It's Grand up North!

***December '08 graph showing two Grand Union paths to Bradford***

Loo Roll unrolls

Whilst TfL busies itself absorbing Metronet, and BoJo worries how to get the Big Grin Engine to cough up for Crossrail, it now looks as if the wheels are coming off at London Rail.

It's not been a happy ship over at the joint MTR/Laing Rail venture in recent weeks with a host of operating professionals voting with their feet.

The Fact Compiler hears that they are soon to be one short of an Operations Director as well.

One wonders how the news will play in Berlin and Honkers - if Shooter tells them of course.

Popster defends NR overruns

Coucher-Tiger-Hidden-Dragon and other residents of the Black Tower will be heartened to see that they have a doughty defender in aged popster & kettle-crank Pete Waterman.

According to yesterday's Coventry Telegraph Pete believes that the recent £14m fine imposed on NR by the Office of Rail Regulation was unjust.

"It's outrageous that the company trying to make it work is fined. Off course work overruns. If you tried to carry out repairs at home like putting in a new toilet and you pulled out an old pipe work would overrun."

The analogy is apt - in both cases one ends up covered in shit - although perhaps best not to talk it Pete.