Barbielino confirmed!

This from the FT...

Britain’s most profitable train franchise could be taken back into state hands following a government decision to delay the auction of the West Coast service amid an overhaul of the rail system...

Virgin may have its franchise extended for the intervening nine months but, with a deal yet to be resolved, the government is considering handing the management of the service to Directly Operated Railways, the taxpayer-funded organisation that runs the East Coast line.

Eye presumes that the Competition Commission will take a close interest in one operator running both East and West Coast franchises...

UPDATE: This from Leo Pink...

Good to see the Pink 'un catching up with the story in Sunday's Observer by Dan Milmo confirming the suspension of the Intercity West Coast Franchise bidding (actually a story Eye broke last Thursday! Ed).

And even better to see that the FT stylebook still mandates the adjective 'lucrative' in the first reference to any franchise.

Sooo 1990s.

Pointless signs - Glasgow Central

This from the Rover...

This pointless sign pictured at Glasgow Central station on Sunday

Good to see the word 'passengers' in there, as well as a stray apostrophe for amusement.


In the spirit of the new Scottish politics presumably the entrances have already voted for independence?

Pointless signs - Leeds station

This from Steve...

Taken at Leeds on Sunday prior to the departure of the 09:44 EMT service to St. Pancras. You may notice that whilst Loughborough and Wellingborough get full listing Market Harborough doesn't.

The stops for East Midlands Parkway and Luton Airport Parkway seem to have been processed through an Enigma coding machine before being listed in text speak SHOUTING fashion.


One hopes that this trend isn't extended across the system - Penis for Penistone, WANCOM for Wandsworth Common?