Steve Davies pots black at NRM!

This from the Doncaster Free Press...

Steve Davies will join the NRM at a date to be agreed in the New Year, from his position as Director of the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) in Manchester.


Judging by this picture he might, just, make an honorary railwayman...

UPDATE: This from Driver Potter...

TFC has clearly lost his marbles; Mr Davies fails to score in the following vital areas;

• No high-vis,
• No hard-hat in case of Health and Safety,
• Looks pleased to be at work.

He also appears to be passing water vapour from the rear.

Clearly his fusible plug has gone...

Return of the Parly

This from the Daily Telegraph..

If Sir Christopher Kelly has achieved nothing else, he has provoked an unprecedented level of interest in railway timetables among our MPs.

A big welcome back to the Parliamentary Train.

Arriva announces interims tomorrow

City excitement as Arriva prepares to unveil interim management results tomorrow.

But with the market distinctly twitchy the Eye thought it might be helpful to introduce this splendid new logo.

Just in case.

HS2 to be rebranded - Shocker

This gem from Anthony Smith at this afternoon's Transport Select Committee:

"High Speed Rail should be renamed 'Big Rail'."

Let's hope Passenger Focus is never asked to market rail services.

Men from the ministry of a similar hue...

A reader asks if the Fact Compiler can spot any parallels in the following report...

Review into the loss of the RAF Nimrod MR2 Aircraft XV230:

"But for the delays in the Nimrod MRA4 replacement programme, XV230 would probably have no longer have been flying in September 2006, because it would have reached its Out-of-Service Date and already been scrapped or stripped for conversion.

"The history of Procurement generally in the MOD has been one of years of major delays and cost overruns. This has had a baleful effect on In-Service Support and safety and airworthiness generally.

"Poor Procurement practices have helped create ‘bow waves’ of deferred financial problems, the knock-on effects of which have been visited on In-Service Support, with concomitant change, confusion, dilution, and distraction as occurred in the post-Strategic Defence Review period..."

He's not wrong!

Khan to suffer Pilgrimage of Grimace

It's good to see that egalitarian principles thrive and prosper in the Department for Transport.

Whilst the ermine clad Noble Lord luxuriated on the cushions during his Pilgrimage of Grice, it appears that his junior must slum it on the omnibus.

This via Twitter...

@transportgovuk: Suggestions invited for Sadiq Khan’s mystery traveller bus tour

Eye suggests that Sadiq sends his boss!

Amendments to the Rule Book published

Eye has received the following Rule Book amendments from Our man in the 4 Foot.

Please ensure that you are fully conversant with them prior to booking on/giving up the will to live.

RuleBook
XS01

Elf 'n' Safety - committed to making even the simplest task nigh on impossible to perform.

Lookalike - About us the waifs

Fowl play?

WTF?

1

28/10/2009 09:39

2D08 reported an ostrich on the track between Ufford and Wickham Mkt. 1D03 confirmed same near bridge 435. Ips MOM attended but nothing found, NWR from 0935.

xxxxxx

NR

And before you ask...

No, it wasn't an emu!

Sparks porn

This also from NR's RUS press release today...

• 50% cheaper to run electric trains over diesel equivalents

• 33% cheaper to maintain

• Electric trains are 90% more reliable (21k miles per break-down compared to 11k on average for diesels)

• Electrification can pay for itself with cost savings outweighing the up-front investment

• Up to 30% less CO2

Just thought you might like to know...

UPDATE: This just in from Roger Ford...

According to Network Rail's fighting pro-electrification press release electric trains are 90% more reliable than diesel.

So what has happened to Captain Deltic's provocative champagne challenge for the first IC125 diesel fleet to get above the Class 390 electric Pendolinos in the Golden Spanners rankings?

UPDATE: This from a less than convinced Mr Saltaire...

The current lobbying for electrification by Network Rail could, in the eyes of a cynic, be seen as a supplier that is in a dominant position seeking to cement the market’s dependence upon it.

The railway is a system of which the train is a part.

A recent written answer to a parliamentary question highlighted the fact that train cancellations on electrified routes far outweigh those on diesel routes.

When assessing the reliability of diesel trains vs electric trains, this major factor should be taken into account.

Also, the railway’s ability to promote its green credentials by electrification is heavily dependent upon electricity generators producing green energy.

The UK’s electricity is set to become LESS green over the next twenty years, as older nuclear power stations are shut down, without replacements having been built and brought on stream.

Ironically, it would appear that the UK’s only potential method of maintaining the current proportion of green electricity for the foreseeable future would be to import more electricity via under sea cables from France, where they appear to have got their act together!

NR calls for electrification to Sheffield

Wise words from Network Rail...

Network Rail’s chief executive Iain Coucher said: “Passengers would see enormous benefits from further electrification with faster, quieter, smoother, greener journeys.

"The case for the Midland Main Line is extremely strong. Affordability and bringing down the cost of such projects are key if they're to get the green-light."

Of course were the Midland Main Line to be electrified sooner rather than later the IEP might even start to make sense...

UPDATE: This just in from Chris Milner via Faceache...

Nice to see the dunces at the back of the class have finally woken up.

Add Sheffield to Doncaster and Derby to Proof house jct and you have a decent electrified network.

UPDATE: This just in from Peter Mark Roget...

Sir - Can I point out that the conjunction of 'IEP' and 'Making sense' is an oxymoron

UPDATE: This just in from the Raver...

So the government says it wants two lines to be electrified but rules out Sheffield for the time being as too expensive, then Network rail presses for it, claiming the idea for the first two was all its own, when, in fact, John Armitt was adamantly opposed to electrification of the Great Western, using environmental arguments as well as cost.

NR seems to have a way of winding up the government which does not bode well for its long term future.