Chocks away!

Telegrammed by our man at 222 Marylebone Road
It's not just Eurostar passengers who are deserting rail for air.

Miriam Lea, Tom Harris' gamine head of rail at the DfT press desk, has been promoted to a strategic comms role in the Aviation Directorate.

Her ability to take on board the most tedious number crunching questions from the gricerati and come back with answers on everything from IEP to the mythical 1300 extra vehicles will be sadly missed.

Miriam many congratulations on your promotion, but who now will make sense of DafT pronouncements?

Airway robbery

With services through the Chunnel severely restricted BA is busy making hay whilst the sun shines.

According to the Evening Standard the airline is quoting fares of £600 between London and Paris.

It's nice to know the spirit of Lord King lives on.

Cashrail

Telegrammed by the RSM
With the Lib Dems focusing on public sector costs it's interesting to note that at Crossrail people have been trousering salaries guaranteed to make Vince Cable wince.

With many senior staff recruited through the 'back door' (ie consultants) the full timers who get final salary pensions, health Insurance and often free First Class rail travel, are doing very nicely at the taxpayers expense.

• Managing Director Delivery circa £175,000
• Corporate Affairs Director circa £135,000 (part time)
• Legal Services Director circa £120,000
• Human Resources Director circa £100,000
• Delivery Programme Manager circa £95,000

What's more most of them will probably have retired by the time they get round to digging the first tunnel.

A nice sinecure when you remember that Crossrail is currently only running an idea - rather than actually operating a railway.