Driving through the changes on the ECML PART 3
WHEN National Express won the East Coast Main Line franchise, taking over on December 9, 2007, and adding to several other franchises it controlled, driver Mick Ingledew was less than impressed he’d be working for what he termed was a ‘bus company’.
Mick quickly formed his opinions: “The corporate truck arrived complete with its one size fits all approach. The first action was a ‘yes that’ll do’ style when the next change of uniform appeared for the frontline. So hundreds of staff having to unload their GNER uniforms into bin bags followed, taking the new one from a National Express uniform bag that it arrived in. As a manager, I could see the full negative effect this takeover was having.”
While Mick became increasingly frustrated with more and more of the administrative aspects of his management role, there was also the operational aspects of the position that could not be underestimated.
“It was always a mystery how an InterCity 125 set would leave King’s Cross forming ‘The Highland Chieftain’ at 12 midday and perform well to Inverness, lay overnight with oil checks, essential maintenance carried out and be re-platformed and ready for the morning service, only to be declared a failure in the morning!
Exhausted
“If there were faults found it was often the need to arrange fitters to attend, based at Clayhills, Aberdeen, some 110 miles away. When all avenues were exhausted, I would get the call at Newcastle on many an occasion. This involved travelling on the 06.30 to Edinburgh, collecting the Class 67 ‘Thunderbird’ and taking the light engine to Inverness, which in itself was an adventure.
“With a head code 0, you were bottom of the regulation hierarchy, doomed for a time-laden journey. North of Perth is mainly single line with passing loops and a mixture of tokenless and track circuit block. Many of the loops are for the scheduled passing of working time table services. Once I’d arrived at Inverness and got coupled up, running as a Class 5, it’s more or less the same regulation policy with the train at the bottom of the priority pile.”
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