Head of East Coast Main Line on the wireless today

You and Yours on BBC Radio 4 today promises an interview with "the woman who has taken over the East Coast Main Line".

As Eye is unsure whether this refers to Elaine Holt or Karen Boswell he will be listening in.

Tune in at 12:00.

UPDATE: Elaine Holt confirms on-air that there are "no plans to take on any more franchises".

Looks like the Noble Lord's Cross Default threat has been relegated to the pi$$ and wind department.

UPDATE: This from a pedantic Chionanthus virginicus...

I don't wish to be pedantic but Ms Holt actually said

"...there are no plans from my perspective to take in any more train companies..." .

Perhaps there may be others who do have plans...???

It's jolly easy to be clever with Listen Again! Eye stands corrected.

A co-operative open access operator?

This from Rail-news.com...

Go! Co-operative www.go-now.coop, is gathering momentum in its aim to become the UK’s first co-operatively-owned Train Operating Company (TOC), and has appointed three new board members to take the organisation forward to operational stage.

Apparently the first route proposed "will enhance cross country connections in Somerset and Wiltshire".

Alas, as yet, there is no record of a track access application from the company on the ORR website.

Very strange.

UPDATE: This from Alex Lawrie, a Director of Go! Co-op...

Thanks for taking an interest - but as I'm sure you know, there is a lot of work to do before we are able to put in a track access application.

We need to get some credible demand forecasts, check the capacity on the the route, and form innumerable partnerships in order to satisfy the necessary requirements for railway operations.

I wouldn't want to raise expectations too high - but we have now cut our shortlist of possible routes to two, and the support of our founder members is enabling us to commission the detailed work they require.

We also have other public transport projects that we are pursuing in parallel.

Watch this space...

Sadiq says...

Via Twitter...

On 815, St Pancras- Nottingham. Cabinet is meeting there, 2pm. Using time before to continue my Bus tour (once off the train, smart alecs!)

At least Sadiq has a sense of humour.

Waverail promises the return of the slip-coach?

Exciting news from Upside-down Land

This courtesy of Cocky in the Colonies...

I thought you may be amused by this proposal that has been suggested to relieve Sydney's public transport problems.

Called Waverail it seems to operate on the following principles (click on the image to see the animated version)...


Some obvious questions appear to have been overlooked:

If you get on at one station and want to get off at the next, how are you supposed to get from one end of the train to the other in time?

How are you supposed to read your free newspaper in the morning when you have to keep moving forward to avoid being left behind?

A splendid effort none the less and one that will no doubt attract the interest of transport planners in our own dear DfT.

UPDATE: This from @sharpsharp via Twitter...

Walking down the train to get off is one thing. Walking up the train to stay on will be more of a problem. #WaveRail

Nobody elected Eurocrat

Lady Who-wot appointed to post of High Representative


She rose without trace.