Network Rail statement on Elsenham

Network Rail was today fined £1m after the company pleaded guilty to Health and Safety breaches at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Network Rail issued the following statement...

NETWORK RAIL STATEMENT FOLLOWING ELSENHAM HEARING

Thursday 15 Mar 2012 15:00

Following today's hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court, David Higgins, chief executive, Network Rail, said:

“On behalf of Network Rail I apologise for the mistakes made by us in this tragic case that contributed to the deaths of Olivia and Charlotte.

“Nothing we can say or do will lessen the pain felt by Olivia and Charlotte’s families but I have promised the families that we will make level crossings safer, and we will deliver on that promise.

“Fundamental changes to the way we manage and look after the country’s 6,500 level crossings have, and are being made. In recent years we have reassessed all of our crossings and closed over 500. There is still much to do and we are committed to doing what is necessary to improve our level crossings.”

ENDS

Peterborough mess room sign

Nice!

Villiers vignettes - rewriting history

This from Ithuriel...

From a written answer by Theresa Villiers on 6 March.

DfT asked the rail industry to look into the possibility of improving the existing fleet of diesel Cross Country Voyager trains by adding an additional carriage with a pantograph and upgrading the rest of the train.

DfT asked the industry?!?

Do they take us for fools?

Bombardier and HSBC Rail were pushing Project Thor for months, with zero interest, or rather, active opposition, from DfT which saw it as a threat to IEP.

Now they claim it is their own idea!

No doubt the next claim will be that Marsham Street had to lean on Alstom, Angel, East Coast and Virgin to run Tuesday's Pendolino trial.

Pointless signs - Derby

This one perhaps misses the point...


Sadly.

Thoughts on King's Cross western ticket hall

A brief reflection on the truly magnificent new western ticket hall at King's Cross.


At Broad Street we lost a station to development.

At Liverpool Street we gained retail and office space with platforms.

At King's Cross we actually get a station first and foremost, offering some retail opportunities.

Good effort.

Meanwhile, this picture from last night's gala opening.


Eye is tempted to caption it 'Partnership'...