Track quality

[David B]

If anyone ever complains about poor running at a show, tell them it is accurately reflecting reality. See this article:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-68009661

[Terry Bendall]

The sad thing is that Network Rail have to bring in external consultants to find out what is wrong.

"Rob Cairns from Network Rail said: "We've already brought in external experts to help us get to the bottom of the issues delaying trains, and we have plans in place to improve the service for passengers.""

In the days of BR they had the experts who had accumulated years of experience on all the aspects of running a railway so no need for anyone else.

As my son is fond of saying "This is why the railways cost so much to run."

Terry Bendall

[Hardwicke]

In the days of BR they had the experts who had accumulated years of experience on all the aspects of running a railway so no need for anyone else.

As my son is fond of saying "This is why the railways cost so much to run."

Terry Bendall[/quote]

Exactly
And the NHS, roads, housing, etc. . Everyone wants a profit margin.

[Hardwicke]

If anyone ever complains about poor running at a show, tell them it is accurately reflecting reality. See this article:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-68009661

Morning Joan.
"Eleven minutes late, signal failure at Vauxhall."
"Eleven minutes late, somebody had stolen the lines at Surbiton."
"Twenty-two minutes late, escaped puma, Chessington North."

With apologies to the late (pun intended) David Nobbs and Leonard Rossiter.

[grovenor-2685]

The sad thing is that Network Rail have to bring in external consultants to find out what is wrong.

And that is what is wrong, but not what the consultants will tell them.

[zebedeesknees]

Yeah, bring back the Good Old Days:- shovelling coal underpayed, overworked, jobs for (shorter) life...

Ted.

[bécasse]

The sad thing is that Network Rail have to bring in external consultants to find out what is wrong.

"Rob Cairns from Network Rail said: "We've already brought in external experts to help us get to the bottom of the issues delaying trains, and we have plans in place to improve the service for passengers.""

They didn't need to bring in external experts, they just needed to look in a mirror.

[Tony Wilkins]

Many years ago my Father's company bought in a team of consultants. He was in charge of the purchasing office at the time. When the consultants arrived at his office and began asking him questions about how his office functioned, my Father said to them, "so you want me to explain how this business runs, so you can write an expensive report using my ideas and take the credit" and promptly threw them out of his office.
Regards
Tony.

[hollybeau]

This was very prevalent in local government towards the end of my time there. We had a saying, "I lend you my watch and you tell me the time"

Bryan

[billb]

"Rob Cairns from Network Rail said: "We've already brought in external experts to help us get to the bottom of the issues delaying trains, and we have plans in place to improve the service for passengers.""
Terry Bendall

Aren't such "consultants" retired Network Rail engineers?

[Hardwicke]

Not just in government. Northern Rubber (of Alan Peglar fame), brought in new consuntants who promptly threw all the recipies for the oroducts away. I know one member of the workforce told them not to. Shortly after the "new" rubber failed in the machines and had to be cleaned out. An expensive mistake.

[Will L]

This was very prevalent in local government towards the end of my time there. We had a saying, "I lend you my watch and you tell me the time"

Said in many place where consultants were employed and often with some truth. However as one who earned his crust for some years being a consultant, we also came across people apparently unable or unwilling to read their own watch.

[zebedeesknees]

A regular saying in our house is "Technology giveth, and technology taketh away"...

Ted.

[martin goodall]

If you read Private Eye, you will be aware of numerous examples of the government wasting millions of pounds on engaging consultants.

Outsourcing in all its forms, not just consultancy but other services as well, is hugely expensive and gives poor results in many cases.

I appreciate that in 'the good old days' the railways did use outside contractors, both in the original construction of lines, and (in some cases) in designing and installing new signalling equipment. They also put the construction of new locomotives and rolling stock out to contract from time to time (usually at times when their own works were fully stretched with their existing workloads), but they did this sparingly, and kept such arrangements under strict supervision and control.

The railways need to be re-integrated (i.e. 'vertical integration'), so that the ownership, operation and maintenance of every part of the system is under their direct ownership, management and control, including all track and infrastructure, signalling, locomotives and other rolling stock, in fact the whole thing from top to bottom.

[Paul Willis]

This was very prevalent in local government towards the end of my time there. We had a saying, "I lend you my watch and you tell me the time"

Said in many place where consultants were employed and often with some truth. However as one who earned his crust for some years being a consultant, we also came across people apparently unable or unwilling to read their own watch.

This...

I've been a consultant where the primary function is to give management cover to make changes that they didn't want to be seen to have initiating themselves

Best,
Paul

[Hardwicke]

I always remember the National Railway Museum payimg £60,000 to consultants to decide whether to streamline Duchess of Hamilton. Just think of all the good railway causes I could have helped with that money and come to the same conclusion as the consultants

[Julian Roberts]

https://www.youtube.com/live/XizfihKZTg ... AwF_HK0tgl

Tonight's RailNatter is about these GWR figures.

Capturenatter.PNG

[Stephan.wintner]

This was very prevalent in local government towards the end of my time there. We had a saying, "I lend you my watch and you tell me the time"

Said in many place where consultants were employed and often with some truth. However as one who earned his crust for some years being a consultant, we also came across people apparently unable or unwilling to read their own watch.

In my own experience (aerospace engineering) I've also seen very mixed results from outside consulting Will. Some definitely were there to make a dime and added nothing. Others were great, giving good feedback. Having a fresh set of eyes on something can be crucial to questioning the right things. At others, it's a waste, it simply becomes explaining the things that are already working well. Depended very much on details of all the involved parties personalities, their expertise, and the problem.

Stephan

[Paul Willis]

This was very prevalent in local government towards the end of my time there. We had a saying, "I lend you my watch and you tell me the time"

Said in many place where consultants were employed and often with some truth. However as one who earned his crust for some years being a consultant, we also came across people apparently unable or unwilling to read their own watch.

In my own experience (aerospace engineering) I've also seen very mixed results from outside consulting Will. Some definitely were there to make a dime and added nothing. Others were great, giving good feedback. Having a fresh set of eyes on something can be crucial to questioning the right things. At others, it's a waste, it simply becomes explaining the things that are already working well. Depended very much on details of all the involved parties personalities, their expertise, and the problem.

Stephan

I'm coming to the end of the second of two short-term contracts that took me back out of retirement. In both cases they were to help out friends with short term resourcing issues. They are friends that i respect enough to help them out.

As I was explaining over a business dinner earlier this evening (https://jonesfamilykitchen.co.uk if you are in the Victoria area - the steak is excellent) I have two simple rules for doing this:

1 - the day that I feel that I am not adding value, I will walk away.

2 - that day that the firm feels that I am not worth what it costs them, tell me to leave

With those simple rules, whether you want to call me a consultant or not, my conscience is clear.

Best,
Paul

[DougN]

Paul, that is some of the best advice I have seen! Irrespective of being a consultant or a employee....

[Stuartp]

There seems to be an assumption that Network Rail have AD Little or KPMG on speed dial as their 'go to' experts. I don't have any contacts in GWR to ask but all TOCs and Network Rail routes (or whatever they're called this week) have on-time performance managers (actual job titles may vary) who do this sort of thing all the time, so the expertise still exists within the industry.

According to the OTPM sat next to me it's far more likely that Network Rail have asked another route or TOC to have a look, on the grounds that familiarity often results in the trees getting in the way, and a bit of cross-fertilisation is a good thing. So 'external' does not necessarily mean external to the industry but external to Network Rail Western and GWR. Scotrail did something similar in 2018 with the Donovan Report, Nick Donovan then being in between jobs as MD of TPE and MD of Northern.

Of course if they have gone straight to KPMG etc then they deserve all they get.

"This solution (basically a macro-ed spreadsheet) sounds great, how much is it going to cost. ?"
"Including our ongoing support costs, around £250k. If you need any help presenting to your director I'll be happy to help"
"To be honest, I think the most useful thing you could do would be to hold her door open for me while I run past and lob it in on my way out because she's going to have a complete cow when she sees that !"

We got a student in over the holidays to write an Excel sheet that did pretty much the same thing. I'm still using it ten years later.