CIE bailout - will they be forced to improve?

yer man!

With regard to the bailout approved this morning, will CIE be forced to improve their service now or what's going to happen. Seem kinda pointless to just throw money at the problems.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0725/breaking3.html

Judgement Day

Humour Forum here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=22

davidlacey

yer man! wrote: »

With regard to the bailout approved this morning, will CIE be forced to improve their service now or what's going to happen. Seem kinda pointless to just throw money at the problems.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0725/breaking3.html

They will be about as accountable as the banks have been

CIE

yer man! wrote: »

With regard to the bailout approved this morning, will CIE be forced to improve their service now or what's going to happen. Seems kinda pointless to just throw money at the problems.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0725/breaking3.html

How dare you question the social market economy. Don't you know that's blasphemy? :eek:

Who knows if the stilted attempt at privatisation will occur again. Not on the rails, though; IE is holding onto those with the iron grip of a python on its prey (which means it'll keep squeezing the life out of that transportation mode).

dowlingm

yer man! wrote: »

With regard to the bailout approved this morning, will CIE be forced to improve their service now or what's going to happen. Seem kinda pointless to just throw money at the problems.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0725/breaking3.html

They are getting the money so they can afford redundancy payments. Does that count as improvement?

bazza1

dowlingm wrote: »

They are getting the money so they can afford redundancy payments. Does that count as improvement?

Money is not being used for the redundancy. Totally separate funding.
Extra cash is diverted to operations along with most of every departments budget this year. Varadkar will not allow 1 single non-profitable line to be cut or reduced.

Judgement Day

bazza1 wrote: »

Money is not being used for the redundancy. Totally separate funding.
Extra cash is diverted to operations along with most of every departments budget this year. Varadkar will not allow 1 single non-profitable line to be cut or reduced.

Which lines are 'profitable'?

corktina

bazza1 wrote: »

Money is not being used for the redundancy. Totally separate funding.
Extra cash is diverted to operations along with most of every departments budget this year. Varadkar will not allow 1 single non-profitable line to be cut or reduced.

i thought money was being used to make up the difference between what money they have and what money they need....in other words to cover losses....(redundancy payments would actually cut losses over time)

dowlingm

bazza1 wrote: »

Money is not being used for the redundancy. Totally separate funding.

So the redundancies delayed last week were just for funsies? Strange that this emergency money was found right after NBRU started talking to the media about why departing employees were told at the last minute to stay put.

EricPraline

Not only do CIE get a bailout from the taxpayer, but we are likely to provide further subsidy in the form of higher fares:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0725/bus-rail-fares-varadkar.html

The minister said there was some evidence that higher fares lead to a reduction in the number of people travelling.

Only now beginning to join the dots? :rolleyes:

CIE

EricPraline wrote: »

Not only do CIE get a bailout from the taxpayer, but we are likely to provide further subsidy in the form of higher fares:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0725/bus-rail-fares-varadkar.html

The minister said there was some evidence that higher fares lead to a reduction in the number of people travelling.

Only now beginning to join the dots? :rolleyes:

They're probably praying for higher petrol prices to go along with it. That way, the whole "sustainable development" agenda can proceed post-haste.

yachtsman

The current CEO has almost delivered what he was tasked to do and will leave with a pride and thanks from the DfT for doing so.

• reduce staff numbers dramatically
• abolish railfreight
• introduce one person operated trains
• lower expectations of train services - and set the mindset for doing without them
• increase rail safety
• increase frequency
• refocus towards a commuter orientated service

The final task was to reduce the size of the network. After a start in this direction things went horribly wrong when he and his management team were out manouvered in regard to the WRC. There is a seething resentment in IE over this humiliating defeat which some have carried with them into retirement, where not only were they part frustrated in turning Ennis to Collooney into an abandoned wilderness but actually forced to re-open part of it. They were determined it would fail and continue with a certain degree of success to strangle and undermine the route while being careful not to leave fingerprints. Expansion projects under the commuter heading were welcomed in Cork, Kildare,Docklands and Meath, but foolishly overspeced to the extent that three of the four look ridiculous and cost so much that future sensible expansion of the commuter network is impeded. Big big mistake. They succeeded in closing Waterford City to the Europort, and to drive home their point destroyed the attractiveness and future potential of Rosslare Harbour as a rail terminus, where to their shame they owned the Port itself. Carefully laid plans for the two Tipperary lines were frustrated by Alan Kellys appointment, but that one will be revisited when they assemble sufficient statistics showing that despite their best efforts to revitalise an intercity service(at 25mph) their efforts failed, so how about agreeing Minister to turn it into a greenway? Its closer than many think - possibly following a mid term cabinet reshuffle when Alan will be given other fish to fry. Another infuriating little step backwards was the decision of the NTA that Waterford Rosslare would have to be sprayed annually, which meant the line had to be kept fit for an annual train movement. Plans are already afoot to introduce a tractor spraying programme which will facilitate turnout disconnections and the odd gap here and there at bridges that have grown dangerous. Sligo and Mayo are safe enough until the N4 and N5 are completed - 15 years or so. Galway is becoming a basket case and will continue to decline and be reviewed in the context of becoming an Athlone and Ennis Commuter hub. east of Athlone and Longford will similarly find a new life as commuter lines. Waterford is on shaky ground without any real commuter prospects while Limerick just might have a commuter future but no real intercity prospects. Cork will be the premier route together with Belfast while Kerry would want to pull up its socks if not to go the way of Sligo and Mayo in the long term.

If an applicant for the advertised post of CEO shows a vision such as the above and can display they have the proven track record to complete the revolution so ably delivered in part by the current CEO, they'll get the job. It would also be beneficial if they can project themselves publicly as a railway buff, while convincing the powers that be, privately, that they are not, smile a lot, keep a fresh packet of Kimberley and Coconut Creams and Barrys Teabags in the office sideboard, for visiting deputations and retain the current PR man who has to be the best in the country.
Now , wheres that application form...................................

davidlacey

what annoys me is the likes of the 46A Dublin Bus route is currently getting state subvention when it is the highest grossing in the fleet for Dublin Bus when it could be used in routes that are more needy of it across the rail or bus network but sure im sure the Dublin 4 people need the best in the fleet as regards buses and most frequent to as they are served by not only the 46a which has a frequency of 10 minutes but also 145 which has the same frequency mon-fri

end of the road

yachtsman wrote: »

Plans are already afoot to introduce a tractor spraying programme which will facilitate turnout disconnections and the odd gap here and there at bridges that have grown dangerous.

where did you hear this? has the barrow bridge rusted into the up position yet? oh wait no it hasn't. probably next year. think theirs a viaduct on the route as well? they may blow it up once the barrow bridge falls into the sea, is rusted open and or took away as part of their bastardisation of the line, i suppose when the time comes for the lifting the todd andrews machete train will come from the rosslare side?

Judgement Day

Lifting trains are a thing of the past and these days - in the case of the North Kerry line and Waterford/Ballinacourty anyway- lifting is done by road vehicles accessing the trackbed at level crossings etc.

end of the road

Judgement Day wrote: »

Lifting trains are a thing of the past and these days - in the case of the North Kerry line and Waterford/Ballinacourty anyway- lifting is done by road vehicles accessing the trackbed at level crossings etc.

ah right.