Through the wonders of MMS the following communication reaches The Fact Compiler.
It reads...
Captain Deltic's contribution to the 2009 Railway Garden Competition:
Eye imagines Iain Coucher saying "Pah! Amateurs".
Good news for East Midlands Trains passengers!
This from the Independent...
Some rail passengers will have to fork out for fare rises of up to 145 per cent from next week.
The East Midlands Trains company is making alterations to some of its Travelcard tickets which will affect passengers travelling in the morning from Market Harborough, Kettering and Wellingborough to London.
Presumably Stagecoach supremo Brian Souter needs all the pennies he can get if he is to buy the rail and bus businesses of the doomed National Express Group.
Meanwhile, don't expect DafT to kick up a fuss over EMT's swinging fare increases.
If Souter can raise the necessary gee-gaws to buy C2C and NXEA it will save DafT the public humiliation of testing Cross Default in court.
Happy days!
UPDATE: This from A Train Driver Lost somewhere in EMT-land...
Pointless sign #11 isn't *entirely* pointless - in the areas of EMT-land where passenger intelligence is best described as limited, it can be almost embarrassing watching the darlings trying to open the doors by thumping the glass, kicking the body of the door, swearing at it or merely looking bemusedly at it because it hasn't magically opened for them.
Having a little sign pointing out that there's a nice button to press helps - at least for those who can read...
Nice to know our efforts are appreciated by the Eye though! ;o)
Eye is delighted to present the Hanging Gardens of Derby...
With a bowler tip to the Wicked Weaver...
A quid for a cup of hot water!
Compliments to Beardie Rail for allowing this mechanised mugging to take place at Rugby station.
This just in from JASB the Ninja...
I thought you'd like to see a couple more entries for the Railway Gardening Competition, both seen on a jolly family outing to Vectis on Bank Holiday Monday.
Here's the start of our trip at Hook. 
My son said that this was "lacking in colour", so it may not be a winning entry.
He also pointed out that the vegetation is beginning to obscure the bases for the new signals (which were installed about 18 months ago as part of the Basingstoke resignalling phase II or III ... but that's another story).
Here's what we found at the other end. 
Now this really is a Railway Garden.
It was installed on the disused Up platform at Shanklin some years ago (probably during Island Rail's short-lived period of UDI).
I think a machete is advised now if you want to admire its charms.
This just in from from Our Man in Bradway Tunnel...
Nice to see that there are still youngsters who are excited by the railway.
This from the BBC...
"The parents of a boy who has run away to try to catch a train have asked railway staff to put up warning posters to stop him getting into danger."
I note the young gentleman has tried to buy a ticket to leave Marden.
Can't say I blame him.
It's heartening to read this, though:
"Railway staff at stations all along the line from Tonbridge to Ashford now have pictures of Toby to help them keep a lookout for him should he try to get on a train again."
A bowler tip to staff on South Eastern - clearly they are taking their duty to their passengers seriously.
This just in from a Mr Malins...
I know the Eye has had a lot of fun with the Railway Garden Competition, and I trust we shall see more of the weedkilling train as a result, but are you ready to return to the theme of barriers? It deserves Eye's renewed attention.
I have a letter, signed by his Lordship DafT Vader concerning the work of his stationers Green and Hall:
"The stations standards initiative that I have set up will be focusing on getting the basic facilities right as well as considering the broader role of stations. It will not be looking at ticket gates."
The duo have been to Sheffield whereupon Sir Peter described the Stagecoach barrier scheme as "insane" and said he would have a word with Adonis.
So it's back to you Secretary of State.
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