and heaters defective during the winter.

Approaching Chalfont & Latimer is a 'fast' to Baker Street, having left Amersham 5 minutes earlier

The chances of getting a seat on the new S-Stock have reduced. The seven-car 'S7s', of which there will be 133 units, feature only sideways seating, identical in nature to Class 378s operating with London Overground. The eight-car 'S8s' that have been ordered (58 in total) do have some facing/backward seats as they are to be used on the longer diagrams to Amersham/Chesham and Watford. Comparing like with like, the 'S8s' will seat 306 while their 2 x four-car A-Stock predecessors currently seat 448, a reduction of 32%. Standee potential has increased by 25% with this now totalling 1,226 on a new S-Stock train, compared to 976 in A-Stock, although who is going to count when the maximum is stood is anyone's guess. Despite this, the new eight-car S-Stock does have a net capacity reduction of 7%; more when seven-car sets are considered.

A-Stock seating is comfortable and more than adequate, though standees can find themselves jammed against seat backs, hence why the new S-Stock will be built with standees in mind - even though some of the longest duration commutes take place on the Met Line

On a Sunday at this end of the Tube network, services are very sparsely populated indeed. Our train from Amersham, fast to Baker Street, was apparently to be held at Harrow-on-the-Hill owing to a signal failure, so we bailed out at Chalfont & Latimer and had a trip to Chesham and back. By now there was no signal failure mentioned so we boarded another A-Stock set to Baker Street and then headed aboard a brand-spanking new Volvo B9TL/Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini operating Service 18 (that had recently seen de-bendification take place 6 days earlier) to Euston.

In its seventh day's service - this Volvo B9TL/Wrightbus Eclipse Gemini operated by First London, having replaced articulated Mercedes-Benz Citaros on the route at the start of the week

It was then a very comfortable ride aboard a Scania OmniCity to Liverpool Street Station - Service 205 now operated once again by 'Brian's lot'. From here we met friends for a boozy afternoon before trying out the new London Overground extension from Shoreditch High Street to West Croyden.

Very comfortable indeed - the Scania OmniCity, seen here at Liverpool Street Station

Light was fading as we headed to Shoreditch High Street station to head south aboard an London Overground service to West Croydon

As is customary when in Croydon, a trip on the Tramlink is required - on this occasion to Beckenham Junction, before heading into Victoria aboard a Southeastern service. A trip aboard a route enjoying its articulated swansong (Service 73) before returning north aboard the 2000 East Coast service from King's Cross to Peterborough. Sadly, we were not afforded our timetabled 44-minute journey time as I previously blogged.

Passengers become anxious after 44 minutes and 1 second when their train has yet to arrive...

Costa Lotta

M'colleage and I refer to a well-known chain of coffee shop as today's blog entry title. It shouldn't take you too long to work out which one we're talking about. To be fair, they seem to be no more expensive than their competitors, though have their own slant on the products they purvey.

You also see them at the larger train stations, too. Their prices are no different here to on the high street or in shopping precincts. However, diversifying from his usual expert Fares & Service Analysis in RAIL magazine, Barry Doe offers genuine advice to those who do like to have a cuppa while travelling by train:

"In the past I have extolled the benefits of a Bite card. As a reminder, a Bite card is free, available by completing a form from national station outlets or by clicking here. It gives 20% off food and drink at most outlets, [to be found at large train stations] including Upper Crust, The Pastry Shop and Pumpkin. That's an excellent discount. And cards are not dated, so it's not just a promotion. However, 'Pumpkin' goes one stage further. It has its own loyalty card, and every time you buy any hot drink you get a stamp.


"Once you have four stamps the card is completed, and the next drink is free. Not so widely known is that this is valid in conjunction with a Bite card. So a £2[!!!!!!] coffee is down to £1.60 anyway, and four cost £6.40, giving a fifth free. Hence the overall discount is 36% - effectively meaning Pumpkin is offering a 'drinks railcard'."

Or just take one of these with you.....

Restrictavision

Click to enlarge

With a bowler tip to the LEYTR Secretary for bringing this to our attention.

44 minutes

Sadly, East Coast's advertised 44-minute journey last night did not materialise. The 2000 EC London-Leeds actually took 48 minutes to reach Peterborough and departed a few minutes late, too. Inbound services to King's Cross were all late enough for passengers to start claiming refunds and, actually, East Coast should be congratulated for the manner in which they turned round the trains.

I suspect mine was 'pinched' from another diagram as those with reservations for coach G had to look to coach F (it was a HST, suspect it should have been a '91') and coach C was labelled thusly on the exterior but coach D on the interior. It was all confusing but I didn't spot any problems and as much was done as was physically possible to ensure the train load all boarded within 5 minutes. This is no mean feat.

This was the end to my day in London, where a former colleague was dragged along while I went 'box ticking' on the London Underground network. I'd never visited Amersham before - I'd got tantalisingly close, having travelled to Chesham via Chalfont & Latimer, but not made it to the LU station furthest from central London. I'd also not travelled on the London Overground network south to West Croydon. I've still got the Crystal Palace branch to do though.

Photo uploads to follow.

Lengthened Voyagers

A complaint in the Open Access section of the latest RAIL mag has been penned by a traveller who had the misfortune to travel aboard one of CrossCountry's 4-car Class 221 'Super Voyager' trains during the recent school holiday. He lamented the guard's comments about there being standing room only as a consequence of excessive travellers and NOT owing to the inadequate train length. Quite rightly, the complainant cites the poor foresight of erstwhile Virgin CrossCountry and now Arriva for not having supplied more carriages initially and done more to ease overcrowding today.

Virgin West Coast, however, is making a concerted effort to address the problems it faces as a direct consequence of the precise problem detailed above. The company operates three 4-car '221s' and eighteen five-car examples. The company requires 18 sets per day and has concocted a plan to essentially disband one 4-car '221' and jettison its two centre coaches into the remaining two 4-car sets, thus increasing them to 5 cars each and upping the company's total operation to twenty 5-car sets.


Currently, the 4-car '221s' operate their own diagrams, though when one strays onto a diagram that would normally see a 'Super Voyager' with 5 cars, overcrowding can exist. The flexibility with the reformation of two 4-car '221s' is clear to see and will be as follows:

221144 will be disbanded, allowing sets 221142 and 221143 to become 5-car trains. The formation of these two sets will be:

221142: 60492+60792+60994+60992+60392
221143: 60493+60793+60794+60993+60393

It will, at least, offer tangible relief to those commuters who have hitherto travelled unwittingly on timetabled journeys that are operated by the 4-car sets. The down side, so far as we can see, is the reduction in spare train capacity on a daily basis when 3 sets will be reduced to two.

Applied to the bus industry, this is similar to increasing the capacity of a route normally operated by single-deckers to ones with an upper saloon. Modern single-deckers weigh almost as much as doubles and produce only slightly improved mpgs. Provided the operator is able to source sufficient 'deckers for an upgrade, it can make sense as overall expenditure hardly increases at the same rate as the number of seats now available.

Put in its simplest form, it's making the most of what you can with what you've got and for this Virgin Trains must be congratulated.

Showbus, Duxford 2010

We've managed to finally get over the depressing state of what was the 2010 EFE International Showbus event, held at the Imperial War Museum near Duxford, Cambs. Normally this is the biggest and best bus and coach rally in the UK, though thanks to the precipitation on 27 September, only the 'biggest' credential was realised. I've worked out that I've been to every Showbus event since 2001 and cannot for the life of me think why I only started then! A couple of my first visits saw heavy showers, but none lived up to the downpours that plagued this year's event.

What to say? Well, the weather didn't disgrace itself for most of the morning and despite the initial showers, it was still possible to go round and photograph a large selection of vehicles. Stallholders were naturally cautious about unbattoning the hatches when the rain stopped for fear of damaging stock with run-off. It was also the first-ever year I was unable to at least photograph a selection of visiting vehicles that took my fancy from all areas of the site. The eastern end where the more modern stuff was parked saw itself omitted as by mid-afternoon the rain was coming down so heavy, only those with umbrellas and wet gear could stomach the elements. It was the sort of weather where you fear damaging your camera.

However, despite this, I did manage to 'fott' a selection of vehicles and display them below:

Bombardier, the ale producer, has taken a very patriotic all-over advert out on this Routemaster. Would such a livery have been applied by the vehicle's owner or at the request of Bombardier?

The new Streetlite from Wrightbus was on display in a rather boring 'dealer white' livery

The one on the left replaced the one on the right and now the one on the left is in the process of being replaced. Brighton & Hove brought an ex Go-Ahead London Mercedes-Benz Citaro along in its new provincial livery and was parked alongside a traditionally-liveried Routemaster

No stranger to the LEYTR area is Ron Appleby, founder of Appleby's Coaches which, at its heyday, had depots on both sides of the Humber, with operations stretching from southern Lincolnshire to Scarborough. Ron's name was applied to the side of this 1974 Bedford SB5, new to his company

There was a special line-up of Midland Red vehicles. Seen here is an ex BMMO C5, new in 1958

Another Mercedes-Benz Citaro visiting was wearing a very striking overall pink livery for Manchester Airport-based Jet Parks. It was a most welcome sight amongst my photographs - standing out on what was such a dour day

A damp guy

Recently painted into EYMS's coaching livery is this Optare-bodied Mercedes-Benz O405, which wore Stagecoach stripes a number of years ago, though has never been owned nor operated by Stagecoach

I've always been a fan of Lucketts' livery. It rather suits this Lahden body (with Scania chassis)

The customary line-up of Routemasters was on display. A camera crew was filming here and only recently did I spot what it was for - a London-based edition of Inside Out in which the new Borismaster was reported on

Another operator unfamiliar with LEYTR members is fellow member Fowler's Coaches of Holbeach Drove. Recently this operator has seen the merits of an apostrophe in its fleetname, for which we congratulate them. Here is their recently-repainted Leyland Tiger in front of their immaculate ex Lochs & Glenns tri-axle Volvo

The Midland Red line-up in full

Finally.... spot the deliberate mistake....

Showbus 2009
Showbus 2008
Showbus 2007

Even more dubious 44-minute claim

Next weekend, m'colleague is travelling back from London King's Cross aboard an East Coast service to Peterborough and then on to Lincolnshire by car. He booked his tickets last night and was amazed to see his journey is timetabled to take just 44 minutes, not 45. Check back next week to see if this is actually attained. It would appear Sunday is the best day for a 44-minute northbound journey time between King's Cross and Peterborough, presumably owing to the reduction in congestion along the ECML. A quick check has provided the following journey times on the Sabbath (omitting any EC train that calls at Stevenage):

44 mins = 21 trains
45 mins = 3 trains
46 mins = 2 trains
47 mins = 2 trains
48 mins = 0 trains
49 mins = 1 train

HS1 Sold

The national media here in the UK do not really understand a number of aspects of the national railway network and accordingly when a news story is made that concerns these, only a light dusting of coverage is made. The sale of our only high-speed railway line to the Canadians was one such event. It made the papers but not in the "government sells more of our family silver to Johnny Foreigner" as would have happened had Royal Mail been flogged to, say, the Indians.

Which is surprising as HS2 (London-Birmingham) has been extensively reported in all newspapers - especially the locals in whose area the line is to pass. At a time when we commemorate two train crash anniversaries and report on pending prosecutions over safety failures, I've not read any articles detailing how selling HS1 (London St. Pancras-Channel Tunnel) to a consortium of Canadian Teachers' Pensions and Borealis Infrastructure for a 30-year concession could affect safety.

That's probably because it won't (though they wouldn't stop the red tops from stating otherwise) because despite recent sombre anniversaries, the state of the national railway is in excellent condition - far removed from a decade ago. The amount Network Rail has spent to ensure this condition is open to criticism (not least its recent dividend payment to shareholders), but throwing money at a problem can occasionally bare fruit and in its most basic term, this, along with improved working conditions, has seen HS1, along with the rest of the rail network, as safe as it can be. Network Rail will also continue to physically maintain the track and signals along HS1 in a deal that ends in 2047, though the infrastructure company would answer to the new HS1 Limited, not the government and would be required to pay out the first £3 million in compensation to train operators as a result of poor performance that it can be blamed for.

We shouldn't get hung up on the line's performance though as it really is the jewel in Network Rail's crown: the average delay to any train on HS1 (which includes both Eurostar and Southeastern services) is currently just 7.04 seconds. An aspiration exists to reduce this to just 6 seconds.

What will the new HS1 Limited company get for its £2.1 billion? Well, they have full operational control over the line with absolutely no direct government subsidy of any kind. We understand the only guaranteed cash to come indirectly from the DfT will be the guarantee to buy Southeastern's 1,024 paths used by their Class 395 'Javelin' trains currently. HS1 will play a key role in promoting rail's lead in reducing carbon emissions as more air passengers choose to travel out of the UK by train. This is happening now, albeit at a rate more sedate than is forecast when new destinations are added, being provided by new operators, such as Deutsche Bahn.

Plans are afoot to have wireless Internet installed, with transmission points located along the length of HS1 so that equipped trains travelling along its 68 miles can offer this to passengers. It is seen as being a massive boon in attracting business travel in first class. Such travel and its associated price tag actually help in ensuring leisure travel is kept more affordable and that Eurostar's £59 return to Paris/Brussels continues to be offered. It is likely new operators to the route will follow a similar business model, provided the infrastructure is in place.

In the longer term, inter-modal traffic is expected to rise, with passengers travelling to St. Pancras using HS2 to Euston and then onto, say, Geneva (a proposed route by Eurostar) or Frankfurt (mooted by DB) or even to towns and cities in France using their domestic TGV network. Rumours that new services would quickly maximise the line's capacity have been strongly denied by HS1 Limited's MD, Paul Chapman, who believes the introduction of DB's full timetable in around 4 years would still afford 25% capacity for other operators and freight companies.

Prosecution Pending

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has charged both Network Rail and construction company Jarvis with "failure, as infrastructure controller for the national rail network, to provide and implement suitable and sufficient training, standards, procedures and guidance for the installation, maintenance and inspection of adjustable stretcher bars (part of the points)". It is to prosecute both organisations at the start of next year, in a case to be held at Watford's Magistrate Court.

The incident? You don't have to be a rail enthusiast to remember the Potters Bar crash, when a WAGN Class 365 derailed as it approached Potters Bar station at 1255 on 10 May 2002. The rear car flipped and then slid onto the platform itself coming to rest against a platform canopy at a 45-degree angle. 7 died and 76 were taken to hospital suffering from a range of minor to life-threatening conditions.


The accident occurred as the result of the final set of points failing, though this didn't occur until immediately before the rear car passed. The train, 365526, was working the 1245 King's Cross-King's Lynn when the accident occurred - matters compounded by the speed at which the train was passing the station: 97mph. It is no consolation for the families of those who died, but had the points failed as the leading car travelled over them, the death rate would surely have been many times higher than seven.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) soon diagnosed the set of points as the cause of the crash and that they failed due to being in a poor state. Jarvis, the private contractor Network Rail's predecessor Railtrack had employed to maintain the track, initially took the defensive, with their chairman and one-time London mayoral candidate Steven Norriss being interviewed on BBC News 24 claiming "irrefutable evidence" had come to light that proved Jarvis was effectively in the clear. The inference was that sabotage was to blame, but nothing of the sort ever materialised. Indeed, the HSE noted a number of points in the area showing signs of defects that ultimately caused the crash.

Jarvis had identified the set of points required attention, but the company's "inadequate reporting system" saw directions to the points in question become unclear and workers ended up at the wrong end of the platform attempting to repair an operational set of points. This episode is seen as the catalyst for the announcement by Network Rail in 2003 to bring all maintenance works in-house. Jarvis also accepted "legally justified claims" made by families of those killed and put aside £3 million.


LEYTR Comment: They said two years earlier that the Hatfield crash involving a GNER Class 91 was the turning point for the railway. Yet two years later yet another serious crash took place - less than 5 miles from Hatfield. The stricken rear car of the '365' resting at such an angle in such a public manner was in itself devastating for the rail industry and showed how vulnerable passengers and innocent bystanders are when just one set of points has a defect. This ultimately saw off Railtrack, which was replaced by government-controlled Network Rail during the same year. Now, the ORR is to prosecute both NR and Jarvis over what it sees as not providing sufficient training, standards, procedures and guidance for the maintenance of the national rail network. To NR's credit, all recommendations made by the HSE and the industry's formal inquiry have been carried out to the full and private contractors no longer play any part in track maintenance. Jarvis entered into administration during March this year and a prosecution will not help its long-term survival prospects.

What the prosecution does show is that the requirement for adequate training and all the facets the term covers is absolutely vital to ensure something like this never happens again. We may grimace when we see workers being given the H&S speech before work can begin, but the Potters Bar rail crash, sadly, is proof of what happens when this is lacking.

Quote of the week

For the non-rail readers, Barbie Rail is the name given to East Coast, the nationalised train operating company, by the Railway Eye blog. The name has been chosen owing to the company's chairperson - Elaine Holt, aka Rail Barbie.


Holt's abhorrence at the term is known yet in an attempt to suppress the use of Rail Barbie, she made reference to it in a speech last month. It also confirms the widespread readership of Railway Eye.

The Sunday Express ran an article in which they incorrectly(?) claimed up to 2,000 new vehicles could be delivered for the East Coast Main Line train services. To which Railway Eye retorted:

2,000 vehicles for the ECML?

Not so much Rail Barbie as Hail Barbie if she can pull this off!

Images from Lincoln

In our neck of the woods, the end-of-season rally takes place at the Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum, Whisby Road, Doddington, on the south-western fringe of Lincoln. It is here that the Lincolnshire Vintage Vehicle Society is based and from where they operate their extensive collection of motor vehicles. This blog's first substantive entry, way back in 2007, was uploaded when m'colleague and I visited the Easter Sunday event. The second and final gathering of motor vehicles in November is always a larger affair, with more sales stalls and visiting vehicles and today's event did not disappoint.

We present a number of images from the rally below.

I don't recall having seen this 1948 Leyland PS1/Willowbrook (1957) at a Lincoln running day before. The addition of 'Parcels Carried' where traditionally the registration is affixed was unusual, though those more au fait with Barton Transport will be able to say whether or not this was common place for bus 782 (WAL 728)

Twice a year the Pyke Road cul-de-sac (opposite the Road Transport Museum) becomes a hotbed of PCV operation as it is from here were most services depart. Three main services are operated: to Lincoln City Centre (every 30 mins); a tour of Whisby (every 30 mins) and a service to the nearby Co-operative car park at the Moorland Centre, which acts as a park-and-ride (every 15 mins). Additional tour services are also operated at various timings. The morning and afternoon peaks are catered for with increases in frequency on the park-and-ride service, plus duplicated on all City services this year. It's nothing to witness up to 16 departures an hour leave here - rivalling that of Lincoln's City bus station.

A mechanic's dream. Within the Road Transport Museum a whole host of displays are to be seen. Here in what m'colleague refers to as the 'mechanic's equivalent to a mini-bar' a very well-stocked presentation of what a mechanic's workshop from yesteryear would have looked like is displayed in a small corner. A list of 20 items have been listed and viewers are to look for them - from an Oxo tin to an emergency windscreen, they take some finding!

Not all vehicles visiting and operating services are in a preserved state. Stagecoach in Lincolnshire used the occasion to show-off one of it's new leather-seated Executive Connect-branded Scania/Enviro400s, used on the recently extended InterConnect 3 (Grimsby-Lincoln-Newark). The vehicle proved very popular indeed, which is most unusual at an event such as this. I vividly remember being the only one to opt to travel on Stagecoach's first Trident to enter service in London when, now in a preserved state, it provided a shuttle service at last spring's Cobham rally. Sadly, the Enviro400 is let down by its split lower windscreen

Knowing the problems bus operators in Grimsby face with vandalism to seat backs, we were both very impressed at how presentable the rear seats were in the upper saloon. All six Scania/Enviro400s for the IC3 are now allocated to and operated by Lincoln depot, so that if they ever do stray it is on local Lincoln services. The seat backs are actually blue moquette, not leather, which is probably a sensible solution since the cost of repairing leatherette is considerably more expensive.

Further evidence of congestion is seen here with a view from the turning area on Pyke Road. Seen here is Colchester 4 (OHK 432), a 1949 Daimler CVD6/Roberts (with a LEYTR member at the helm!) and Northampton VV 8934, a Daimler in the process of being restored. The view is from Stagecoach in Lincolnshire 15651 (FX10 AFK), the 2010 Scania/Enviro400 mentioned above

Around 20 visiting vehicles were parked in a neighbouring site and from the North Bank was a regular supporter of local rallies, Hull Corporation 180 (GAT 180D), a 1966 Leyland Panther/Roe. Its chassis badge is in superb condition and worthy of a photo

Also worthy of exposure is this Iveco 49.10 TurboDaily, new to West Yorkshire as their 191 (E446 TYG) in 1988 for operation in Keighley. Such vehicles epitomise the early years of bus deregulation for me. How matters have moved on to the situation in which we find ourselves today!

They're England's second-oldest bus company and the last four of the six-generation Delaine-Smith family have been constantly engaged in bus operation. The company provided two vehicles from their trio of preserved 'deckers - Delaine 72 (ACT 540L), a 1973 Leyland Atlantean/Northern Counties can be seen in the distance and Delaine 50 (RCT 3), a 1960 Leyland Titan PD3/W.S. Yates has just passed the photographers. The latter exclusively features on this year's LEYTR front cover, posed at Delaine Close in Bourne. Both vehicles were working the 1500 service from Lincoln city centre to the Road Transport Museum, with 72 being 50's duplicate.

Transdev Keighley's vibrant livery was partially hidden in the area where visiting vehicles were parked, owing to its close proximity to a wall. Despite this, we managed to take a shot anyway - and one not likely to have been captured by many attending. I assume this is the work of Best Impressions - the company who hates hyphens ('stress free')

What stands out for many visitors is the manner in which rallies here at the Road Transport Museum are operated. A very slick operation is provided with literally dozens of buses to choose from on which to ride. A timetable is produced that accompanies the programme for the day, which costs £5, though includes entry to the Museum. Unusually, the bus timetables are listed in vehicle diagram order, which may benefit those wanting to travel on a specific vehicle type, but we'd prefer to see a 'by departure' timetable to choose as the exterior temperature was very autumnal to say the least and such a timetable layout would have made it far easier to plan where to go at short notice and which vehicle to look out for.

All-in-all the day was as excellent as ever. Stall-holders travel from far and wide as do the vehicles. To think that a small yet very significant building in an industrial estate on the outskirts of Lincoln can attract such patronage can only spur its organisers on. Whatever they're doing, they're doing it right!

Cottoning on

The Department for Transport has cottoned onto how bus operators have been legitimately receiving more in reimbursement rate for individual holders of English National Concessionary Bus Passes (ENC) than the same operators charges for unlimited adult day ticket. The ENC scheme was introduced with a reimbursement rate considerably below pound-for-pound as the DfT argued that now passengers could travel for free, more journeys would be taken and operators should not be better or worse off as a result. The judicial reviews that followed showed that in many cases bus operators successfully argued that they were worse off as local councils were free to decide the reimbursement rate themselves - and rates differed wildly all over England.

However, where bus operators are gaining significantly is when multiple journeys were made by pass holders on the same operator's services. Take Grimsby, for example, where only three bus services call at the local hospital (Services 8, 9/9A & 51). For a pensioner wishing to make a return journey here by bus would necessitate at least 4 single journeys, provided they did not live on the route lengths of the calling services.

So, Mrs X lives on the Wybers Wood estate to the west of the town, and has to catch either Service 16, 45 or 250 to a point where she can intercept one of the hospital calling services (probably the town centre). That's two trips one way, and the same again to go home. Each leg is reimbursed to the operator at a percentage of the average fare for that route. Totalled, this can often see the amount operators receive being in excess of an adult day ticket for the entire operator's urban network.

But that's the product of the manner in which the DfT hurriedly forced the system on local authorities and operators. There is no alternate method to claim for these journeys other than on an individual leg-by-leg basis. Only now, after a number of years and after much silence from bus companies on the subject, DfT has finally realised the revenue many operators have benefited from. Cue the DfT's consultation on ENC reimbursement rates, which it expects between £67-133mil to be saved by not paying operators as much. The consultation, amongst other things, now wants to consider day, week and month tickets - not just singles and returns (where the latter is offered).

It is clear that if the DfT gets its way, operators' income will reduce by more than the 20% reduction in BSOG from April 2012. Combined, one LEYTR operator told us that they expect to be "about as financially stretched as if BSOG was completely withdrawn, as had been considered". A number of operators in trade magazine 'routeone' have said 10% fare increases are on the cards in addition to the annual increases to cover fuel and wages. DRM of Bromyard is quoted as having calculated its total reimbursement dropping from £267k (2009/10) to £141k (2010/11) and then £143k (2011/12).

The likely result? Reductions in commercial bus services - specifically those in rural areas, which the Tories will find less palatable owing to their traditional support from these areas. Operators will justify cuts to rural routes by pointing out that rural passengers are already subsidised considerably more than their urban counterparts and on some occasions it's urban passengers' fares that help to maintain loss-making rural routes. There's only so far you can go before something has to give. And like the rail industry now, where the Tories are having to face the fall-out of cuts to a privatised industry it instigated, equally searching questions will be asked when the party's traditional voters find their bus service is being withdrawn without replacement. Free passes are all well and good provided you have a service on which to use them.

Dubious 45-minute claim?

He made one:


and for a good number of years British Rail made one, too, which continues to be made today.

We're talking about the journey time on northbound trains between London King's Cross and Peterborough stations. Inter-city trains operating for East Coast and before that National Express East Coast, GNER and British Rail have a timetabled journey time between the two points of 45 minutes.

For years and years, presumably since the electrification of this section of the East Coast Main Line a couple of decades ago, this headline 45-minute journey time has ensured Peterborough residents have been able to return home from work or a leisure trip to the Capital in a time that can only be envied by millions of people living a similar 80-mile distance from the centre of London. Only two years ago, I travelled on a 'Down train' (northbound) that had an even better journey time of 44 minutes.

However, on the numerous occasions m'colleague and I travel to Peterborough (the LEYTR area's southern gateway, if you will) the advertised arrival time of 45 minutes (or similar) never, ever appeared to be attained. Checking today's timetable, and only counting trains operating non-stop betwixt KX-Peterborough (i.e. omitting those calling at Stevenage) only three are booked to arrive in 45 minutes: 0900, 1000 & 1300 ex KX. The remainder are shown as taking longer - up to 8 minutes longer.

45 mins = 3 trains
46 mins = 18 trains
47 mins = 8 trains
48 mins = 2 trains
49 mins = 4 trains
50 mins = 2 trains
51 mins = 1 train
53 mins = 1 train

Looking at yesterday's timings for the three fastest journeys, they all arrived at their booked time, with the 1300 making it in just 44 minutes. All departed between 1 and three minutes after their booked departure time, though this can be for a whole host of reasons. And in any case, it's the arrival time we're interested in. With such conformity, it's got us wondering why we have the impression that KX-Peterborough in the booked 45 et al minutes seemed to always be impossible, when it was clearly attained today on multiple occasions.

We both travel far too frequently to be that unlucky. There have probably been occasions when we've been held from departing KX for a minute or so and because the 0:45 is so tight, don't fully understand that we'll not be able to make even 1 minute up. Then there's the queue to leave the train and by the time you're on the platform and have chance to look at the clock, two minutes could have passed.

A LEYTR member, who's also a train driver, recently had a go on a simulator for this very section of line along the ECML we've been discussing. He states verbatim: "How do you find East Coast's punctuality northbound, arriving Peterborough? Do they actually keep to that 45 minute timing? The simulation I've been operating needs to be operated flat out to the line limit all the way but the stickler is the signal regulation down to nearly a stand to cross over the platform upon arrival at Peterborough".

Seasoned ECML train drivers will no doubt have their own opinions. Non-stop in 45 minutes is still an excellent timing though, which despite our misgivings of the past, appears to be maintained fairly regularly. This is something both TOC and Network Rail should be congratulated for - especially with such congestion along the route. Prior to checking out the data, we'd been prepared to write an entry that asked why such a headline-grabbing journey time is advertised when it's effectively impossible.

This is clearly not the case. As a result, Peterborough continues to be considerably closer to London than a number of equally distanced cities and towns from the Capital. It's just a shame southbound trains have up to 10 minutes added to their equivalent journey times. But that is another story!

*UPDATE* From 'Mr Smith': I have a list of the fastest times recorded by the Railway Performance Society but I'm sure there was an element of major speeding involved, especially north of Stevenage to get the recorded times. I didn't realise only 3 trains now are booked to make the headline journey time, averaging 102mph. Virgin Trains make it to Milton Keynes in 30 mins, averaging 100mph. 125mph running starts somewhere near Harrow - about 9 miles out of Euston, whereas East Coast only 115mph is permitted around this distance out from KX; 105mph through Welwyn Tunnels and 125mph from Woolmer Junction.

Taxis everywhere

A local news story caught our attention recently, that is both transport related though not covered by the LEYTR magazine remit. BBC Look North's Yorks & Lincs regional news programme recently ran a story in which they aired taxi drivers' concerns in North East Lincolnshire over the number of cabbies there are working the streets of Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Immingham.

It's one of the smallest unitary authorities in the country and yet NEL Council has issued, by its own admission, a total of 235 active licenses for taxi drivers. Compare this to the 170 issued by Kingston upon Hull City Council, whose urban density is both higher and greater, and you can start to see the sort of problems taxi drivers in Grimsby are complaining of.

I see the taxi as part of the transport solution. Quite frankly, they take over when bus operators and local authorities deem running buses either unprofitable or unnecessary - or both. Often they compliment public transport: I'm thinking of holidaymakers arriving at Cleethorpes and wanting an efficient service to the many holiday parks further along the coast. Lugging your belongings onto a bus is not everyone's idea of a holiday, so many are more than willing to pay a little more for a tailored service.

Taxi drivers also afford people arriving at Grimsby Town station an efficient service, with the town centre's main rank on the forecourt, whereas a 7-8 minute walk is needed to get to the bus station and a potential hour-long wait could be required before a bus turns up, especially during evening periods. Stagecoach provides the worst frequency on Sunday evenings the area has seen for decades now, with some service frequencies conforming to diagram requirements rather than a clockface timetable, as is the case during Mon-Sat evenings. Again, here the taxi is king. And too at 2am when the pubs close and buses do not operate.

The angle not covered by The Beeb was that of the passenger. It's okay to interview someone from NELC who, while agreeing that too many licenses have been issued, refused to revoke any as it would see a livelihood be destroyed, but this would be a different matter if too many taxis in the area cost the council money. As it is they do not. Revenue per licence is received by the council and thereafter no obligation is required. The public, on the other hand, have never had it so good - I would contend that Grimsby and Cleethorpes could now have a greater number of taxis per resident than anywhere else outside London.

Perhaps residents ought to have been interviewed in the piece. Surely positive comments about never having to wait long for a cab to turn up would be heard. Perhaps this didn't fit with the type of report the organisation wanted to film. Taxi drivers imply they'd like to see the number of licenses reduce to just 200 - still thirty more than Hull. Perhaps North East Lincs has always been historically more taxi dependent? Perhaps the rates set by NELC have made travel by taxi more affordable than in other areas of the UK, which has in turn increased passenger numbers which has then required an increase in cabbies to cater for demand.

So far as we can tell, NELC are to issue no further taxi licenses until natural wastage sees the number reduce to the 200 mark. If nothing else, this news should warn aspiring taxi drivers in the area to consider another form of employment - perhaps apply at the local bus depot?