Monday 2 March 2009

Fuzzy pop

Let's raise a glass to the brave Boys in Blue!

This from the Daily Mail...

"Police chiefs were condemned last night after a £200,000 investigation was launched into two officers who shared five bottles of Vimto they found by a railway line."

The Eye commends their bravery...

Having seen what people put in bottles and then discard about the railway.



Roscos in from the cold!

The Fact Compiler noticed that the red carpet had been rolled out at Marsham Street today.

Surely nothing to do with the visit of three shadowy figures who were seen entering DfT Towers but moments later.

Once the coats, hats and false beards had been removed who did we spy but the three Rosco MDs - taking tea as honoured guests of My Lord Adonis & Secretary of State Geoff Hoon!

Eye presumes that this has nothing do with funding the IEP... or Thameslink fleet... or London Midland vehicles... or Tramtrains...

More likely a Best Practice Club!

After all, raising capital for new trains is a doddle - isn't it?

MacCranks embrace ITSO

Exciting news from Scottish heritage railways

Transport Scotland is planning to introduce an integrated ticketing system based on smart card technology.

Quick off the mark, the Heritage Railway Association's Scottish Committee is lobbying hard to be part of the scheme from day one.

Alas, south of the border, the luddites still rule.

Despite a trial with Season Ticket holders on the Windsor-Staines route, SWT "is still in discussion with the Department for Transport to finalise timescales for (Oyster) rollout to other lines on the network".

A mere five and a half years after the cards were first introduced.

Awaiting the call

Telegrammed by our Independent Expert
'Weak and ineffective'.


That's how the report by Price Waterhouse Coopers, leaked to the Gruaniad this morning, describes the non-executive board members of Network Rail.

Perhaps time, therefore, that NR reappraised the selection process for its Public Members, and ended the process of repudiating applications from knowledgeable Railway Eyers, such as the Independent Expert and Captain Deltic.


If called upon we're happy to serve...

UPDATE: This from the Pink 'Un today (Tuesday 3rd March)...

Decision-making could be more effective if the number of members were reduced to about 30, if some were paid to improve attendance and if more secretarial and analytical support were provided, to help members to follow the company’s performance in more detail.

Well if there's cash in it we're even more interested!



Non-runner

Looks like Arriva Cross Country has given up trying to appeal to female passengers.

The lame franchise has signed up the face of Channel 4 Racing, and super-misogynist, John McCririck to front a campaign for rail travel to Cheltenham Races.


McCririck earned the ire of the sisterhood by accusing Germaine Greer of "encouraging women to be above themselves".

He also managed to get himself thrown off Alan Titchmarsh's TV show for describing fellow guest Ingrid Tarrant as a "ghastly woman", whose estranged husband Chris cheated on her because she was no good in bed.

Mind you it's good news for McCririck, whose appearences on Channel 4 last year were reduced by 25% at the behest of TV bosses.

In the immortal words of McCririck: "Toerags behave yourself".