On Sat, 16 Dec 2006 02:50:31 +0000, Tom Anderson
wrote:

On Fri, 15 Dec 2006, Dave Arquati wrote:

Boltar wrote:
Paul Corfield wrote:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/press-cent...t.asp?prID=984

"Transport for London (TfL) has announced that MTR Laing and Go-Via
have been selected to submit a 'best and final offer' for the contract
to run London Overground services on the integrated North and East
London Railways, under the management of TfL."

Why can't TfL just run it themselves? Why does it have to be sub
contracted out?

Why should they run it themselves? Doing so would be unlikely to bring many
benefits. The concession approach is similar to the running of the DLR, which
has a phenomenal track record, and it allows a performance incentive and
penalty regime to be installed so that the concessionnaire is continually
motivated in the right direction. You'd be unlikely to get that sort of drive
if TfL ran it themselves.

I think I can guess what the response to this will be.

Because, as we well know, everyone who works for TfL is an incompetent,
unprofessional, disinterested jobsworth who has no interest in actually
providing a decent service to the public.

waves

Oh, no, hang on a minute ...

What did I just do?

Pity there wasn't a bit more vision and willpower with the ELL.

If, in the 1980s, someone had asked for £1.5bn to build a 40km light
railway network throughout the derelict docklands of East London, they
would have been laughed out of the Treasury - but by 2012, that will be
the investment in and scale of the DLR.

Three cheers for the DLR! And one day, possibly, three car trains!

I used it the other evening from Bank and was a bit surprised how busy
it was with people heading away from Bank. I expected it to be busier
coming into Bank but I suppose with too large centres of economic
activity it makes sense that there will be heavy flows each way. Even
later at 21.30 trains to Lewisham were standing room only.

The service was fine but the trains seemed to be jerkier and to sway
more on the tracks than I recall.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!