xc life summer 2011

The magazine for CrossCountry peopleXCLifeSummer 2011

Paul restores

scooters to their

former glory

WINWINWINWINWINWINWINWINWIN

TR

AN

SPO

RTW

ORDSEARCH COMPET

ITIO

NOO Gauge Class 221

Voyager model

PAGE 15

PAGE THREE

Our value for moneyprogress reflects wellon whole rail industry

2 XC Life Summer 2011

YOU cannot fail to have spotted the recent publicationof the McNulty Rail Value for Money Study. This is thefirst major review of the rail industry, on mattersother than safety, since privatisation.

Set up by the last Government and supported by thepresent, the review looked at what one might haveexpected from industry costs in recent years.

The study examined European rail experiences andalso assessed what impact the growth in UK railtravel might have been expected to deliver. It didnot consider any cuts in services or the network,and so took a very positive view of prospects forthe future if the value for money (VFM) issues canbe tackled.

It concludes that UK rail costs are higher than onemight expect. It also revealed that surprisingly, thecost per passenger mile has not been falling as travelhas increased, despite the high level of railway fixedcosts. The study makes a number of recommendationsto Government which the Department for Transport isconsidering.

Network Rail has already responded and begun tode-centralise its operations, placing more resource andgreater responsibility under the control of new RouteManaging Directors. This has possible implications forNRs ‘secondary’ customers on parts of the network, forexample CrossCountry in Wessex where South WestTrains inevitably leads the way. We are in closedialogue with NR about these changes.

Searching out productivity improvements andseeking greater value for money is nothing new for us.Faced with very significant fixed costs – in rollingstock leases, inherited train maintenance contracts,track access charges, and so on – coupled with a large,fixed train service commitment in our franchiseagreement, we have had to examine our remainingcosts very closely. After almost four years, we havemade good progress in securing better value. Howhave we gone about it?

While we contract out many of our activities – it’sthe nature of our franchise – we have brought severalactivities back in house, improving financial resultsand quality of service. We took back our cateringsupply chain and service centres from Rail Gourmet;we now manage ‘Journeycare’ assisted travel bookingsin house and even sell that service to Arriva TrainsWales too; we manage group travel now rather thanrelying on thetrainline.

Harnessing the opportunities presented by changingtechnology has been another route to improvement.We have made great progress in attracting people tobuy tickets via our website which has reduced ourcosts of sale. We have introduced e-tickets which havereduced the cost of getting tickets to customers. Weare well advanced with our ‘ten minute reservations’soon to be joined by ‘ten minute retailing’ of tickets,capturing the advantages coming from the growth inthe use of Smartphones.

We will continue to ‘do our bit’ to improve railindustry credentials by offering value for money andlower costs. We recognise though, as does the McNultystudy, that infrastructure costs present theoverwhelming opportunity and we will continue tochallenge and to work with Network Rail to secure ahealthier financial picture for UK Rail.

by Andy CooperMANAGING DIRECTOR,CROSSCOUNTRY

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BRISTOL service centre is a five-star operation – and it’sofficial! An unscheduled visit by

the city council’s Food Safety Teamresulted in CrossCountry’s team beingawarded the maximum five stars.

A sticker setting out the tip-toprating is now proudly displayed on awindow inside the centre adjacent toTemple Meads station.

Under Bristol City Council’s ‘Scoreson the Doors’ initiative the cateringservices and equipment at the servicecentre are now designated top of therange.

Paul Worthington, Service CentreTeam Leader, said: “The environmental

health officer did a lot of health andsafety checks on the equipment andfound it was 100%.

“He was very happy and could notfault the facilities – in fact, he said ouroutfit was way beyond what wasexpected from this type of operation.

“The inspector was also impressedwith our training operation, which goesbeyond the legal minimum.”

The eight staff at the service centreorder products in advance and storethem in a freezer before distributingthem as required to the trains. Theirfive-star rating is an improvement onthe four stars which they achievedpreviously.

Surprise visit leads tofive star award

Paul Worthington, right, Service CentreTeam Leader at Bristol Temple Meadsstation, and Team Member Rob Jones withthe five star rating certificate awarded bycity council food safety inspectors.

XC Life Summer 2011 3twitter.com/crosscountryuk

PAUL Dixon bringsLambretta scooters‘back from the dead’ ina blaze of sixties glory.The iconic roadrunners, which werefeatured in the ‘Mod’film Quadrophenia,

usually arrive at theManchester Train Manager’shouse in a state of decay.

But after months ofpainstaking restoration, andthe addition of a mindboggling array of accessories,the scooters look just asthey did in the heyday of The Who.

Paul’s latest work ofrevival magic was on anLi125 Series 1 with a Tartanseat, which was a rusting

wreck after standing unusedfor 40 years.

“It was really rough,” hesaid. “Rust had eaten into themudguards, the floor runnersand the leg shield. I had a lotof welding work to do tobring it back to the standardof the Swiss-made original.”

Seven Lambrettas have sofar been given therestoration treatment inPaul’s workshop at his homein Crewe. One of themarrived in boxes with hardlya nut and bolt joinedtogether.

“My new project is a TV 175 Series 2, whichsomeone restored 20 yearsago but which has not beentouched since,” he added.

COVE

R S

TORY

STACY Thundercliffe is alreadywell-known as a high-achievingengineer – and now she has a

prestigious award to prove it.The sole female on the

CrossCountry team overseeing trainmaintenance, Stacy won an accoladeat the Institution of MechanicalEngineers’ young engineerspresentation evening.

She competed against three othersin front of 50 IMechE members atManchester Metropolitan Universityand landed a trophy for her report onthe impact of severe weather onpassenger trains.

ExperiencesStacy, who has a BEng in Mechanical

Engineering and an MSc inMaintenance Engineering and AssetManagement, said: “I drew on myexperiences in a previous job at FirstTransPennine Express and mysubsequent time at CrossCountry toresearch weather-related problems,solutions and the outcomes.”

Stacy, aged 28, who recently gainedChartered Engineer status withImechE, is Voyager and Fleet ContractManager at CrossCountry.

She added: “I look after the Voyagerfleet and my job involves working veryclosely with Bombardier in all aspectsof fleet management including safety,performance, availability, trainpresentation and commercial issues.”

Engineer scoopstop accoladeEngineer scoopstop accoladeEngineer scoopstop accoladeEngineer scoopstop accoladeEngineer scoopstop accoladeEngineer scoopstop accoladeEngineer scoopstop accoladeEngineer scoopstop accoladeEngineer scoopstop accolade

Paul restores Lambrettas... with all ‘M d cons’

Voyager and FleetContract ManagerStacy Thundercliffewith the Institutionof MechancialEngineers’ award.

SCOOTERMAD:

Paul Dixon withtwo magnificentLambrettas he

has lovinglyrestored.

4 XC Life Summer 2011 crosscountrytrains.co.uk

XC Life focuses on Bournemouth Centre, as new network services strengthen its position as a major gateway serving south coast tourism and business

BOURNEMOUTH is entering an excitingnew era following the strengthening ofits importance as a south coast hub by

the addition of key new services.Much-needed new links out of

Southampton have been added to the vitalSouth-North services, operated as far asBirmingham by Bournemouth traincrew.

As well as providing a transport hub forthousands of tourists, cruise passengers andbusiness commuters annually, the centre alsomeets the needs of the many studentstravelling to and from the resort’s languageschools.

Bournemouth’s 51 drivers and 27 trainmanagers (recently boosted by 13 and sixrespectively), together with its 13 retailservice managers, are relishing the extrachallenges that came with the launch of theSouthampton services last December.

The drivers already had a varied routepattern on their journeys northward, with theoption of two diversionary routes to Reading,via Guildford and Laverstock Junction.

“The new Southampton routes havebrought with them an irregular stoppingpattern because of pathway restrictions, butour drivers are well equipped to cope,” saidDriver Team Manager Peter Rapley. “For thenext two or three years they will also have todeal with engineering works related to theremodelling of Reading station.”

The centre runs an hourly service daily outof Bournemouth to Manchester, between0640 and 1945, with 13 trains.From Southampton, six servicesstaffed by Bournemouthtraincrew who have made the30-mile connecting journeyrun every other hour to

Newcastle between 0946 and 1746.Customer Service Manager Terry Roberts

said: “There’s a great source of pride attachedto working at Bournemouth. The addition ofthe Southampton services is welcomed

because they add to the security of the job.”Terry pinpoints luggage management as

the key challenge for his train managers – anespecially demanding task in the majorholiday location.

The Bournemouth centre includes a mainoffice for the managers, a mess room, kitchenand open learning room – all situated withinthe station complex.

THE lynchpins of the Bournemouth operationare Peter Rapley, Tom Silsbury, Terry Robertsand Caroline Teggin.

Driver Team Manager Peter, aged 53, wholives at Verwood, Dorset, is a proud father offour children with ages ranging from 14 to26. His main leisure pursuit is walking in thecountryside with the family husky dog.

Driver Team Manager Tom Silsbury, aged39, who lives in the village of Knowle,Hampshire, is a keen fisherman.

Married with two children aged six andtwo, he enjoys sea fishing and restoring Hot Rods from the 1940s. He currently ownsa 1949 Chevrolet pick-up truck.

Customer Service Manager Terry Roberts,aged 59, sums up the Bournemouthphilosophy in this way: “At CrossCountryeveryone gets on with each other andeveryone looks after one another. I like tothink that I have high standards and most ofmy crews at Bournemouth live up to them!”

Terry has been an ace clay pigeon shooterin his time, although he has not had time topursue the hobby recently.

Caroline Teggin, aged 32, is the teamorganiser at Bournemouth. Caroline, who livesin Poole, provides administrative support tothe management and on-board crews.

Since she took up her post at the centreshe has given birth three times – to Nadine,Alfie and Sasha. They are now aged eight, fourand two.

MALC Jarrett has been on therailways for 21 years and isenjoying the challenges ofBournemouth’s expandedservice.

The Train Manager seesBournemouth as a friendlycentre and going to work everyday is a pleasure.

He is also relishing workingthe new schedules wherepassenger volumes are steadilygrowing.

“The trend is upwards andthere’s no doubt that we aresupplying a service that is verymuch appreciated,” he said.

For Malc, aged 37, who livesin Eastleigh, the mainchallenges of the job revolvearound overcrowding andluggage management.

“Working out of a busytourist resort the issue ofluggage is always going to behigh on the agenda,” he said. “Ialso remain vigilant for theminority of people who try toget away without paying.”

Malc is single and has a sonLuke, aged 11. He enjoys traveland also helps a friend run acharter train company in hisspare time.

Exciting era beckons as akey south coast hub

Teams live up to high standards

Relishing the challenges ofgrowing passenger volumes

Bournemouth operation lynchpins are, left to right, Team Organiser Caroline Teggin, Driver TeamManager Tom Silsbury, Customer Service Manager Terry Roberts and Driver Team Manager Peter Rapley.

Longserving Train

Manager MalcJarrett catches up

on the latestnotice board

updates.

DriverKeith Niblock

– one of 51drivers based at Bournemouth.

■ The 1885-built stationis Grade II listed and wasrevamped in 2000 in ajoint initiative byNetwork Rail,Bournemouth Council andthe Heritage Fund.

■ The train shed roof wasreplaced followingdamage by high winds.

■ Trains are stabled inEastleigh depot, on theother side ofSouthampton.

■ Bournemouth has thefourth-longest platform

in Britain, a quarter ofa mile long.

■ There wereoriginally two stationsin the resort,Bournemouth Centraland BournemouthWest. The latter closedin 1967.

■ The station’s annualpassenger throughputis 2.8 million.

■ The old steam shedswere situated on thesite of the currentstation car park.

Bournemouth FACTFILE:

Driver Simon Daviesbooks on for duty.

facebook.com/crosscountrytrains XC Life Summer 2011 5

‘‘

’’6 XC Life Summer 2011 twitter.com/crosscountryuk

BEST wishes to Leeds TrainManager Roy Clark andBirmingham Senior ConductorJohn Nixon who recentlyretired from the company.

Congratulations to thefollowing who have receivedlong service awards:

Mark Adams, Cambridge Driver;Karen Chedgzoy, PlymouthTrain Manager; Tim Rushton,Cannon House Duty ControlManager; Samuel Stewart,Birmingham Senior Conductor;Iain Sturch, Birmingham SeniorConductor; Michael Maddicks,Plymouth Driver.

Caroline Armstrong, PlymouthRetail Service Manager; CarolineArchibald, Birmingham TrainManager; Donna Broomhall,Cannon House TraincrewDiagramming Manager; SimonStratford, Bristol Train Manager;Morys Southern, PlymouthRetail Service Manager; RichardFreeth, Birmingham Driver;Stefan Fletcher, NewcastleDriver; Mark Dyson, PlymouthService Centre Team Member;Kathy Grant, Birmingham NewStreet Customer Service TeamMember; Saj Mahmood,Birmingham New StreetCustomer Service TeamMember; Eddie Martin,Bournemouth Train Manager;Karen Jardine, Edinburgh TrainManager; Tee-Jay Homer,Birmingham Train Manager;Rachel Johnson, Bristol Driver;Manjit Bahia, Cannon HouseFulfilment Support Agent; KuldipUppal, Birmingham New StreetCustomer Service TeamMember; Steve Hodge,Plymouth Retail ServiceManager; Zoe Loudon, BristolDriver; Michael Greaves,Plymouth Retail ServiceManager; Ryan Blackie,Plymouth Train Manager; EmmaWest, Plymouth Train Manager;Christopher Verity, PlymouthDriver; Rachel Kennedy,Plymouth Train Manager;Frances Meaker, PlymouthRetail Service Manager; Sal Dad,Cannon House Accounts PayableAssistant; Adam Mapstone,Birmingham Retail ServiceManager; Karl Wilson,Birmingham Retail ServiceManager; Steve Beesley,Birmingham Driver; SteveGuildford, Leeds Driver.

10 YEARS

25 YEARS

Long service & leavers

BOURNEMOUTH people are fortunatebecause they are blessed with a warmclimate and seven miles of sandy beaches

that run from Hengistbury Head in the east toSandbanks, in Poole, in the west.

The town is only a short distance away fromthe New Forest, which I visited often whenyoung as a member of the school nature club.We used to cycle there – a 30-mile round trip.

The Forestry Commission allowed us to usethree acres of the forest to study plants andwildlife. I remember deer and adders which werebasking in the undergrowth if it was a fine day.

It was idyllic on the Bournemouth beaches as achild. It’s an attractive sea front with CentralGardens behind it – a big public park runningseveral miles down the valley of the River Bourneto the sea.

Bournemouth is very much a popular tourist

destination and the Bournemouth InternationalCentre is used by the main political parties fortheir conferences.

My family and I have been to a number ofshows at the International Centre, including KenDodd and Cliff Richard. Together with my wifeSue, daughters Joanne and Lauren andgranddaughter Amelia I have also watchedpantomimes there.

The town is a good place to live, with a lot offriendly people around. It’s a good mix – tourists,students from the University and languageschools, together with business people and localresidents. There’s a thriving watersportscommunity and I have recently joined the NorthHaven Yacht Club.

I am proud to have served on the railways inBournemouth since 1964, when I started as acleaner and then a fireman on steam trains.

As a supplement to the XC Life focus on Bournemouth on theprevious pages, Driver Assessor MIKE GUBBINS, aged 62, bornand bred in the town, tells us why he likes living there.

STEVEN Elliott ran barefoot 20 metres overhot coals to raise money for the RainbowTrust children’s charity.

To prepare him for his exploit duringfund-raising at Lumley Castle by the DurhamRound Table, the Newcastle train managerwent through a two-hour ‘mind over matter’seminar. “One of the hot coals got stuck

between my toes,” said Stephen. “Howeverthe preparation was effective and I ended upwith just one blister.”

Steven, who has been fund-raising for theRound Table for seven years and has beenchairman of the Durham branch, went on afew weeks later to tackle the Three PeaksChallenge.

Hot coals charity run... and just one blister

Idyllic beaches anda good place to live

Mike Gubbins at theseafront in Bournemouthwith the resort’s famouspier in the background.

crosscountrytrains.co.uk

ASHLEY Brown travels 260 miles to go

back in time in his spare-time role as a conductor at Crich Tramway Village

in Derbyshire.The Edinburgh Customer Service Assistant got

to know the home for preserved trams when hisparents lived there during his childhood.

In 2004 he joined them as a volunteer at theage of 16, and now as well as guiding visitorswhile they travel on the historic vehicles he putsin shifts as a trainee overhead line engineer.

Ashley dresses in period costume and uses old-fashioned techniques to maintain the wires

which he has just helped to tighten after they

became slack in last summer’s intense heat. “It’sgreat to be part of an enterprise which protectsa transport heritage which otherwise wouldvanish.” he said.

“I go down to the Tramway Village on longweekends or during my annual leave. I amassigned a tram for a whole day, or I providelunch-time cover for the entire fleet. Each tramis different – they all have their own quirkyidentity with individual braking systems andbells.”

Ashley is currently extending his overhead lineexpertise after gaining qualifications to drive thevehicle which tows the tower wagon into place.

AMATEUR actor Craig Lawrence has landed apart in an outdoor Theatre in the Parkproduction with Rugby Theatre.

The keen thespian will play a wizard in afantasy drama themed around the Goodly KingCaldecott (Summer) and the Ice Queen(Winter). Fellow actors will play an array offantastical creatures from magpies to giants.

It is the latest role for CrossCountry’sLearning Development Consultant

Craig, who in the past has playedSlim in Oklahoma with the

Leamington and Warwick Music Society andmovie producer Mr Kleiman in Mack and Mabel.“My most challenging show was Guys and Dollswhere I played four different parts,” said Craig.“I like acting because the buzz it gives you isgreat and the camaraderie between the cast isincredible.

“At times it’s like being a swan – apparentlyall professional and serene but backstagecaught up in pure mayhem with costumechanges, getting props, swapping mikes, havingmake-up redone and costume problems sorted.”

PERIOD 12(four weeks to 05/03/11)

PERFORMANCE: 89.8%

DELAY CAUSE:Network Rail 65.8%, XC 9.6%,other train operators 24.7%

DELAY CAUSED BY XC:39.4% within target

AVERAGE PERFORMANCEOVER THE LAST YEAR:87.9%

FLEET MILES BETWEEN FAULTSOVER THE LAST YEAR:Class 170 – 22,863

(+22% year-on-year)

Class 220 – 67,460

(+53% year-on-year)

Class 221 – 94,036

(+20% year-on-year)

HST – 14,658

(+19% year-on-year)

CATERING SALES:+6.1% on last year

AVERAGE TICKET PRICE:£11.38 (+2.3% year-on-year)

PASSENGER COUNTS:The % of counts successfullycompleted

73% (last year 74%)

BusinessSTATS

TramwayTAKES ASHLEY ON A

Actor lands part in fantasy drama

AshleyBrown in

period uniformat the Crich

TramwayVillage

XC Life Summer 2011 7

8 XC Life Summer 2011 XC Life Summer 2011 9facebook.com/crosscountrytrains twitter.com/crosscountryuk

Meet the Department whose task is to ensure the company sells the right seat... to the right customer... at the right time... and for the right price

Many factors make up thecrucial balancing act

Head of Revenue GarryTyrrell, right, in discussion

with Yield and CapacityManager Pal Singh.

Business AnalystPatrick Sibleycontacts theAssociation ofTrain OperatingCompanies for aneconomic review.

Yield Analysts, left to right,Nicky Chiejina, CameliaBujoreanu and BobBromwich study therevenue management data.

THE Revenue Department’srole in maximisingCrossCountry’s income

makes it one of the most vital –and sometimes contentious– areasof the business.

Its work in balancing thecomplex ticket pricing structurecan lead to complaints fromcustomers that prices are too high,and from colleagues that they aretoo low.

But setting fares for payingpassengers is not the department’sonly task – the 10-strong team ledby Head of Revenue Garry Tyrrelllooks after all issues surroundingrevenue, passenger demand andticket retailing.

At the core of its operation isthe monitoring of how muchrevenue is generated by ticket salesand setting the prices for tickets inall CrossCountry’s markets.

Commercial actionsGarry said: “We aim to sell the

right seat to the right customer atthe right time for the right price.

“It is the department’s aim toensure that commercial actions areunderstood at all levels withinCrossCountry in order for theseactions to have maximum revenueimpact.”

To bring staff up to speed on theins-and-outs of revenue, sometrain managers and seniorconductors are being given theopportunity of spending a day atCannon House to watch the teamin action.

They will be shown how thedepartment manages theavailability of products using thedata supplied by traincrew throughon-train passenger counts.

The day will also involve insightinto how the team distributesretail information to other trainoperators and sales outlets such asThe Trainline and travel agents.

Other key areas of revenue aremanaging demand and capacity onCrossCountry’s services andworking to ensure the right quotaof Advance Purchase tickets isavailable on the appropriateservices. The different members ofthe Revenue Department all playan important part:

Yield Analysts CameliaBujoreanu, Nicky Chiejina, LisaBeaumont and Bob Bromwichmaximise revenue for individualroutes while using the RevenueManagement System and theNational Reservation System. Theyform an integral part of theCommercial team and forge strong

links with the company’s internalbusiness departments.

Yield and Capacity Manager Pal Singh maximises revenue bymanaging CrossCountry’s shortand long-distance markets to getthe best yield. He ensures trainsare open for reservations at 84 days before departure.

Pricing and Revenue AnalystPeter Mason is in charge of the XCFares database, from bringing infares changes to making sure thecompany keeps within regulations.He analyses CrossCountry revenueto understand the spread of tickettypes on trains, passenger volumes,ticket values and demographics.

Distribution Manager DanielWaine is responsible for ticketsales through all non-CrossCountrydistribution channels. He monitorsand forecasts the cost of havingtickets printed and issued. Danielalso works closely with onboardstaff, ticket offices and third partyretailers to solve any issuingproblems reported through theTicket Irregularity Report (TIR)process.

Business Analysis ManagerPatrick Sibley models andforecasts revenue and passengergrowth on the CrossCountry

network. He produces regulardetailed reports to understandcurrent trading trends andcomes up with ideas tostimulate additional passengergrowth.

Pricing and RevenueAssistant Peter Rothery providesdata and insight to the Pricing andRevenue Analyst and the BusinessAnalysis Manager. He analyses thepotential revenue effect of pricingstrategies and helps to bring ingeneral fare changes and iron outanomalies.

Summing up the department’srole David Watkin, CommercialDirector, said: “The Revenue teamis absolutely critical to thecommercial success of thecompany. It sets and manages theprices that we charge. At the sametime it maintains an often trickybalance between encouraging newcustomers and earning as much aswe can from existing customerswithout causing overcrowding or –perhaps worse – empty seats thatwe otherwise could have filled!”

TheRevenue

Department at Cannon

House.

Yield Analyst Lisa Beaumont, left, talks with TrainManager Lucy Chesterfield about the

availability of advance tickets.

Pricing and RevenueAnalyst Peter Mason,

left, and PricingRevenue Assistant

Peter Rothery checkthe journey planner

and fare at BirminghamNew Street booking

office.

Distribution Manager DanielWaine talks with VirginTrains’ Customer ServiceAssistant Maria McCarronabout ticket regulations.

The Revenue Departmentwelcomes comments and feedbackfrom colleagues. You can contactthem at [email protected]

10 XC Life Summer 2011

Picnic PiePASTRY:

1lb plain flour, 8oz butter cubedpinch of salt, water to bind,ten-inch flan dish

FILLING6 rashers of smoked back bacon2 large jacket potatoes,one large onion4 medium tomatoes,4 medium eggs8oz grated cheese,salt and pepper

METHOD

Pastry:Put the flour, salt and cubed butter intoa large bowl.

Use your fingertips to rub in the butteruntil it resembles breadcrumbs.

Using a knife stir in just enough water tobind the dough together.

Wrap the dough in cling film and chillfor 10 to 15 minutes.

While the pastry is chilling, prepareyour filling for the pie:

Part-cook the two large jacket potatoesin the microwave for 10 minutes.

Lightly fry off the bacon and place toone side.

Slice up your tomatoes and onion.

Slice up your part-cooked jacketpotatoes.

Line your quiche dish with half of thepastry and put the other half to one sidefor the lid. In the lined quiche dish, placethe rashers of cooked bacon on thebottom, then place the sliced jacketpotatoes on the bacon covering all.

Place the sliced onion and tomatoes ontop of the potatoes.

Cover all this with the grated cheese.Make four little indentations in thecheese, then crack a raw egg into eachpocket.

Sprinkle some salt and pepper and rollout the rest of the pastry to make a lid toplace over the top of the pie.

Egg wash the top of the pie for a nice glaze.

Place in oven at 180 degrees or gas mark 4 for 45 minutes to an hour until golden brown.

Right RoyalRecipesCrossCountry’s veryown Royal chef JulesBacon, who wasonce cook to theQueen Mother atthe Royal Lodge,offers you a recipefor a summer dish.

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34

AMY Ferneyhough is one of CrossCountry’s

tallest employees – and she’s almost certainly the most tattooed.

The 6ft 3in First Class Host is the proud owner of 20 different ‘inks’ including a poem by W. B. Yeatswhich stretches from her shoulder blades to hermiddle back.

She had her first tattoo – a seahorse – 10 years agoand her biggest is an octopus which sprawls across herleft arm. During her day job Reading-based Amy keepsher astonishing artwork discreetly out of view, but inher spare time she is proud to show it off as a model.

She is signed up to four modelling websitecompanies and has also been featured in tattoobooks.

“I have always loved tattoos because of theiruniqueness – if we were all meant to look thesame tattoos would never have caught on,” said

Amy. “Although thealternative look is very much indemand, it’s very difficult tobreak into modelling. I havebeen able to do so mainly

because of my height.”

poetry inmotion

AMY’S TATTOOS ARE

ReadingFirst Class Host Amy

Ferneyhough.

Amy shows her biggest tattoo

– an octopus on her left arm.

Left, a modelling photo of the poem

tattooed on her back.

XC Life Summer 2011 11facebook.com/crosscountrytrains

THE Managing Director ofDB Regio’s RheinNeckarbusiness made a visit to

CrossCountry during April –and declared that he was“really impressed” by what hesaw.

Andreas Schilling spent timeat Cannon House, BirminghamNew Street station andBombardier’s Central Riversdepot to share best practice.

At Cannon House he spenttime with the marketing andrevenue teams, and was givenan insight into how we aretaking forward online retailingand ten minute reservations.

Herr Schilling remarked onsimilarities – and occasionaldifferences – with theoperations of the ‘S-Bahn’commuter railway he runs,which is based in the city ofMannheim.

He said: “Your focus onoperational excellence is thekey to your success in yourfranchise. I am really impressedwith the way your businesscovers the country,co-ordinated from your baseon one floor of Cannon House.

“It is clear that you are bothflexible and practical, and thatyou really try to bringinformation to your people in a

way they can understand, sothat they know what is goingon.

“It is also interesting to seethat the differences betweenour companies are not so great.We have to communicate witheach other to learn from theminor differences.”

On the second day of hisvisit Herr Schilling attendedone of CrossCountry’s regularFleet Performance meetings atCentral Rivers.

There he made a fact-finding

tour of the site to seefirst-hand how CrossCountryand Bombardier work together,and discussed a variety ofrolling stock matters with Head of Fleet Will Rogers.

After returning toBirmingham in the cab of aVoyager Herr Schilling visitedthe service centre at NewStreet, where he was shownround by Senior CustomerService Manager Dave Eatonand took the opportunity tochat with staff.

XClassifiedCrossCountry staff are invitedto advertise for free in thisquarterly ‘small ads’ column.The section is open to anyone who hassomething to sell, rents out holidayaccommodation, runs a mobile disco, isorganising a football match or anexcursion to celebrate a birthday,wanting to let people know about anight out ...or is simply looking toplace an appeal for a specific item. Toplace an advert here contact us at: –[email protected] or [email protected]

HOLIDAY DISCOUNTSFormer employee Tony Morris isoffering holiday discounts to allemployees of CrossCountry. Tony,Personal Travel Advisor at Kwik TravelLtd, can be reached on 0800 0237684 or [email protected]

The range of holidays on offer canbe viewed on the Kwik Travel websiteat www.kwiktraveldeals.co.uk/tony-morris. Kwik Travel, a memberof ABTA, offers short breaks in theUK, cheap last-minute holidays, luxuryround-the-world cruises and a varietyof other breaks.

It uses trusted tour operatorsincluding Thomson, Thomas Cook,Virgin Holidays and Cosmos.

POUNDSINYOURPOCKET.COMTHE UTILITY WAREHOUSE providesmore than 350,000 customers in theUK with great savings on their utilitybills, as well as other savings fromhigh street shopping to familyholidays. It can help save 25% onshopping and reduce household bills.

Recommended by Which magazine,it offers free global calls and cheaponline shopping, with reduced mobilephone tariffs.

Contact Luan on 07985 079849 oremail:[email protected]

The website is atwww.poundsinyourpocket.com

CALLING ALL FOOTBALLERSAndrew Evans, Retail Service Managerat Bournemouth, is looking to set upan 11-a-side football team.

He has already organised six-a-side matches against Reading, but would like to run a more established squad to play further afield.

If you are interested phone07816 488712.

THESE ADVERTS ARE ALSOINCLUDED IN THE SOCIALSECTION OF THECROSSCOUNTRY INTRANETSITE, WHICH IS AVAILABLE AT ALL CENTRES.

German MD praisesbusiness excellence

Herr Schilling with CrossCountry’s Head of Fleet Will Rogers during the fleet meeting at Central Rivers.

AndreasSchilling, left, is given a tour of

Central Rivers depotby Bombardier’s

Senior ProjectManager Paul

Woolley.

12 XC Life Summer 2011 twitter.com/crosscountryuk

CROSSCOUNTRY drivers are clocking up the milesthe hard way – by getting on their bikes andwalking to keep fit and raise money for charity.

While most of the country was watching theRoyal Wedding, Birmingham Driver Jake Medley and15 colleagues spent the three-day Bank Holidaybreak cycling 170 miles from Morecambe toBridlington.

Eleven Birmingham Drivers, a Bristol Driver, aControl colleague and three Bombardier fittersmissed the wedding on TV but celebrated the bigday at a street party and fireworks display duringtheir first overnight stop at Grassington, NorthYorkshire.

Jake said: “Most of us started cycling two yearsago to lose weight and I’ve shed two stone. Wefaced a headwind most of the way but the hardestpart was a one in five climb at Settle. However weall enjoyed the challenge and we’ll use next year’sride to raise money for charity.”

Leeds Driver Dean Scarth and nine friends arestepping out on a sponsored two-day 26-milecoastal walk on the weekend of 10/11 June alongthe Cleveland Way from Robin Hood’s Bay to Filey,

handing out CrossCountry plastic wallet ticketholders as they go.

The walkers hope to raise more than £5,000 fromsponsors and a bucket collection along the way forthe West Yorkshire Forget Me Not Trust hospicecharity. This donation will be boosted later in theyear with a raffle for two first class tickets offeredby CrossCountry for any destination on thecompany’s network.

Leeds Driver John Graham and his friend, knowncollectively as The Two Fat Lads, will be sheddingpounds to raise pounds in a two-week sponsoredcycle ride of almost 1,000 miles from Land’s End toJohn O’Groats this summer, along with anotherfriend joining them on the ride.

John who can be sponsored onwww.justgiving.com/twofatlads aims to raise£2,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory ofhis cousin Stuart Waring who died of cancer lastyear.

John said: “I’ve already lost three stone in trainingfor the ride. None of us are exactly skinny, but weprobably will be by the time we reach JohnO’Groats.”


PERFORMANCE: 90.2%




FLEET MILES BETWEEN FAULTSOVER THE LAST YEAR:Class 170 – 23,974

(-23% year-on-year)

Class 220 – 67,622

(+51% year-on-year)

Class 221 – 35,479

(+10% year-on-year)

HST – 22,101

(+12% year-on-year)


AVERAGE TICKET PRICE:£11.69 (+2.5% year-on-year)

PASSENGER COUNTS:The % of counts successfullycompleted

75% (last year 74%)

BusinessSTATS

LOUISE’S SKILL IS

Drivers take up cycling andwalking challenges for charity

FORMER Chef Louise Ellard is in demandfor her themed celebration cakes whichare causing a stir among her colleagues

in Edinburgh.Staff are queuing up to avail themselves

of the train manager’s dazzling icing skills.Louise makes cakes for retirements,

special events and birthdays, decoratingthem with themes ranging from motorbikesto football.

Her most unusual commission to datehas been a replica of the Informatics Forumat Edinburgh University weighing two anda half stones. “Two years ago I made a cakefor my sister’s 40th birthday,” she said.

“I realised that I really enjoy the wholeprocess, from making the designs toputting on the decorations.”

LousieEllard with

one of her noveltyicing cake creations– a happy-lookingpenguin, complete

with a Guccihandbag.

icing on the cakeicing on the cakeicing on the cakeicing on the cakeicing on the cakeicing on the cakeicing on the cakeicing on the cakeicing on the cake

XC Life Summer 2011 13crosscountrytrains.co.uk

MATT Sheldon got an unexpected resultwhen he sent a letter to SheffieldWednesday praising their fans for being

well-behaved on his train.Officials at the club were so pleased that they

sent him an invitation to attend their home matchagainst Plymouth Argyle as a special guest.

His letter describing the supporters as “a realcredit to the club” had been posted on the Owls’website and had drawn a warm response from theHillsborough management.

Matt took up the offer and was thrilled to beintroduced on arrival to goalkeeper Nicky Weaver, aformer England Under-21 international.

After a tour of the ground he watched the game

in the comfort of the directors’ box accompaniedby his brother Mark and CrossCountry colleaguesMartin Fake, Derby Driver, and Russ Gorman,Birmingham Revenue Protection Inspector.

Matt, Birmingham Train Manager, said: “I was soimpressed with the good humour of the Wednesdayfans when they travelled on the 1825 Exeter toLeeds service after their team had been through a5-1 drubbing at the hands of the Grecians inDecember last year, that I wrote to the club.

“To be offered complimentary tickets to thePlymouth match as a result came as a completeshock. I would like to thank Sheffield Wednesdayfor giving me and my friends an experience I willnever forget.”

NEW initiatives are underwayto tackle the serious problemof cable theft, with adedicated British TransportPolice task force leading theway.

Action is being taken todisrupt thieves targetingpower and signalling cablesfor their copper content aswell as track, overhead lineequipment and even clipsused to hold the rails in place.

During 2010 a total of2,770 cable-related offenceswere recorded – a significantrise on previous years – whileto date, in 2011, more than

900 offences are on record.CrossCountry Head of

Performance Philip Meiklesaid cable theft is one of thelargest causes of delay andcancellation to CrossCountry,and effects thousands of ourcustomers each month.

He added: “We work veryclosely with Network Rail tomonitor cable theft hot spotsand we make sure NetworkRail and British TransportPolice make every effort tocontrol the situation as bestthey can.”

Working with Network Rail,the BTP has set up Operation

Leopard to bring in a newstreamlined approachincluding helicopter patrols,intelligence-led policing anddisruption of the supply chainfor stolen copper.

Following a pilot scheme inYorkshire all scrap metalmerchants in Sheffield,Rotherham and Doncaster arenow fully registered with localauthorities and all have beenvisited to make surebook-keeping is up to scratch.

A number of recent courtcases have reinforced therailway authorities’ intentionto bring offenders to justice.


PERFORMANCE: 89.0%




FLEET MILES BETWEEN FAULTSOVER THE LAST YEAR:Class 170 – 20,241(+19 year-on-year)

Class 220 – 65,130(+52% year-on-year)

Class 221 – 55,864(+13% year-on-year)

HST – 31,227(+14% year-on-year)


AVERAGE TICKET PRICE:£11.33 (-1.1% year-on-year)

PASSENGER COUNTS:The % of counts successfullycompleted79% (last year 72%)

BusinessSTATS

An unexpected result!

Clampdown on cable theft

Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Nicky Weaver, centre,pictured with, left to right, Mark Sheldon, Matt Sheldon,

Martin Fake and Russ Gorman when they were specialguests of the club for the game against Plymouth Argyle.

OWLS LAY ON TREAT AFTER PRAISE FOR FANS

My Life

Emma, aged 33, who is based atCannon House, is a member of PEARS,the Personal Executive AssistantRegional Society. Her main job isproviding administrative support tothe Managing Director and assistingthe Executive team.

0740 I make the 20 minute drive in to work. I arriveearly – my actual start time is 0830. I havemy own work area next to Andy Cooper’soffice on the 5th floor of Cannon House. Onarrival I grab a coffee, check my emails andprepare for the day ahead. I work with aday-to-day ‘to do’ list which helps meprioritise my workload.

0845 Catch up on any outstanding issues withAndy. Go over any diary changes, make surehe is prepared for meetings later in the day.

0900Check everything is ready for this morning’sboard meeting. I have made up executivepacks for the seven directors, comprising ofmatters arising from the previous boardmeeting, meeting agenda and directors’reports and any proposals submitted by eachof the department heads. Place any lastminute documents in the Board Room,replenish the tea and coffee facilities, makesure the flip chart has enough paper anddownload any presentations.

0945 Meet and greet any external visitorswho might be arriving inreception.

1000 Monthly board meeting begins. I make a noteof any action points that are discussed oragreed during the meeting. Highlight issuesthat will need to be developed afterwards.

1230Short break for lunch – the timing is flexible.

1400Board meeting ends. I start to write up my

notes, check any messages, emails and answerany immediate queries. Log any post that hasarrived and scan letters into electronic fileready for Andy’s review.

1430To Birmingham Hippodrome where I meet theevents organiser to discuss the arrangementsfor the six-monthly Senior ManagementConference which is to take place shortly.I chose the IMI suite sponsored by the RoyalBallet as the venue for these conferences,soon after I started my job. It has natural light– very important.

1530Back at Cannon House I finalise hotelbookings for the next staff forum, where threedirectors take two days out of their diary tospend time on the frontline away from theiroffice base. I’m a stickler for detail – I makesure the dietary needs of each participant aremet.

1600I spend time catching up with Andy andreviewing any post he has received, signinginvoices, discussing the appointments for theforthcoming week and giving any papers hewill need for meetings first thing on Monday.I also use this opportunity to list anyforthcoming priorities or meetings toschedule, ready to action on Monday.

1630Finish for the day.

1700Back home. Have tea with my partner andthen spend time in the garden where I amdeveloping a vegetable patch.

Emma Mason, PersonalAssistant to ManagingDirector Andy Cooper

Emma has a key role in the Executive Team’s

administration at head office.

facebook.com/crosscountrytrains14 XC Life Summer 2011

Emmaat work ather desk in

Cannon House.

a superb model train in our wordsearch competition

WIN

XC Life Summer 2011 15twitter.com/crosscountryuk

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CARVANBOATTAXITRAMBARGECOACHLINERLORRYTRAINWAGONYACHTLANDAUSLEIGHTANDEMBICYCLEPHAETONSCOOTERHORSEBOXAEROPLANECATAMARANMOTORBIKEHELICOPTERHOVERCRAFTSNOWMOBILEHOT AIR BALLOON

Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FOUR prizes including acollector’s item modelare up for grabs in ourSummer wordsearch.

The theme is forms oftransport, to reflectAshley Brown’svolunteering work atCrich Tramway Museum.

A Bachmann model of a OO Gauge Class 221 Voyager inCrossCountry livery is on offertogether with three High Streetvouchers.

Entries should arrive no laterthan 31 July. Only CrossCountryemployees are eligible to enter.

Simply ring the words in thegrid, cut it out and send it withyour name, address and phonenumber to:

Lee West, CommunicationsManager, CrossCountry,5th Floor, Cannon House,18 Priory Queensway,Birmingham B4 6BS.

THE WINNERS IN LAST ISSUE WERE:Jonny Alldridge, Driver, BirminghamWayne Haywood, Driver, DerbyGillian Nevins, Train Manager, Leeds

Plans torecogniserailmen’swartimecontribution

Pleaseindicatethe prize you wouldlike to win in order ofpreference by putting numbers in theboxes.

If the top choice is the model train,write 1 in the box. For your secondchoice write 2 etc.

OO GAUGE CLASS 221 VOYAGER ■£25 SPA FINDER GIFT CARD ■£20 H&M GIFT CARD ■£20 PLAYSTATION NETWORK CARD ■

CROSSCOUNTRY staff are beingasked for their help inidentifying, finding andrecording all memorials to railstaff who died in World War 1.

With the centenary of thestart of the conflict not far offin 2014, Customer ServicesDirector Jeremy Higgins is keento bring interested rail stafftogether in this project whichhe hopes will culminate in aseries of services or dedicationof memorials.

Jeremy, who has embarkedon a personal quest to find outas much as he can aboutthose who died in the Great

War, would like to hear fromanyone who feels they can help.

At the same time, he isappealing to ex-servicemenamong CrossCountry staff, orpeople with relatives who haveserved in the Forces, to considersetting down their experiencesfor posterity.

Due to his own regiment’slinks with the Imperial WarMuseum Jeremy can put themin touch with a sound recordingarchivist who wants to collectmodern Forces experiences ontape.

Jeremy said: “My interestbegan when I was standing onLeamington Spa station afterreturning from service in Iraq.I saw a poster setting out thenames of ex-railway soldierswho had died and I realised thatnobody knows anything aboutthe people behind the names.

“Since then, through research,I have collected more than12,000 names, together withdetails of where they servedand what their previous jobwas.”

Much of Jeremy’s data hasbeen collected by matchingnames on railway memorialswith details at theCommonwealth War GravesCommission. He added: “Fiverailwaymen won VictoriaCrosses in World War 1. I feel itis important that the vitalcontribution of rail staff duringthe conflict should beremembered as we approachthe centenary of that war.”

Please contact Jeremy onjeremy.higgins@

crosscountrytrains.co.uk

16 XC Life Summer 2011 Published by CrossCountry Communications. Telephone 0121 2006115. [email protected]

IF you have a story for thestaff magazine pleasecontact Ron Quenby on07966 424382 or [email protected]

Call us withyour stories

GEORGE Pugh usescomputer skills to bringback memories of

yesteryear for relatives andfriends.

The Newcastle Train Managerrestores old pictures using digitaltechnology to revive the magic

of family celebrations andachievements. He also gives slideshows at birthday parties,tracking the lives of guests ofhonour through pictures, many ofwhich he has restored.

His proudest restoration is apicture of his mother,

Helen, when she was crownedMiss Celtic in 1959.

George also recently preparedpictures for the 75th birthdayparty of Mary Tweddle, themother of one of his golfing pals.

One of the restoredphotographs showedMary in 1966,modelling hot pants.“It’s great to be ableto revive memoriesfor the people closestto me,” said George.“They all appreciateseeing the pictureshow they originallylooked.”

Restoring images torevive memories

NEWCASTLE beatBirmingham 5-2 in theannual Brummie-Geordiefootball Challenge Cupheld at NorthumbriaUniversity Sports Centre.The trophy was presentedin a ceremony afterwardsto Tyler, the grandson ofNewcastle First Class Host Steve Lowthians.

HELPING youngsters learnthe art of playing golf is apriority for MatthewStratford. The Bristol TrainManager is studying for aLevel 1 PGA qualificationso that he can develop histeaching role at KnowleGolf Club.

He has already givenuseful tips to theyoungsters aged six to 17at the club, where he playsoff a handicap of seven.“The qualification will putme in a good position toalso help out at countylevel,” he said.

A ‘before andafter’ exampleof how Georgetransforms oldphotographs –this was one ofhis mother,who wascrowned MissCeltic in 1959.

GeorgePugh working

at his computerto digitallyrestore old

photographs.

You can view all the photographs in this issue and many others wedidn’t have room for in the picture gallery on the CrossCountry intranet

Matt coachesyoung golfers

Geordies winchallenge cup

xc life summer 2011

Documents

network rail

mcnulty rail value

uk rail costs

rail gourmetwe

better value

money study

page threeour value

money andlower costs