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It's still a sea of old-Rail Blue when it comes to TOC MDs
Odd as it may seem, I never get asked for updates on Network Rail's funding plans or the latest on the revised Network Code. But when it comes to the ‘Who run's the TOCs' analysis, there has been a growing number of quite pointed reminders that the 2004 update is now well overdue.
Well, here it is. In the columnar spirit of continuous improvement (not to mention just in time: Ed) there have been some changes. Click to view TOC MD 2004 (in Excel) or Who runs the TOCs2004 (as png ).
Reading from left to right we now have the Directors responsible for rail in the owning groups. A new column gives the name of the original buyer of the franchise; and replacement franchises are colour coded, as are the brand new franchises.
At the same time a new category of Defunct franchises has been introduced: effectively the dustbin of history. As I was collating the 70 footnotes – on the basis that Northern was imminent, the news came through that it wasn't. So apologies to Heidi Mottram, Richard Peck and Dyan Crowther if the status quo still rules when this appears in print.
What do we see? Well, the big news is the Invasion of the Gricer Women. Five of the 24 TOCs have women at their head.
This suggests that the glass ceiling has been well and truly broken. The only concern is that experience in the financial sector suggests that women break through just in time to take the plunge over the glass precipice as business goes pear shaped. This could happen in the passenger railway unless the TOCs can reverse the current climb in impact minutes.
This year also marks the eclipse of the bus bandits. Last year there were three MDS with a bus industry background, this year David Stretch at Gatwick Express is the only one. On the other hand the number of MDs with a State Railway background has increased by one to 19 thanks to the arrival of Patrick Verwer from Ned Railways at Merseyrail.
Next year, I must think up a better category title than ‘New entrant' since the four listed have been in the railway for some time now. And a special commendation for Christopher Garnett who, enthusiasm and drive undiminished, is now the longest serving TOC MD and deserves a category of his own - new railway, perhaps?
It is also instructive to look at the origins of those responsible for rail in the owning groups.
Of the big battalions three are headed by former BR executives while Keith Ludeman of Go-ahead, which he describes as a bus group running trains, seems more old-railway every time I meet him. David Benson has extensive transport experience while Tony Collins comes from train building. Jeremy Long, of course, went through an accelerated hands-on railway management course at GB Railways.
So, predominantly, the railwaymen and railway women continue to run the railway, which is probably seen as a bad thing from the Government's dogmatic point of view. This column, of course, takes the opposite view, while cheering on the newcomers and bus bandits who have stayed the course and are now thoroughly assimilated. They all face a tough time ahead.
Finally, the fact that there were no updates in 2001 and 2002 means that the contributions of several good eggs are not recognised. If anyone would like to add the two missing columns as a labour of love, e-mail me at eraf@dial.pipex.com and I will send you a copy of the spreadsheet to play with. But be warned: it is both addictive and finicky work.
