Great British Railways: Thoughts, predictions, speculation

[Philip]

Union talks concluded for now , no official updates, no leaks from trusted sources, all speculation not worthy of mentioning.

1 item of note, cuts or ‘modernisation’ at NR will apply to all departments not only maintenance division.

It's all pie in the sky at this point. Job cuts have been murmured on and off since the McNulty report 10 years ago. I think the RMT are just flexing their muscles against the bosses here.

 

[D365]

So I am presuming, that it is his job to be getting GBR off the ground to be able to take over running from Network Rail at some point in the future?

Not sure what you mean with ”take over running”, surely Network Rail will just become the infrastructure division of GBR.

 

[popeter45]

sounds like alot of name/domain squating is happening right now

 

[RobShipway]

Not sure what you mean with ”take over running”, surely Network Rail will just become the infrastructure division of GBR.

Maybe, but experience in other areas has shown me that would should be a simply change, comes with complications!

Look at the fiasco that was had when Railtrack took over from British Rail on doing Infrastructure work and the trains went to the TOCs.

 

[Trainer2]

It's all pie in the sky at this point. Job cuts have been murmured on and off since the McNulty report 10 years ago. I think the RMT are just flexing their muscles against the bosses here.

I do not share your point of view.

Job cuts are coming, it is now a question of how many.

 

[D365]

Look at the fiasco that was had when Railtrack took over from British Rail on doing Infrastructure work and the trains went to the TOCs.

Rolling stock never went to the TOCs Railtrack was before my time so can’t comment on that.

 

[RobShipway]

Rolling stock never went to the TOCs Railtrack was before my time so can’t comment on that.

Not in regards to ownership, the stock did not go to the TOC's, but did in the form of usage it did. Many TOC's at the time seem to not have enough staff to be operating said trains, which was strange as there was enough in the days of BR. I am suspecting that we will have a similar saga with the change from Network Rail to GBR and I am that thought does not include the redundancies that are likely to be made in the process.

 

[Annetts key]

When Network Rail took over from Railtrack, Network Rail Ltd bought Railtrack PLC including all the assets and debts of that company. Note that Railtrack Group PLC (which owned Railtrack PLC) was not wound up by the courts, but instead changed name to RT Group PLC. It decided to sell off all its assets and went into voluntary administration. Railtrack PLC having gone into administration via a court order. But nearly all of the staff who actually maintained the infrastructure where employees of contractors.

Throughout the process, the railway infrastructure and maintenance continued as normal. Obviously some renewals and infrastructure improvement works/projects were affected.

When Great British Railways takes over, I would expect a seamless transfer if indeed that is what happens. But more likely, is that either a new holding company will be formed and then take control of Network Rail Limited (which in turn controls Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd via a holding company) or they will just change the company names.

Will there be a reduction of staff and therefore be redundancies? I think it’s far to early to tell. On the infrastructure (maintenance and capital) side, by that time, I think no. Because the reduction of staff will happen while Network Rail exists in its current form.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Will this new company have any interest in those controlling bodies who took over different aspects of BRB (Residuary) Ltd in 2013?

 

[JamesT]

There is an entertaining set of letters at https://www.brokenmind.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/railtrack.pdf also published as “Railtrack and other letters”. An enterprising person noticed the transition of Railtrack to Network Rail allowed for a new company to be registered with that name. They then sent many rude responses to people who didn’t realise the difference.

 

[Annetts key]

There is an entertaining set of letters at https://www.brokenmind.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/railtrack.pdf also published as “Railtrack and other letters”. An enterprising person noticed the transition of Railtrack to Network Rail allowed for a new company to be registered with that name. They then sent many rude responses to people who didn’t realise the difference.

Hmm, the name of the company that owns the infrastructure was Railtrack PLC, which was owned by Railtrack Group PLC. When Network Rail Limited bought Railtrack PLC, they changed the name to Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd. See here (look at the bottom of the page).
After the courts put Railtrack PLC into administration, Railtrack Group PLC changed its name to RT Group PLC.

So yes, if you searched for Railtrack... and then contacted Railtrack Ltd you deserve to have your leg pulled

 

[Highlandspring]

I wonder what will become of Network Rail Consulting, the international railway consultancy subsidiary?