Aerodrome news - No HS2 for Heathrow

This from the Gruaniad...

No Heathrow direct link in high speed rail plans

Looking good for Birmingham International then.

Eurostar - Is it a bum bag?

Good to see that Eurostar, and its suppliers, now have the hang of this Social Media thingy.

This from @jamieburdett, via Twitter...

Here's a pic of our new bag for Eurostar Train Managers, made from their own waste.

The Fact Compiler's flabber is well and truly gasted.

Pointless signs - Birmingham Snow Hill

This from the Commuter...

They're making staff redundant...

They're cutting back at 102 New Street...

They can't afford to put station staff and train crew under equal conditions...


...but they can afford a flashy new sign to replace one that Centro put up less then less than two years ago.

UPDATE: This from The Archer...

Could the Commuter just check-in with Eye so we all know he / she's OK after taking such a dangerous photo.

I can only hope that the Commuter took refuge in that railway friendly shopping plaza just opposite Snow Hill station; the Great Western Arcade.

I'll get my coat.

UPDATE: This from Chionanthus Virginicus...

Shurely that's not the good Captain D at the entrance, about to "Shooter" back south ?

UPDATE: This, apparently, just in from Josef Pilates (but The Fact Compiler has his doubts)...

With that posture? Certainly not.

Any further slurs on the efficacy of my system could result in legal proceedings.

Ad Sales News - it's getting desperate out there!

Exciting news from the world of publishing!

Apparently the ad-sales team from a set up called Public Sector Information Limited (note NOT the Office of Public Sector Information) have been hitting the phones trying to flog space in a mag called Transport Business International (nope, Eye neither).

Amongst the more interesting embellishments being used to get hard pressed marketing departments to part with their scarce cash is the promise to:

"...give you the data base of 11,000 contacts at network rail ,metrenet,mott mcdonald,Gifford,bombardier.carrillion,lul,docklands light rail And many many more."

Aside from the piss poor spelling and punctuation, at least one of the companies mentioned has ceased to exist.

No matter.

What counts in the world of publishing is offering added value!

Happily the 11,000 people allegedly in receipt of this splendid publication can now look forward to a barrage of letters and emails from advertisers they ignored first time round.

Trebles and bow-ties all round.

Wolmar makes my heart proud! says Gecko

This just in from Gordon Gecko...

According to Wolmar's blog the arch capitalist will only give talks if he can sell his books to an adoring public afterwards.

When the bleeding heart lefties of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation thought this was a bit, er, commercial, for a learned society they pulled the plug on booksales, talk and all.

A furious Wolmar has given the CIHT both barrels on-line, suggesting "highway engineers frequently create street environments that are cluttered, ugly and not fit for purpose".

That's real capitalism for you - red in tooth and claw!

Lookalike - The bearded version

Adonis hires special train for April railtour - Shocker

With a bowler tip to Wired via @tonyveitchUK.

DfT needs to be "more realistic" says TSC

This just issued by the Transport Select Committee..

The Committee says the Department generally has a good story to tell, but it is critical of the over-optimistic performance reporting by the Department.

Mrs Ellman said "The Department for Transport needs to be more realistic about trends and its achievements. It reports strong progress on reducing carbon dioxide emissions from transport when, in fact, they have increased since 2000 and are unlikely to reduce before 2020. It has reported efficiency savings which cannot be verified and some efficiency measures-such as the shared services centre-have cost money instead of saving it."

Indeed.

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...

Does the TSC make any reference to DfT Rail's interpretation of the laws of physics which seems to come under their strictures?

ASLEF's Moss joins twitter...

This just in from the Laird of all he Surveys...

I read this with interest in my March ASLEF Journal:

How will ASLEF members react to the age of Twitter?

Alan Moss, secretary of ASLEF's national Virgin Trains safety committee is determined to find out.

He says, 'In a attempt to move forward with technology I've set up a Twitter account in my role as a health and safety rep.

I'll make it short and sweet and newsy for a trail period to ascertain if it's worth doing. I'll let you know if I keep it going'.

Alan's Twitter account can be found here.

Eye welcomes Alan Moss to twitter.