Ministerial changes at DfT

The new Secretary of State for Transport is Geoff Hoon MP. Lord Andrew Adonis becomes Minister for State for Transport with responsibility for National networks (rail and strategic national roads) and for Crossrail. Paul Clark MP is the new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport with responsibility for city and regional networks, local authority transport, buses, cycling, light rail, walking and accessibility. The one continuing minister, who remains at the DfT, is Jim Fitzpatrick, the existing Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, who retains responsibility for aviation, shipping, road safety and London.

First Great Western discount offer

First Great Western is offering a five pound discount on internet and telephone bookings made before 7 November 2008 for single and return rail tickets costing six pounds or more – the offer is limited to the first two hundred thousand customers who register via the internet (‘www.fgw5pounds.co.uk’) or by telephone (084-4556-1380).

Devon County Council buys track bed

Ownership of the rail track bed from Bere Alston to Tavistock is expected to be transferred to Devon County Council before the end of this year.

First Bristol invites customers to ‘Have Your Say’

First Bristol has been reviewing the city services 75/75A (Cribbs Causeway - Hartcliffe), 76 (Hartcliffe - Southmead) and 77 (Hartcliffe - Henbury) – the bus company is proposing to make changes to these important cross-city routes and has invited customer feedback by Friday 24 October (www.firstgroup.com/haveyoursay/bristol’).

New buses for Wilts and Dorset

Wilts and Dorset have announced the purchase of seven new Scania low-floor double-deck buses for use on the important inter-urban route X3 (Bournemouth – Salisbury) at a cost of over one million, one hundred thousand pounds. The new buses will have seventy-six seats with leather headrests and will be fitted with closed circuit television as a standard security feature.

FirstGroup trading update

FirstGroup plc has reported that, for the six months to 30 September 2008, the UK Bus division is ‘performing ahead of expectations’, with like-for-like customer revenue increasing by seven and a half per cent with a rise in passenger volumes as growing numbers of people switch to the bus from other modes of transport.  Like-for-like UK Rail revenue growth for the same period remained strong at just under ten per cent – FirstGroup claims overall rail passenger volumes are growing as a result of the increasing costs of motoring.

Fuel accounts for approximately ten per cent of the total costs for UK Bus and less than five per cent of total costs for UK Rail. FirstGroup is one hundred per cent hedged in respect of its fuel requirement for the remainder of this year at seventy-six dollars per barrel and is ninety per cent hedged at one hundred and eleven dollars per barrel for the year commencing 1 April 2009.

People

John Blackburn, a revenue protection inspector and Steve Clark, a guard have both been shortlisted for the South West Trains ‘Top Customer Service Star’ award – both finalists are based at Bournemouth.

And finally,

The Australian Railroad Group, based in Western Australia, is advertising in South West newspapers for experienced drivers at an annual salary of £52k.