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MARCH 2008 ISSUE: CONTENTS

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EDITORIAL COMMENT, NEWS & LETTERS [Download]
RAIL PROFESSIONAL COMMENT: What's in a name?
David Franks explains the reasons behind National Express’s rebranding exercise (see INTERVIEW, below), which will see current brands such as ‘One’ dropped in favour of blanket ‘National Express’ liveries on its trains.
This is particularly prominent on its new East Coast franchise. What a shame, though, that the new designs are so reminiscent of National Express’s coaches – and yet are replacing the majestic GNER navy and red colours, which had come to stand for old-fashioned comfort and fine service...

NEWS HEADLINES
- Future Crossrail ‘extension’ gets protection
- Deployment of new carriages
- Network Rail explains overrun
- Wrexham & Shropshire gets staff trained up
- Infrarail 2008
- Laing bought by DB
- Ebbsfleet officially opens
- Diesel warning
- Signalling trials
- Railway Forum sets agenda

LETTERS
- Live wire
- Gibb over – I was that Gibb!
- EMT is not building on MML’s success
- Even stevens
- Many signatures help light stay
- It’s all in the timing
- The only way is up

BUSINESS NEWS & NEWS ABOUT PEOPLE [Download]
BUSINESS NEWS
- Metronet’s future
- Go-Ahead’s profits
- Bombardier gets new order for LOROL
- Bolt defends ORR
- Stagecoach avoids competition inquiry

NEWS ABOUT PEOPLE
Julian Drury; George Muir; Mike Alexander; Michael Roberts; John Killeen; Richard Adams; Richard Parry; Nic Allen; Steve Power; Kate Gower; Peter Davies; Richard Brown; Catherine Mason; Jeremy Meal; Alex Roberts; Stefano Erba; Hilary Gelling; Alan Somerville; Andrea Gannon; Andrew Fraser; Joseph Lubczynskyj; Elaine Wright; Richard Hands

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COVER STORY: INTERVIEW WITH DAVID FRANKS, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL EXPRESS EAST COAST [Download]
When National Express won the East Coast franchise, many wondered who the new MD would be. It turned out to not a new face, but an old hand – the chief executive of National Express’s rail division, David Franks. Alan Whitehouse spoke to him at NXEC’s York headquarters, as part of our series on heads of new Tocs.

NEWS ANALYSIS: PERFORMANCE MEASURES [Download]
First Great Western has again faced calls to be stripped of its franchise and passengers have once more been ‘striking’ by refusing to pay for tickets. Paul Clifton wonders whether the company will ever be able to put its troubles behind it

FEATURE: BACK ON TRACK [Download]
Network Rail has faced a barrage of complaints and criticism over the New Year engineering overrun. Network Rail’s Iain Coucher argues that all of the good work done by its engineers goes unnoticed

FEATURE: HI-TECH TICKETING [Download]
New technology is starting to transform the way passengers buy train tickets. Chris Randall reports on the benefits for passengers and train operators

FEATURE: THE WAITING GAME [Download]
Waiting for a train is one thing, but waiting for a railway station to arrive is quite another. East Midlands Parkway has been more than a decade in the planning, but finally work has started on the longawaited platforms. Peter Plisner has been looking at what the new station will deliver

FEATURE: RAIL LEVELS AND MCQUALIFICATIONS [Download]
The news that Network Rail, along with McDonalds, is to begin awarding its own qualifications has had mixed reactions. Paul Clifton looks at what will be on offer

FEATURE: DEPOT CAPACITY: ROOM FOR ONE MORE? [Download]
Promises of new rolling stock from the Government have raised the related issue of maintenance capacity, which will have to be increased and upgraded to meet the new demands. Martin Watt and Stuart Cottis explain how maintenance agreements work

FEATURE: GAUGING THE MARKET [Download]
When train operators are considering introducing new initiatives, market research can help to predict demand and indicate what sort of offerings will attract passengers. Katie Silvester explains

FEATURE: BRAND IDENTITY [Download] Train operators are no longer happy to brand just their trains – they are even putting their corporate colours on station toilets and in waiting rooms. Architect Paul Beaty-Pownall explains why

FEATURE: STEPPING INTO THE BREACH [Download]
Interim managers are more than just a stop-gap solution, they are often senior managers who come into a situation to manage a period of change or a specific project, says Rupert Thomas
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INSTITUTION OF RAILWAY OPERATORS [Download]
Behind the scenes of HS1
David Bennett, implementation director of Union Railways North, told the IRO South Eastern branch how HS1 was commissioned and tested. Words by John Glover
Plus: dates for your diary

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES [Download]
A regular round-up of key resources.