Spot the Operator #4

And this one stretching the rule slightly.

Using your skill and judgment can you identify this well known Railway Operator who retired last week?


Answers please on a postcard to The Connect Project...

Spot the Operator #3

And yet one more for your consideration, this with an Underground theme.

Using your skill and judgment can you identify this well known lady Railway Operator?


Answers please on a postcard to the Metropolitan Railw... ooops, line.

Spot the Operator #2

And one more for your delectation and delight

Using your skill and judgment can you identify this well known Railway Operator?


Answers please on a postcard to Virgin Trains...

More please...

Spot the Operator #1

An exciting new competition from the Eye!

Using your skill and judgment can you identify this well known Railway Operator?


Answers please on a postcard to East Midlands Trains...

UPDATE: This from Shiny Shoes...

Great to see Shoveller shunting - mind you he was a guard at some point in his early career - so not afraid of getting his hands dirty.

But what's this?!

Undertaking probably one of the most risky jobs on the railway without correct PPE - where's your bump hat?

Surely a case of 'do as I say - not as I do'. East Mids shunters please take note (if such a thing still exists).

By the way the 'hanging gardens of Crewe' are slowly being removed.

Not on!

This from Police Oracle...

A British Transport Police officer investigating reports of suspected cable thieves near Langley Mill railway station, Derbyshire has been seriously assaulted by one of the suspects.

The incident occurred around 00:30 hours on Sunday, 27 September, after police reacted to a report of intruders lineside in the vicinity of Milnhay Road, some 300 yards south of Langley Mill station.

Anyone with information relating to this incident is urged to contact British Transport Police urgently on Freefone 0800 405040 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111

Waterman apologises...

This from Pete's Blog...

Apologies to Model Rail

'Nuff said.

Musings on referendum promises...

Forgive me...

...but weren't we previously promised a referendum by this government?

Once bitten, twice shy.

More changes at London Midland - still doomed

As predicted by the Eye there have been further developments at beleaguered London Midland.

Yesterday LM errr... misplaced its Ops Director, Andy Thomas.

Steve Law has been drafted in as acting replacement.

Sources suggest that the axe hasn't stopped swinging yet...

UPDATE: This from 37422...

It gets worse.

Thanks to the train crew payments farce, Station Managers are now unable to buy any stores without finance director sign off.

Bring your own bog roll!

The RMT company council have advised LM that all station grade RMT members will be re-balloted for the Sunday payments.

Vacancies remain unfilled and stations remain closed as a consequence.

Happy days.

I give it until December before LM joins the WNXX pool.

Resco goes into Administration

***Farewell then to Resco - which appointed Administrators yesterday***

Conference news - Battle of the Fringe

Telegrammed by Party Animal
A busy evening in Brighton last night.

With at least three industry soirees taking place there was fierce competition to see who could attract the best speakers.

Whilst Bombardier and Network Rail had to make do with Lord Adonis one cheeky Open Access operator secured the PM for its Northern Night do!


Let's hope arch-blogger Guido Fawkes isn't correct in describing him as Jonah Brown...

UPDATE: This from NR's Internet Rapid Rebuttal Unit...

Not just Adonis.

Network Rail also had Amir Khan who is, of course, the face of our No Messin' campaign.

Meanwhile might the term 'Jonah Brown' be better applied to soi disant 'veteran observer' and Grand Central PR monkey Brennan-Brown?

NR exposes RAIL's secret HS2 plans- Shocker

This just in from Network Rail's Internet Rapid Rebuttal Unit...

Our friends at RAIL magazine were less than complimentary about our plans for high-speed rail in the new lines study.

However, we at Network Rail can always accept constructive criticism.

So we were thrilled to learn that Peterborough's finest minds have actually come up with their own high-speed proposal.


This leaked map proves, as ever, the magazine has got right the detailed analysis that Britain's 21st century rail system needs.

UPDATE: This, surprisingly, from the late Kenneth Williams...

These concerted attacks on RAIL by the high speed line fantasists remind me of my favourite line from my role as Caesar in Carry on Cleo.

'Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me'.

Isn't it about time for Jim Steer to have a go at Nije 'n' Phil? Otherwise people might think that Greengauge is not a proper grown up pressure group.

Stop messin' about Jim.

UPDATE: This, unsurprisingly, from Nigel Harris...

How can the alleged HSR map from NR's Internet Rapid Rebuttal Unit (IRRU) possibly be taken seriously?

If it really WAS the product of ‘Peterborough’s finest’ then, as any fule kno, it would go via Rose Grove and Copy Pit...

Perhaps all those pre-holiday fillings have addled the IRRU's brain?

UPDATE: This from a Mr D Lane, who appears to dabble in such things...

I would label this as the "Big W" or 'Woolworths' Plan.

'Nuff said, I think!

UPDATE: This from Leo Pink...

Surely Nigel's preferred route would run from Peterborough to Leicester, thence direct to Manchester London Road...

UPDATE: This just in from Phil Haigh...

Since my gaffer's stuck his oar into this one, I might as well offer a view too...

With my frequent journeys between London, Peterborough, York and Newcastle, the East Coast Main Line will do me quite well enough.

All it needs is 140mph trains.

But wait, didn't BR introduce these in the 1990s...?