The Steam Ban around York

Has to be said, if NR spent a bit more time with lineside vegetation clearance, much of this would not have happened.

How many times does the ECML stop due to tree branches, close by debris etc..., getting attached to the knitting, in high winds, speed limits etc...the blame for that falls squarely at his door.

As Fred Kerr posts quite rightly, the Yorkshire Towns and Cities being hit hardest by his attempts to stop steam, are now cottoning on to the story, with the inevitable consequences.

1 way ticket to South Africa required??????

 

I don't know all of the ins and outs of the West Coast and NR NE issues but Clan Line's run yesterday, when often worked very hard with such a big load, surely underlines that, if similar weather conditions prevail in the North East around York, then the problem preventing steam running up there surely cannot be related to fire risk! I guess it will all come out in good time, but those suffering zero steam just now have a right to expect those who can sort it out, to do so quickly. It really seems to have dragged on for too long. If I have a major issue in my office we call in the key parties, sit around the table, and thrash the issues out. Is there any evidence that this is happening up North?

Nick

PS I also posted this on the British Pullman section.

 

Basically what MarkinDurham said #97.

 

Posts #94 to 100 seem to be missing.

 

There for me on page 5.

 

Does NR York area cover the Line to Whitby? as it is in Yorkshire, if so why are they being allowed to run steam on NR rails
Double standards springs to mind here

 

The "no steam"dispute is said to be between WCRC and NR, no other TOC is involved,and I think the NYMR are their own TOC so to speak? Not WCRC anyway.

 

It should be remembered that within NR there are many who would like to see steam eradicated, or at least restricted to routes with few other trains. They have good reason. NR is persistently failing to meet punctuality targets and they are having to take the flack. Steam jolly days out that end up delaying other services, cause havoc to the timetable and encourage camera carrying trespassers are something they could very much do with out.

 

Ha, ha, ha. There are plenty of routes that see no steam but where punctuality is appalling.

 

What a totally negative posting. Steam has been running on the mainline in preservation since 1971 - who can ever forget the return of the Bulmers train and King George V - magical. That is 43 years and there is now more steam than anyone could have imagined on the mainline. Steam mainline charters are part and parcel of the modern day railway and will be for years to come and so attempts like this to talk down mainline steam like this and suggest that many at Network Rail would like to see it "eradicated" is appalling and untrue. The majority of NR divisions welcome steam and rightly so.

Nick

 

What a daft post. NR are given a massive subsidy by the UK taxpayer to run the rail infrastructure,and are providing paths for charter trains,steam-hauled or otherwise,is a tiny part of what they are paid to do. Have you any evidence at all that steam hauled trains break down more often than other trains? It was a freight train that broke down at Reading last week causing hours of chaos,perhaps it would be a good idea to "eradicate" freight trains as well? The number of minutes delay caused by failed steam trains must be infinitesimal compared with delays such as dewirements on the ECML,and other train failures.

 

A more pertinent question to ask is: Are NR regions totally autonomous? Since WCRC are able to run steam out of Preston / Carnforth is it acceptable for NR national Manager (Mark Carne) to allow local route managers to manage thier areas like feudal feifdoms. Surely time for some some talking to by the Senior bosses. I would suggest Toto Wolff but he's a bit busy with his own internecine strife at present.

 

But part of the art of delegation is deciding when to let things run and when to jump in. This is an open access system in which, like it or not, accredited TOC services which are fit to run in pre agreed slots are allowed to do so and it is part of NR's mission to facilitate that. So, if there has been a breakdown of trust at local level, crystallised in a dispute which cannot be sorted at that level, it needs to be sorted at another level. Otherwise they'll both end up in front of the ORR and that won't be good news for anybody.

 

What are the legal implications of the "free/open access" which are being implicated? Surely some law/contract is being broken.
If that is the case then surely NR, or even this manager bloke involved should be taken to court.

 

There's delegating and there's delegating. If said area manager has managed to cock things up royally then time for senior management to step in.