On Tue, 19 Jun 2007, Roland Perry wrote:

In message . com, at
03:52:52 on Tue, 19 Jun 2007, Boltar remarked:

The winner of the London Overground concession is MTR Laing according

Sounds like a sensible decision. Why pick people who already have
years of experience running railways when you can pick a building
firm.

But isn't Laing Rail actually Chiltern, and the construction business was
sold off years ago. The Evening Standard in London is apparently saying the
Chinese have won the bid, though. Not sure what that means.

MTR is a Hong Kong company; i guess Hong Kong counts as China, although
saying 'Chinese' certainly suggests the big red bit of China to me. It was
started as a government agency, then partially privatised - the HK
government still owns most of it. Mention has been made of their already
being involved in running other railways outside Hong Kong, but i don't
think this has actually happened yet; they're contracted to build some
lines in China, but haven't successfully completed anything yet.

tom

--
It's the 21st century, man - we rue _minutes_. -- Benjamin Rosenbaum

"Tom Anderson" wrote in message
h.li...

But isn't Laing Rail actually Chiltern, and the construction business was
sold off years ago.

The perils of having a company name that is established in everybody's mind
as being in one market sector, and then selling that off and applying the
name to another completely different sector. See Amstrad - until The
Apprentice I didn't know that Amstrad had their fingers in any other pies
than low-end PC computers.


The Evening Standard in London is apparently saying the Chinese have won
the bid, though. Not sure what that means.

MTR is a Hong Kong company; i guess Hong Kong counts as China, although
saying 'Chinese' certainly suggests the big red bit of China to me. It was
started as a government agency, then partially privatised - the HK
government still owns most of it. Mention has been made of their already
being involved in running other railways outside Hong Kong, but i don't
think this has actually happened yet; they're contracted to build some
lines in China, but haven't successfully completed anything yet.

How long will it be before *every* bit of British life is run by overseas
finance and management. Are there going to be *any* companies in Britain
that are still British? Is it a two-way process: are there any transport or
utility companies elsewhere in the world that are owned by British
companies, or is it all one-sided?

Mortimer wrote:
"Tom Anderson" wrote in message
h.li...

But isn't Laing Rail actually Chiltern, and the construction business was
sold off years ago.

The perils of having a company name that is established in everybody's mind
as being in one market sector, and then selling that off and applying the
name to another completely different sector. See Amstrad - until The
Apprentice I didn't know that Amstrad had their fingers in any other pies
than low-end PC computers.


The Evening Standard in London is apparently saying the Chinese have won
the bid, though. Not sure what that means.
MTR is a Hong Kong company; i guess Hong Kong counts as China, although
saying 'Chinese' certainly suggests the big red bit of China to me. It was
started as a government agency, then partially privatised - the HK
government still owns most of it. Mention has been made of their already
being involved in running other railways outside Hong Kong, but i don't
think this has actually happened yet; they're contracted to build some
lines in China, but haven't successfully completed anything yet.

How long will it be before *every* bit of British life is run by overseas
finance and management. Are there going to be *any* companies in Britain
that are still British? Is it a two-way process: are there any transport or
utility companies elsewhere in the world that are owned by British
companies, or is it all one-sided?



Senor Arriva is quite active in bus and rail on the continent
First have just bought Greyhound in America and have a lot of School Bus
contracts in the US
Stagecoach are establishing Megabus in America and own Coach USA

Mortimer wrote:
"Tom Anderson" wrote in message
h.li...

But isn't Laing Rail actually Chiltern, and the construction business was
sold off years ago.

The perils of having a company name that is established in everybody's mind
as being in one market sector, and then selling that off and applying the
name to another completely different sector. See Amstrad - until The
Apprentice I didn't know that Amstrad had their fingers in any other pies
than low-end PC computers.


The Evening Standard in London is apparently saying the Chinese have won
the bid, though. Not sure what that means.
MTR is a Hong Kong company; i guess Hong Kong counts as China, although
saying 'Chinese' certainly suggests the big red bit of China to me. It was
started as a government agency, then partially privatised - the HK
government still owns most of it. Mention has been made of their already
being involved in running other railways outside Hong Kong, but i don't
think this has actually happened yet; they're contracted to build some
lines in China, but haven't successfully completed anything yet.

How long will it be before *every* bit of British life is run by overseas
finance and management. Are there going to be *any* companies in Britain
that are still British? Is it a two-way process: are there any transport or
utility companies elsewhere in the world that are owned by British
companies, or is it all one-sided?

Arriva have franchises/operating concessions/etc in the Netherlands,
Germany, Denmark and perhaps soon Poland. Angel Trains lease stock
across Europe.

FirstGroup have overseas activities in the USA, National Express Group
crop up in North America, Portugal and Australia.

Where do Serco live? They've just got the Dubai metro operating contract.
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message . com, at
03:52:52 on Tue, 19 Jun 2007, Boltar remarked:
The winner of the London Overground concession is MTR Laing according

Sounds like a sensible decision. Why pick people who already have
years of experience running railways when you can pick a building
firm.

But isn't Laing Rail actually Chiltern, and the construction business was
sold off years ago. The Evening Standard in London is apparently saying
the Chinese have won the bid, though. Not sure what that means.

I looked up Laing's site earlier, and Laing Rail is only a small part of
what they do, and as you say they don't seem to describe themselves as in
construction at all, much more infastructure project management and
operators. I guess they must subcontract any actual building work, I don't
think they actually built any of the Evergreen project on the Chiltern lines
for instance. There is also a Laing Homes - but I can't see any connection
with them at all.

Paul

On Tue, 19 Jun 2007 03:52:52 -0700, Boltar
wrote:

On 19 Jun, 10:09, Paul Corfield wrote:
The winner of the London Overground concession is MTR Laing according

Sounds like a sensible decision. Why pick people who already have
years of experience running railways when you can pick a building
firm.

I would say it is an eminently sensible decision. I appreciate you are
universally cynical about everything to do with London's transport but I
think it is misplaced on this occasion. Chiltern (laing Rail) seem to be
one of the better franchise operators and are prepared to invest
independently when they have time for a payback.

Having used MTR many, many times in Hong Kong with no delays whatsoever
for any reason within their control (I had 1 delay of less than 5 mins
because someone trespassed on the track) I consider them to be an
exceptional operation. If they can transfer even 50% of their knowledge
and operational skill then we will see a vast improvement. I am sure
they are aiming to achieve far more than that as this will be a showcase
for other expansion bids so they will want to make Overground work. I
think TfL will also wish to make sure they succeed as they will want to
use this concession as a basis for comparison with other TOCs and to
strengthen TfL's hand in increasing its influence over other rail
operations around London.
--
Paul C

Paul Scott wrote:
"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message . com, at
03:52:52 on Tue, 19 Jun 2007, Boltar remarked:
The winner of the London Overground concession is MTR Laing according
Sounds like a sensible decision. Why pick people who already have
years of experience running railways when you can pick a building
firm.
But isn't Laing Rail actually Chiltern, and the construction business was
sold off years ago. The Evening Standard in London is apparently saying
the Chinese have won the bid, though. Not sure what that means.

I looked up Laing's site earlier, and Laing Rail is only a small part of
what they do, and as you say they don't seem to describe themselves as in
construction at all, much more infastructure project management and
operators. I guess they must subcontract any actual building work, I don't
think they actually built any of the Evergreen project on the Chiltern lines
for instance. There is also a Laing Homes - but I can't see any connection
with them at all.

Paul



Laing-OBrouke (may be spelt wrong) are currently building a huge gas
main across Devon

In message , Barry Salter
writes
5. London Overground services will be featured on the world famous
tube map from November.

I think this risks making the map, famous for its simplicity, cluttered.
But then it survived the arrival of the DLR and in any case the NLL has
been on most versions for many years, I suppose.

--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

On 19 Jun, 22:45, Ian Jelf wrote:
In message , Barry Salter
writes

5. London Overground services will be featured on the world famous
tube map from November.

I think this risks making the map, famous for its simplicity, cluttered.
But then it survived the arrival of the DLR and in any case the NLL has
been on most versions for many years, I suppose.

--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of Englandhttp://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

You might want to have a look he
http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/pdf/tube_map2010.pdf

I just hope that the Bakerloo will be re-extended and that the London
Overground appears from the map there.

On 19 Jun, 17:26, "Mortimer" wrote:
"Tom Anderson" wrote in message

h.li...

But isn't Laing Rail actually Chiltern, and the construction business was
sold off years ago.

The perils of having a company name that is established in everybody's mind
as being in one market sector, and then selling that off and applying the
name to another completely different sector. See Amstrad - until The
Apprentice I didn't know that Amstrad had their fingers in any other pies
than low-end PC computers.

You mean you don't remember their bloody awful "hi-fi" systems from
the 80s? If it was the 1980s and it was a bit of cheap-n-nasty
consumer electronics , then more often than not it had an Amstrad
badge. The only exception was their CPC home computer systems which
were well built bits of kit (I know cos I had one - and it still
works).

B2003