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World views and developments in the rail industry with some focus on retailing and training. Compiled by Railskills. Link: www.railskills.co.uk
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Wednesday, June 19, 2002
RecheLa SNCF sur les rails de l'avenir, par Louis Gallois La SNCF, entreprise publique : il y a un consensus large sur ce sujet. Cela ne veut pas dire que le périmètre de l'entreprise soit en tous points intangible. Au moment où la SNCF prépare son projet pour 2003-2005, j'ai ressenti le besoin que les cheminots puissent intervenir directement à travers un très large débat. Plus de 100 forums vont avoir lieu, réunissant plus de 20 000 cheminots ; des questionnaires écrits seront disponibles pour les 160 000 autres afin de leur permettre d'exprimer leurs préoccupations et surtout de proposer leurs contributions. La SNCF est à un tournant de sa longue et forte histoire. Depuis quelques années, elle s'est engagée à nouveau sur le chemin de la croissance - 30 % de voyageurs en plus en six ans - en menant résolument une politique de volume. Elle exprime une vraie ambition de développement ; le doublement du fret en dix ans en est un exemple. Elle concrétise cette ambition par une forte progression de ses investissements. Elle a su mettre en service, avec succès, le TGV Méditerranée. Partiellement désendettée en 1997, elle a retrouvé ses repères économiques et les bénéfices en 2000 - même si, en 2001, pour des raisons conjoncturelles, elle est retombée dans le rouge. Les embauches ont repris : 40 000 jeunes recrutés depuis 1997. Parallèlement, la SNCF s'est ouverte aux clients, aux régions, mais aussi, plus qu'elle ne le croit elle-même, à l'Europe. Bref, elle a retrouvé une dynamique qu'elle n'avait plus connue depuis longtemps. En même temps, les cheminots sentent que le monde dans lequel ils évoluent change vite. Ils se posent des questions lourdes. L'Europe - et la concurrence - ouvre de nouveaux espaces de développement, mais suscite aussi de vraies craintes. L'avenir du service public est en débat. L'exigence économique et la compétitivité apparaissent dans la vie quotidienne des personnels. Une révolution démographique sans précédent s'engage : plus de la moitié des agents seront renouvelés dans les dix ans à venir. Le management suscite débat : centralisation et cloisonnement excessifs, difficulté d'écoute et de reconnaissance des agents. Enfin, les grèves trop fréquentes minent la confiance des clients ; elles sont de plus en plus mal acceptées par une partie des personnels eux-mêmes, en même temps qu'elles freinent le développement de l'entreprise. Les cheminots vivent mal l'incertitude d'un monde en mouvement ; ils savent que la SNCF est un "lourd paquebot" qui ne change pas de cap facilement. Ils veulent donc des repères. Notre démarche peut les aider à dessiner leur avenir : je sais, par expérience, que lorsqu'on leur demande comment faire progresser une entreprise à laquelle ils sont viscéralement attachés, ils fourmillent d'idées, de propositions et n'hésitent pas à interpeller, parfois avec une certaine rudesse - j'en ai aussi l'expérience - , une hiérarchie et une direction qui doivent savoir les écouter. Cette démarche inédite sera ouverte, sans a priori. Je garantis à tous ceux qui y participeront qu'ils ne le feront pas en vain. Le débat qui s'ouvre ne part pas de nulle part. Des fondations solides existent : ce sont les valeurs communes qui réunissent les cheminots. La première est celle du service public : c'est une part essentielle de la légitimité de la SNCF ; c'est la raison majeure des financements publics que reçoit l'entreprise ; c'est aussi un sujet de très large consensus en France. A travers la régionalisation en province, effective depuis le début 2002, à travers la contractualisation en Ile-de-France, l'entreprise s'engage - c'est un de mes sujets de fierté - dans un renouveau sans précédent de ses missions de service public, avec l'aide et sous l'autorité des régions : nouvelles dessertes, nouveaux matériels, gares rénovées, croissance des trafics - c'est ça qui est désormais l'actualité. Mais le service public n'est plus celui de 1946 : le niveau de vie a changé, des moyens de transports alternatifs sont apparus, de nouveaux besoins aussi ; la France s'est urbanisée. Il faut faire vivre, adapter le service public pour qu'il ne s'étiole pas. La sécurité des circulations est une deuxième référence commune. Que les voyageurs arrivent, sans accident, à bon port, c'est un combat de tous les jours sur lequel tous les cheminots sont mobilisés ; c'est notre honneur et notre premier devoir vis-à-vis de ceux qui se confient à nous. Neuf cents millions de voyageurs ont pris le TGV depuis 1982 sans aucun accident mortel. Derrière cela, il y a des efforts humains et budgétaires considérables, de rudes disciplines et une exceptionnelle compétence professionnelle. La solidarité des cheminots est une troisième valeur fondatrice ; elle peut "déplacer des montagnes". Un seul exemple : lorsque le poste de commandement de la gare Saint-Lazare a brûlé, en quatre heures, les circulations ont été rétablies, en toute sécurité, par des agents de tous grades venus, pour une large part, spontanément, un samedi. Cette solidarité s'exprime aussi dans les conflits. Nous travaillons sur ce sujet actuellement au sein de la SNCF avec les syndicats et les personnels pour que nous passions, ensemble, d'une culture du conflit à une culture du compromis. La solidarité se concrétise, enfin, dans le statut des cheminots. Il n'empêche pas la SNCF de vivre et de progresser. Il est plus souple qu'on ne le croit. Il est la contrepartie du service public et de sa continuité. Cela dit, il doit vivre avec son temps et, pour cela, évoluer : il l'a fait dans le passé ; il aura à le faire dans l'avenir. L'histoire de la SNCF est une référence irremplaçable : c'est un motif de grande fierté pour les personnels ; elle se confond avec l'histoire de la République et explique la relation très affective qui lie l'entreprise et les Français. Il faut la transmettre aux jeunes qui nous rejoignent, car elle leur parle du patrimoine le plus précieux de l'entreprise : dévouement, savoir-faire et compétence des cheminots. Ils y lisent les raisons de nos succès... et de nos échecs. Car cette histoire n'est pas un roman rose. Elle a ses versants ensoleillés et ses côtés plus sombres, mais c'est une grande histoire dont nous avons, à notre tour, la charge. Depuis quelques années, une nouvelle référence rassemble les cheminots : le service des clients. Bien sûr, il y a encore beaucoup de progrès à faire, mais l'objectif est désormais partagé : le service des clients fait partie de l'identité de l'entreprise. La SNCF est une entreprise publique. Il appartient à la collectivité nationale et à ses représentants élus de décider si elle doit le demeurer. Président de la SNCF, je ne peux m'exprimer sur cette question qu'avec réserve, même si j'ai, bien sûr, un point de vue. Dans la récente campagne présidentielle, le caractère public de la SNCF n'a pas fait débat. Il y a donc un consensus large sur ce sujet. Les craintes entretenues sur ce thème sont donc assez vaines. Cela ne veut pas dire que le périmètre de l'entreprise soit en tout point intangible. Là aussi, il faut savoir s'adapter et être pragmatique. Nous l'avons fait dans les années récentes. L'Europe est la nouvelle dimension du chemin de fer. Les frontières disparaissent pour tous les modes de transports, y compris le rail : tout le monde s'en réjouit. Je suis convaincu que la SNCF peut y trouver un formidable espace de développement. Elle a commencé avec Thalys ou Eurostar. Elle ne peut donc être frileuse. Elle doit jouer l'Europe à 100 %, sans complexe. Elle a toutes les armes pour y prendre sa place, au premier rang. Cela me paraît conforme à l'intérêt de notre pays : la SNCF peut être un atout majeur pour la France en Europe. Le 16 mars 2003, le fret ferroviaire international sera ouvert à la concurrence. On ne s'arrêtera pas là. La concurrence intermodale et la concurrence entre entreprises ferroviaires montent. Elles sont liées au marché unique qui se construit au niveau européen. Nous pouvons bien sûr débattre - et nous battre - sur son ampleur, ses modalités, son rythme. Nous devons aussi indiquer ce qu'un monopole exigeant peut apporter au service public en termes de cohérence ou de mobilisation. Mais on ne peut pas jouer l'autruche : le renforcement de notre compétitivité est désormais un objectif incontournable ; le fret notamment doit retrouver l'équilibre d'ici 2005. Une de mes responsabilités est clairement de préparer la SNCF à la concurrence. Nous le faisons et nous continuerons à le faire. Enfin - même si ce n'est pas évident pour tout le monde -, la SNCF doit faire des bénéfices. C'est elle qui finance, sur ses ressources propres, les rames TGV, les rénovations de voitures corail, les gares, les locomotives fret, les ateliers de maintenance de son matériel. Tous ses investissements sont en croissance, parce qu'ils accompagnent le développement de l'entreprise. L'Etat et maintenant les régions font à l'égard du ferroviaire un effort important qui confère des devoirs à la SNCF et ne peut être indéfiniment accru, même si la question de la dette du ferroviaire reste posée. Les financements que la SNCF peut mobiliser pour ses investissements dépendent donc de ses résultats : lorsqu'elle est en perte, comme en 2001, sa capacité de financement se réduit. Seuls des bénéfices ou des ventes d'actifs lui permettront de financer les investissements dont elle a besoin. Faire des bénéfices pour renforcer et améliorer le service que nous rendons, c'est aussi un plus pour le service public. Les débats qui vont se dérouler au sein de la SNCF jusqu'à l'automne n'intéressent pas que les cheminots. La vie d'une grande entreprise aussi essentielle à la vie des Français, aussi ancrée dans l'histoire de notre pays, ne peut laisser personne indifférent. C'est en mesurant cette responsabilité, et en se mettant à l'écoute de leurs concitoyens et de leurs clients, que les cheminots vont, ensemble, préparer l'avenir de leur entreprise. Je souhaite qu'ils le fassent avec un double sentiment : la fierté et la confiance. Louis Gallois est président de la SNCF. Le Figaro.fr : L'humeur des marchés néfaste aux privatisations L'humeur des marchés néfaste aux privatisations Muriel Motte [juin 2002] Bercy va devoir faire preuve de patience. Depuis 10 ans, la Bourse a constitué une généreuse source de financement pour les gouvernements successifs toujours en quête de fonds. Très souvent, les débuts de législature ont constitué les périodes propices aux privatisations. Mais « il est impossible aujourd'hui d'aller contre un marché aussi déprimé », commente un banquier spécialisé de ce genre d'opérations. Il y a quelques semaines seulement, 900 000 actionnaires individuels se sont bousculés pour souscrire des titres ASF, et les investisseurs institutionnels ont souscrit 19 fois la tranche qui leur était réservée. Les actions TMM offertes par l'État ont, elles, été souscrites 4 fois. Mais depuis, les marchés mondiaux se sont enfoncés dans la déprime. Le CAC 40, qui affiche aujourd'hui une chute de 14,5 % depuis janvier, est même retombé hier à son plus bas niveau depuis le 25 septembre dernier. La rentrée de septembre verra-t-elle enfin les marchés émerger de leur dépression ? C'est que l'État détient quelques pépites en réserve : des participations dans sept sociétés du CAC 40, sans oublier Bull, ASF et Air France (voir tableau). Et aussi, une petite vingtaine d'actifs non cotés allant d'EDF à la SNCF en passant par GDF, la Française des Jeux, La Poste, Snecma, la SNPE... Potentiellement, l'État dispose de dizaines de milliards d'euros d'actifs réalisables. Mais, « tout est affaire de choix politique d'abord, de conjoncture générale des marchés ensuite, de positionnement de chaque entreprise dans son secteur enfin », résume un banquier. Seule certitude : bien que matraqué en Bourse, France Télécom demeure le joyau coté de l'État. Sur la base des cours en séance hier, sa participation dans l'opérateur pesait une dizaine de milliards d'euros. Et pourtant le cours de France Télécom s'est effondré de 62 % en 5 mois. A son apogée, il y a deux ans, l'opérateur français cotait même 219 euros (17 euros hier). La conjoncture est probablement meilleure pour Air France, puisque le secteur aérien sort d'un creux de cycle ; même chose pour Thalès, car l'armement a la cote. En ce qui concerne la Snecma, la mauvaise conjoncture avait obligé le gouvernement Jospin a faire marche arrière, mais le retrait de l'État est évoqué depuis longtemps. C'est aussi le cas du Crédit Lyonnais, dont le cours a gagné 15 % depuis janvier. Sans atteindre la valeur de la participation dans France Telecom, Bercy peut tout de même empocher quelques milliards de ces actifs (voir tableau). En rendant au passage service à ces entreprises : à l'exception du CAC 40, les grands indices européens pondèrent les valeurs en fonction de leur flottant, c'est-à-dire des titres effectivement négociables dans le public. Plus il est important, mieux les titres sont représentés, et plus leur cours en profite. C'est aussi de ses actifs non cotés que Bercy espère tirer quelques subsides. La libéralisation des marchés européens de l'énergie met régulièrement les noms d'EDF et de GDF sur le devant de la scène. La valorisation du premier oscille entre 40 et 70 milliards d'euros selon les formules retenues pour le traitement des retraites et le coût du démantèlement des centrales nucléaires qui vont arriver peu à peu au terme de leur cycle. Mais il faut encore modifier les statuts du personnel, ce qui est une opération beaucoup plus sensible chez EDF que chez GDF. Pour les actionnaires, les privatisations se sont dans la grande majorité des cas révélées des opérations gagnantes. Mais les marchés doivent aujourd'hui retrouver le goût du risque. Les privatisations avaient rapporté plus de 12 milliards d'euros au gouvernement Balladur de 1993 à 1995, puis 5,5 milliards à Alain Juppé entre 1995 et 1997, et enfin plus de 27 milliards lors du quinquennat de Lionel Jospin. Record à battre. Hearing on Amtrak Funds Called New Chief Says Shutdown Likely if No Loan Is Offered By Don Phillips Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, June 15, 2002; Page E03 The Senate Appropriations subcommittee on surface transportation yesterday scheduled a hearing for next week to examine Amtrak's precarious financial condition and to grill Bush administration witnesses on what they want to do about it. New Amtrak President David L. Gunn said last week that if the passenger railroad corporation does not get a loan of at least $200 million by the end of the month, he will be forced to begin an orderly shutdown of all Amtrak passenger service in July -- the middle of the summer tourist season. However, Amtrak's auditors have so far failed to certify Amtrak as a "going concern," which makes obtaining a bank loan extremely difficult. The administration and members of Congress are trying to decide whether to guarantee a loan to get Amtrak to Oct. 1, the beginning of the next fiscal year. Congress is considering an appropriation of $1.2 billion to keep Amtrak going through fiscal 2003 while the government debates what to do about passenger trains in the long run. Administration and congressional sources said the government is coming to the realization that Gunn's statement reflects reality and is not just a ploy to squeeze more money from the government. In just a month on the job, Gunn has gained a reputation as a man who does not grandstand and who probably would do exactly what he says if no money is forthcoming. Administration political aides are said to have grown nervous about the possibility that Amtrak might shut down on President Bush's watch -- even if only briefly until emergency funding is found. The subcommittee's chair, Patty Murray (D-Wash.), said the panel will hear Thursday from Gunn and several administration officials, including Federal Railroad Administrator Alan Rutter and Transportation Department Inspector General Kenneth Mead. Senate sources said the committee wants to pin down the administration's position on a loan or a loan guarantee. "We need something from the administration," the source said. "The administration must take this trip with us." The administration has been mulling a longer-range plan for passenger trains for months but so far has not announced it. Times OnlineBusiness Letters BRUSSELS BLAME: We should not be surprised that plans for new rail investment in Britain are being held up by the European commission (Business, last week). The entire disaster story that is Railtrack is ultimately down to the commission, as it was EU directive 91/440 — requiring tracks and signalling to be separated from train operations — that forced John Major’s hand and led directly to the break-up of Britain’s railways and the formation of Railtrack. Thanks again, Brussels. Andy Smith Epsom, Surrey Angola rebuilds Benguela railway By Michael Dynes ANGOLA, which has newly emerged from three decades of civil war, has announced plans to rebuild its 1,000-mile Benguela railway, part of a line which in its colonial heyday linked the east and west coasts of southern Africa. The move has led to hopes that the entire route that ran from the Angolan port of Lobito the Mozambican port city of Beira via Zaire, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, may one day be revived. The civil war, which left almost 500,000 people dead, four million homeless, and destroyed the entire national economy, was officially declared at an end in April after Angola’s Marxist Government and rebels of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita) signed a ceasefire in Luanda. Long stretches of the Benguela railway were blown up or wrecked during the conflict. Unita guerrillas regularly destroyed sections of the route and there has been no maintenance or investment for 30 years. But the Government, flush with revenue from Angola’s vast diamond and oil reserves, is now eager to rebuild it as part of an attempt to revive the country’s war-shattered economy. Construction of the 1,000-mile line began in 1902 after Robert Williams, an Englishman, succeeded in winning a 99-year lease from the Portuguese colonial authorities. The railway was built almost entirely with British capital and was completed in 1928. Built primarily to take large quantities of copper and cobalt from landlocked Zambia and Zaire to world markets, the line was also used extensively by Europeans travelling to such places as Bulawayo and Salisbury, now Harare, because it sliced three days’ travelling time off the alternative route from Cape Town. Almost unique among colonial-era railways, Benguela’s Beyer-Garratt articulated steam locomotives used wood rather than coal and eucalyptus forests had to be planted at regular intervals along the line to provide fuel for the engines. Like most long-distance railways built for hauling minerals, the line was highly profitable until closed by the eruption of the Angolan civil war in 1975. Many of the railway’s steam locomotives and freight and passenger coaches, which included some of the last built in England, were in mint condition when hostilities broke out. Most of the engines have been kept in mothballs since the fighting began. Earlier this year, President dos Santos’s former Marxist Government nationalised the railway after the lease granted to Mr Williams a century ago expired. Rail experts are considering whether the reconstruction and operation of the revived railway should be given to a public-private sector partnership, handed over to the private sector or kept as a state-run service, government officials have confirmed. Regional observers are expressing optimism that the railway’s revival could be the first step in an effort to reconstruct the transcontinental rail network that once linked the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. But it could be many years before the railway is restored to its former colonial-era glory. Winsor's post to be abolished By Ben Webster, Transport Correspondent THE post of Rail Regulator, held by Tom Winsor, is to be abolished and replaced by a regulatory board...Ministers hope the decision will end the adversarial relationship Mr Winsor had with Railtrack in his negotiations over its income and performance. Network Rail, the public interest company created by the Government to replace Railtrack, will welcome the prospect of being regulated by a committee rather than a single-minded individual. The Department for Transport said the board was unlikely to be created before Mr Winsor’s contract ended in July 2004. Mr Winsor said he would expect to be appointed as chairman of the regulatory board if it was established before he left office. Mr Winsor claimed the decision represented a victory for his campaign to keep some form of independent economic regulation of the industry. Last October Stephen Byers, then Transport Secretary, announced that the Rail Regulator would merge with the Strategic Rail Authority. Mr Winsor, backed by the train companies, had said the absence of an independent regulator would leave Railtrack’s successor too much power over the rest of the industry and would deter private investment. Alistair Darling, the Transport Secretary, said the decision to set up a board followed the practice with other regulators covering services such as gas, electricity and post. But Mr Darling indicated further reform could be needed if the board failed to establish a constructive relationship with Network Rail. “Having reviewed the current regulatory regime, the Government proposes to build on the existing board structure of the ORR (Office of the Rail Regulator) by establishing a statutory regulatory board. This is in line with general practice following a Better Regulation Task Force recommendation,” he said. The board is likely to comprise five to seven people and will require primary legislation to be established. Mr Winsor rejected talk last night that his post was being neutered. “This is an acceptance by the Government of the necessity of continued independent economic regulation because if they do not have that then it may prevent private investment in the railway industry,” he said. Mr Winsor accepted he had acquired the highest profile among regulators after a series of public outbursts last year, including a speech accusing Railtrack of carrying round “a begging bowl”. He said: “I am only the best known regulator because I have had the worst performing company.” He said he wanted to stay in the post until his contract ended in 2004 but would not seek a new term. “There is a great deal of work to be done and I want to get on with it. Network Rail is being created, most of the franchises are being renegotiated in the next 18 months and then there is the West Coast Main Line and the issue of vertical integration,” he said. Times Banks line up to back rail deal Dominic O’Connell TAXPAYERS will underwrite Network Rail’s £9 billion takeover of Railtrack through a government pledge to buy back the company’s loans. The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) will this week disclose that it has granted a three-year put option to the nine banks backing Network Rail. It gives the banks the right to sell their loans to the SRA after three years if they have not been paid back by Network Rail. The option will also be triggered if the company goes bust. The SRA guarantee will be revealed when Network Rail, a not-for-profit company, unveils details of its offer to buy Railtrack Group. It will pay £500m to shareholders — £300m of it a separate grant from the SRA. The £9 billion loan will be used to pay off Railtrack debts and provide working capital. On top of the £500m, Railtrack Group will be able to call on the £370m in cash in limbo since administration, on £375m for its Channel tunnel rail link rights, and £50m to £100m in property assets. This should allow shareholders to recoup about 240p a share. Railtrack’s board is expected to recommend the offer to shareholders immediately, and ask for its share to be relisted. Investors vote on the offer in mid-July. The banks backing Network Power are: UBS Warburg, Barclays Capital, WestLB, Royal Bank of Canada, Royal Bank of Scotland, Merrill Lynch, HSBC, Citigroup and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein. Each will lend £1 billion. WestLB had promoted a rival bid for Railtrack under the leadership of company doctor David James. It will formally ditch its plans when the identity of the banking syndicate is confirmed. The nine banks will share an upfront fee of £4m. The loan is “extremely keenly priced”, said sources. The three-year deal is understood to have been done at Libor (the benchmark interbank rate) plus 10 basis points — roughly 5% a year. Online "Throwing stones or other objects can lead to broken trains windows and wind-screens, potentially injuring train staff and passengers." Industry watchdogs want anyone who sees anything suspicious on railway property to report it to the free, 24-hour hotline number on 0800 40 50 40. 46&method=full">icBirmingham - Rail yob crackdown icBirmingham - Sorry, standing room onlySorry, standing room only Jun 18 2002 By Steve Swingler, Evening Mail Fed up passengers today accused rail chiefs of scrapping carriages on one of the city's busiest commuter services, forcing them to stand crushed together on the daily trek home. Conditions on the 5.30pm Central Trains service from Snow Hill to Kidderminster are said to be so bad that regulars have branded it the Sardine Express. Commuter Paul Rubbins, from Kidderminster, said: "It's dreadful. People are crammed in and forced to stand like that for the whole 40 minute journey. "It's very uncomfortable, especially on a hot day. It's just a matter of time before an elderly person or someone of a nervous disposition has a funny turn. I don't know what the train company is playing at. It's a disgrace and everyone is complaining." Phone operator Mr Rubbins said problems started two weeks ago when the summer timetable came into operation. "We always had at least four carriages on the 5.30pm service. But over the last two weeks it's been just three. It's totally inadequate. They're treating us like sardines," he said. But a spokesman for Central Trains denied that any carriages had been cut. "It was booked as a three car service for the winter and that has not changed for the summer. "But obviously we are concerned if people think there is a problem with overcrowding and we will investigate further." Last year public transport co-ordinator Centro criticised Central Trains for not providing enough carriages on some services. A Centro report said commuters being left stranded on station platforms had become an almost daily occurrence because there was no space for them to get on. The report said the lack of carriages had been due to severe problems with the reliability of rolling stock. icBirmingham - Survey boost for rail firmsSurvey boost for rail firms Jun 18 2002 Evening Mail The five rail operators in the Midlands have received a major boost from a new passenger survey which shows a growing confidence among train users. The National Passenger Survey, carried out for the Strategic Rail Authority, quizzed hundreds of travellers at stations across the country on 15 factors that most matter to the public. Passengers were asked to rate aspects of the service as: satisfactory/good, dissatisfied/poor or neither/nor, which included overall satisfaction of journey, value for money and punctuality. Rail operators said the survey underlined that improvements were still needed in the aftermath of the Hatfield rail crash, but the findings were encouraging to the industry. Ged Burgess, spokesman for Central Trains, said: "It has been a dreadful 18 months for the industry but customer satisfaction has remained positive throughout that difficult time and that is encouraging." Pupils from Heartlands High School in Nechells were boarding a train today to highlight rail safety. The journey to Liverpool, which was setting off from Birmingham New Street at 12.48pm, is intended to form part of National Route Crime Week. GB Railways halt takeover talks Jun 18 2002 Train operator GB Railways today said it had terminated all takeover talks as it revealed it was on track to move into profit. GB, which runs the Anglia Railways franchise, has spent several months locked in talks with a number of suitors. Negotiations have centred on either investing in GB, which was rocked by last year's derailment at Hatfield, or buying the group altogether. But today GB said it had called off the talks. Chairman Allen Sheppard explained: "We have terminated discussions with all parties regarding a bid for or investment in the group because, in the view of all directors, the present market price gives a misleadingly low base from which to progress any such talks." GB was rocked by Hatfield, and attributed first-half losses to lost passenger growth on Anglia Railways. Its London to Hull service - Hull Trains - also reported a small loss. The group was then further hit by September 11, as customers postponed trips to London. But today the AIM-listed group reported a reduction in final losses for the year to March 31, from £3.3 million to £1.2 million. The losses were again attributed to Anglia's below par performance but GB said the final figure was better-than-expected because of amendments to its franchise agreement near the year-end. The group received a £3.8 million subsidy from the Strategic Rail Authority and said the franchise would now trade at break even for the rest of the contract. GB also received a £1.9 million settlement from Railtrack during the year. Stripping out subsidiary and premium payments, revenues for the year increased from £68.3 million to £81.4 million. "With the expectation of profits in the current year, continued growth in our two non-franchised businesses and the potential of securing additional franchises, we remain optimistic for the future," Mr Sheppard said. Tuesday, June 18, 2002
Trains minutes from disaster Jun 18 2002 A Birmingham passenger train came within minutes of a head-on crash with another locomotive hurtling towards it on the same track because of a signalling blunder, it emerged yesterday. Virgin's Cross Country Birmingham to Glasgow 0800 Sunday service, which was carrying hundreds of passengers, found itself on the same stretch of track as a regional service from Barrow-in-Furness to Manchester Airport. Due to engineering work about five miles south of Lancaster, only one track was open at the time. Railtrack said a signaller made an error allowing both trains to pass at 1pm on Sunday along the single track, near Bay Horse, Lancashire, at about 50mph but had immediately alerted staff to the problem. As soon as the error was noticed, a stop message was sent out by radio to all trains in the area and the two were never closer than three miles apart, said a Virgin spokesman. An investigation has been launched into what Railtrack yesterday described as a "rare" incident caused by "human error". The company said the problem had been caused by a "signalling irregularity" and action would be taken against anybody found to be responsible for the error if necessary. The Rail Passengers Committee for the West Midlands expressed its concern last night and said it demonstrated total safety could not be guaranteed on the railways. Deputy chairman John Balmforth said: "Obviously June 16, 2002 Firing is easy but hiring will be hard Redundancies offer immediate savings but skimping on training the ‘survivors’ will be costly in the future. Roger Eglin reports JOBSEEKERS can be forgiven for feeling bemused. Late last month the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said recruitment was still one of the biggest challenges facing companies. This conclusion came after the CIPD had surveyed 747 organisations, three-quarters of which said they were having difficulty in finding the right people, a situation that had become worse since last year. More than half the companies also said they were struggling to keep staff. There is nothing odd about this, one might think, except that 10 days later another CIPD survey showed that many companies were planning redundancies. This time, researchers from IRS Research interviewed 563 organisations and nearly half of those that had made redundancies in the past 18 months planned more job cuts. Typical of these is IBM’s decision to cut its workforce by 5%, eliminating 1,000 British jobs. The two surveys, however, are not as contradictory as they seem. The constant state of flux in the economy and the end of the old jobs-for-life culture means that redundancy has become a fact of business life. John Philpott, the CIPD’s chief economist, believes organisations will go on making redundancies, spurred by continuing restructuring (see following Dinner off the menu on Virgin The tradition of fine dining on board trains appears to be slipping away, reports Adrian Quine VIRGIN Trains has scrapped its restaurant cars on the busy West Coast Main Line linking London with Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. Instead, the rail operator’s trains will offer “Hot Stuff”, the on-board shop menu of fast-food meals such as cheeseburgers and paninnis, heated in a microwave. Now the only surviving remnant of the 100-year-old restaurant-car tradition is a cooked breakfast brought to the seats of full-fare first-class passengers on a few peak Monday to Friday morning trains. The dining cars provided three-course meals, with items such as grilled rib steak with wasabi butter, fillet of salmon with nori seaweed and carrot and ginger strudel, accompanied by vintage claret or white burgundy. Meals were freshly cooked and served on china plates, with cutlery laid on starched white linen tablecloths, an institution that survived the Beeching era and the subsequent austere regime of the 1970s. Lee West, a Virgin Trains spokesman, said: “People just don’t require full meals any more. We did provide restaurant cars on some trains but customers weren’t using them. Because we give free snacks to our first-class customers, demand dropped significantly.” A first-class, open return fare from London to Manchester, for example, costs £265, so it is perhaps not surprising that those custom |