Well, I finally understand why Network Rail keep their chief executive hidden away from the public. Iain Coucher popped up on Radio 4 this morning to comment on the massive fine imposed on Network Rail by the Rail Regulator. The kindest thing I could say about Iain Coucher is that he lacks presence. There he was with that insipid little voice stuttering and clearing his throat, still trying to shift the blame and justify the unjustifiable. He showed no sign of caring about the disruption to passengers caused by the fiasco at Rugby at New Year, not to mention the additional disruption because they are falling behind with the work. He seemed equally careless about wasting taxpayers money. Perhaps someone should explain to him that in this day and age we are lied to by experts on a daily basis and his attempts at spin were at best feeble. Wouldn't it have been refreshing if he had said, we got it wrong, we let everyone down, we are sorry and we are doing x y and z to put it right, that really would have been worth the headlines.
Listening to the reporting about the £14 million fine imposed on Network Rail it seemed as if I was in a crazy Alice in Wonderland world. I guess the Rail Regulator has his hands tied by the government, but I have met earthworms with more backbone! I don't suppose Network Rail care a jot about the fine, either the government will give them more taxpayer's money so that they can spend what they originally planned or the travelling public will suffer because the Rail Regulator has £14 million of the money that Network Rail should have spent on maintenance and major projects. I think it is called smoke and mirrors!
Personally I would like to see Iain Coucher and his minions spend a day in the stocks outside Euston Station so that they would be forced to listen to the views of commuters, it wouldn't cost much and it would please a lot of people. Assuming that we have to work with modern day punishments I think the only way to get Network Rail to sit up and take notice is to hit senior managers in the pocket. The whole senior management team should lose their bonus and a proportion of salary, it should be possible after all a lowly checkout operator on minimum wage has to make up discrepancies from their salary if the till is short.
Do you remember the fairytale about the emperors new clothes? See what you make of my modern day interpretation.
A Government who cares too much about PR and too little about railways hires swindlers (you know who!) and they promise to build the finest Railway for the cheapest price. This work, they tell Government, is invisible to anyone who was is either stupid or not fit for his position. The Government is nervous about being able to see the work so it creates Network Rail to deal with the swindlers. They see nothing yet praise the work. When the swindlers report that the work will soon be finished, the Government allows itself to take all the glory on a PR campaign. During the course of the campaign, a Train Operating Company shouts out, "But no work has been done!" The public realises the Train Operator is telling the truth and mocks the government. The Government, however, holds it's head high and continues the PR campaign placing all the blame on Network Rail who in turn blame the swindlers. The Government punishes Network Rail by taking away the tax payers money that should have been used to improve the Railway. Network Rail punishes the swindlers by giving them even more contracts!!! The question is, who is the loser?
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