Department for Transport establishes ‘in-house’ rolling stock leasing company

The Department for Transport (DfT) has established a publicly-owned rolling stock leasing company, Diesel Trains Limited, to procure the two hundred and two new carriages for the First Great Western, Northern and TransPennine franchises – the DfT is currently evaluating three bids for the supply of the new carriages, which are expected to enter service from 2011. The DfT stated that it had decided to form the new company due to the current economic recession and the unwillingness of rolling stock leasing companies to purchase large numbers of new diesel trains given the expectation of a rapid expansion in the electrified rail network. The DfT has also stated that it does not expect to be a ‘long-term player’ in the rolling stock leasing market and will look to sell the new company at an appropriate time.

Government to review urban transport policy

The Government has decided to review its approach to urban transport policy, as a result of a lack of bids for monies from Transport Innovation Fund, which involves the introduction of congestion charging – officials from the strategy unit of the Cabinet Office and from the Department for Transport have commenced work on a revised transport ‘offer’ for the large metropolitan areas outside London, which have less power and fewer resources than the capital.

Government office responds to LTP2 Mid-Term Progress Reviews

The Department for Transport (DfT) has just published letters sent by the Government Office for the South West on 31 December 2008 to each strategic transport authority in the region responding to the Local Transport Plan Two mid-term progress reviews, submitted earlier last year – the letters are available on the DfT website at ‘www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/ltp/ltp2/southwest/’.

Fraser Eagle enters administration

Fraser Eagle, the coach operator and rail replacement road service provider, entered administration on March 10 – the company’s remaining one hundred and twenty employees were immediately made redundant. Several small independent coach operators had complained in recent months about unacceptable delays in payment for sub-contracted work – some companies had stopped undertaking work for Fraser Eagle. Some activities of the group have already been transferred to a new company, Connect Point UK, whose sole director is Kevin Dean, the managing director of Fraser Eagle.

People (1)

Alison Forster, the safety and performance director (UK Rail) of FirstGroup and the former managing director of First Great Western, is to leave the company to ‘pursue other interests’.

People (2)

Nigel Blackler has been appointed head of transportation for the new unitary Cornwall Council, while Alan Feist will join the new unitary Wiltshire Council as director of sustainable transport – both appointments commence on 1 April 2009 when the two new unitary councils replace twelve existing local authorities.

And finally,

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has published the railway station usage data for the year ended 31 March 2008 – Coombe Junction Halt, on the railway line between Liskeard and Looe, is no longer Britain’s least-used station with the number of customers increasing from 32 to 2006/7 to 54 in 2007/8!