Yoghurt Rail goes multimodal?

First there was Yoghurt Rail...

Now there's Yoghurt Air!

Coming to an aerodrome near you soon.

Bluebell asks for Eye's help!

Eye understands that there is some form of competition on the Devil's Lantern tonight.

Apparently it has the potential to help the Bluebell Railway convert a coach so that the mobility impaired can enjoy the railway.

This from Poser 500...

Any chance of a plug on your blog?

Later this evening, the ITV Meridian East region (essentially Kent & Sussex) local television news programme at 6pm will include a film detailing the Bluebell's prospective project.

Four other projects have already gone two-by-two on Monday and Tuesday. The runner up over the three days with the most votes will also receive a grant.

And this from the Bluebell Railway's website...

The People's Millions - Bluebell Railway project - Please vote for us today

Our project to restore London Chatham & Dover Railway carriage No.51 as our wheel-chair accessible Victorian carriage project needs your support today.

Please ring: 0871 626 88 51 between 9am and Midnight today, Wednesday 25th November

Calls cost 10p each from land-lines; calls via other operators may cost more. Only UK originated calls are counted.

See The People's Millions web site for more details.

Vote early...

Tories can't take support of the railways for granted

This from railway peer Lord Bradshaw in yesterday's debate on the Queen's speech...

I should say to the noble Baroness, Lady Wilcox, that this is also a challenge to the Conservatives. We do not buy very easily into the idea that they were first in the field with high-speed rail. I remember working for the railway when a Conservative Government sent a member to the British Railways Board with a remit to preside over the orderly running-down of the railway, so I will take no lessons from them on that.

Indeed.

IEP - Money down the drain

Telegrammed by Ithuriel
According to this written answer from Chris Mole MP on March 24

From 2005 to October 2009, the Department for Transport has spent £21 million on the Intercity Express Programme. This resource has included financial, procurement, programme management, technical, legal, industry, business case and other specialist advice required to ensure the successful delivery of a project of the scale of the Intercity Express Programme. This figure should be considered in the context of the Intercity Express Programme contract value of £7.5 billion.

Now, since the preferred bidder Agility Trains is struggling to raise £500 million in funding to get the project off the ground...

And since this will only buy around 170 vehicles...

And since DfT Rail is still talking about starting on the East Coast Main Line...

And since this would mean replacing the IC225 fleet prematurely and result in a substantially higher train leasing cost...

And since Great Western Electrification is still at an early stage and is unlikely to be completed before 2017...

And since the cautious civil servants at DfT Rail who aren't 'cranks' are discussing with the ROSCOs life extension of IC125 to 2035...

That £21 million is a scandalous waste of money and the project should be cancelled forthwith!

And before putting his name to answers like this Moley should ask for a breakdown of where that spurious £7.5 billion figure comes from.

Mystic Griffiths improves RAIB's performance

This from William Dargan...

After years of playing catchup it now appears that the Rail Accident and Investigation Branch are able to investigate and publish reports into events before they even happen!


How very reassuring.