First Group - General

[whole diary]

[John R]

The contractors screwed up at Rugby. I don't hear anyone saying "never mind Network Rail, not your fault you chose contractors who weren't up to the job" (or financially sound in FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s case.)

I'm looking forward to seeing the punctuality and reliability figures for the latest four week period...... 

[Chris from Nailsea]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) management if you are reading this you are welcome to post here too 

Any takers ... ? 

[Chris from Nailsea]

On the other hand, Insider is back !!!  See http://indefenceoffirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2008/01/oh-dear-oh-dear.html 

[smokey]

Contractors, give me strength if there were some bad ideas from the consultants who put the Package together to break up BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)), passing everything over to Contractors really was a bad idea.

Anybody got a copy of Rail issue 476 dated Dec 10 2003 on page 59, theres a letter that is mind blowing about contractors.
It states it cost the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s over ^100 just to get a single light repaired, much more on platforms.

I was at Exeter St David about a year ago and a Painter was painting a door in FGW^▸ (First Great Western) colours and he was taking time to do a good job, I passed comment that it was UNUSUAL to see such care taken by contractors, his reply was he worked for FGW, so if painters are in house  i think its time for more inhouse work.

I've got photographs of a waiting shelter on a FGW Station where the shelter was replaced with one with lights in it.
To install power Contractors came down and installed a duct from the nearest lampost to the leg of the shelter.
As they had gone to the wrong leg they were sent back to install a 2nd duct from the lampost on the other side of the shelter to the nearest leg.
They came back a 3rd time to install a duct from the lamp post to the correct leg of the shelter (the one with a removable cover).
So by acting the goat the contractors got paid 3 times for the same job.

What about Railtrack, they paid tens of thousands for a fence to be put up, it was a nice job, but a few weeks later the whole fence was nicked, so Railtrack sent the fencing firm back to install the fence again.
Couple of months later the fence was nicked again, this time however Railtrack had installed CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele-Vision) and found the installing company had stolen the fence.

Think on this:
For in-house workers the cost of work is kept in the minimun of cost, both Material and Labour.
For contracters the cost of work is as great and takes as long as they can get away with.
In both cases your jobs depend on it!
 

How many people realise that BR was spilt up and the Staff transfered to over 1000 companies, yes a Thousand companies.

[Timmer]

How many people realise that BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) was spilt up and the Staff transfered to over 1000 companies, yes a Thousand companies.

Yes I think ive heard that said somewhere before. I know some people have made a lot of money out of the break up of the railways but that could also be said of the NHS, local councils, road network...the list goes on.