Friday 31 July 2009

2009 Railway Garden Competition #XVII

This just in from the 'Clapham Gardener'...

Recent criticism of Network Rail's vegetation control seems to be producing results.

Have a close look at this picture.


Our infrastructure chums now appear to be manicuring their Railway Gardens!


Has shame induced one of NR's bonus laden directors to max out the credit card on B&Q strimmers?

NatEx - going from bad to worse?

This from Accountancy Age...

The future of railway group National Express is under a cloud after Ernst & Young raised doubts over the troubled transport giant's ability to continue.

At least the weather in the United Arab Emirates is nice.

Eye wonders whether Beau Bowker will be sending a postcard to his former Davis Street colleagues?

ROSCOs: Leasing explained

2009 Railway Garden Competition #XVI - Teutonic Efficiency

The Eye has been pretty hard on Network Rail in recent months over its Railway Gardens.

And just to show that NR is not alone in facing a problem with vegetation control (
shurely neglecting to kill weeds, Ed) here is a picture of DB Schenker managed infrastructure at Northampton.


The Eye wonders if this sort of neglect would be tolerated on DB's home patch?

Perhaps readers visiting the Reich this summer could advise?


UPDATE: This from 'Alias Interail'...

Further to your comment about railway gardens in the Fatherland, here’s a shot (taken from a level crossing) of a typical freight loading facility at Walldorf, near Meiningen in the former DDR, last autumn.


As you can see, DB’s drive for ‘efficiency’ in the run-up to privatisation means that weed clearance is taken just as seriously there as it is here...


The Fact Compiler stands corrected.

If DB can't manage vegetation at home what hope in this Sceptered Isle?

Rain on me

This from a soggy Nottinghamshire reader...

Passengers boarding yesterday's 12:15 St Pancras to Nottingham all got drenched as the wind and rain combined - it really was dreadful.

And as the picture below shows the platform was transformed into a giant skating rink - putting the life and limbs of passengers and staff alike at risk.


Perhaps London and Continental should pay more attention to station canopy design and domestic passenger comfort rather than champagne bars and whizzy retail outlets...

Sadiq says...

Via Twitter...

On the 7.30 from st pancras to nottingham where I'll be announcing approval for the nottingham tram extension.

Eye asks how can you announce something in Nottingham when you've just given it away on Twitter?