Apparently Britain is missing 6,500 million pennies. That’s £65 million. This, while the Royal Mint are designing a new penny to be introduced in the coming year. The portcullis does not represent ‘modern Britain’ any more [like it did in 1971?]. I wonder what we’ll get instead? A white shell-suit? A pimped-up car? A Sky dish? No, what about a big M for McDonalds?
I can account for at least 650 which are sitting in my house.
FGW boss Alison Forster said in an announcement on 20 April that:
Customers will see real benefits soon
I dread to think of the reality of the benefits FGW will offer. Not to travel by train perhaps? She also said that last year was an “enormous challenge” for the rail company. How hard is it to continue to run a rail service that was running relatively well and improving before they took it over?! It’s not a flippin’ space programme!
Here are parliamentary written answers to questions about the 1000 extra carriages promised by the government (at some point), posed by my MP Robert Key. Published on 24 April 2007.
Q: Robert Key (Salisbury, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the additional 1,000 new railway carriages recently announced will be allocated to operating companies; and if he will make a statement.
A: Tom Harris (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport)
It is too early to say where precisely the additional rolling stock will be used. The deployment of new rolling stock will be agreed with the industry following the publication of the High Level Output Specification and the long term rail strategy this summer, in accordance with the Periodic Review timetable set out in the Office of Rail Regulation’s advice to Ministers published in February 2007.
…So does that mean, seasonally adjusted, after the 1000 new carriages are distributed about the place we’ll have fewer trains than we started with?
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This is what our First Great Western ‘consumer champion’ Charles Howeson had to say about the company:
The company has recognised the problems experienced by its customers and is working hard to address those within its control, however, unfortunately, many are not of its making, and in addition it has to cope with some unique difficulties associated with our region’s infrastructure.
Does this sound exactly like the story FGW’s executive spin us? Sadly so. He also makes a distinction between “customers and stakeholders.” That says a lot. I can already see the ghost of I.K. Brunel with his head in his hands.
I have recently returned from the USA. While I was there I wanted to find out how many miles I had travelled. I duly went to Google Maps and found out: approximately 3,500 miles between Salisbury (home) and New Jersey (first port of call). What I didn’t expect were the precise directions:
12. Slight left at Portsmouth – Le Havre (111 miles)
13. Swim across the Atlantic Ocean (3,462 miles)
14. Turn left at Long Wharf…
This article discusses the problems with transport links within Wiltshire and the reduction in services (7387 fewer passengers to be served by 2008 – and this is written into the franchise). In addition there will be no future support for services linking Westbury and Salisbury and this, in addition to the already severely cut, almost non-existent services between Salisbury and Swindon. Here is my response to the article. I argue that with Wiltshire wanting to become a unitary authority, they must take some responsibility for the transport infrastructure.
Wiltshire County Council are in a bid to become a unitary authority. How can this county function as a whole when it is so difficult to get from one end to another? Better transport links will improve the local economy, attract business to the county and relieve pressure on the already over-crowded roads. My sister lives in Chippenham and I live in Salisbury. I can get one direct train there a day and none back. How is this be acceptable in this day and age? With county services already moving from Trowbridge to Chippenham it is even more important that links between north and south are improved. The government and FGW need to address the TransWilts problem immediately.
I am most disappointed at the tone and essence of the response received to the petition made to 10 Downing Street regarding the drastic cuts made by First Great Western to services in the Wessex region. It was empty of even hypothetical commitment to this regional service. The response was received 30 March.
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