New Chairman of HS2 announced!

This from Jeanne d'Arc de Triomphe... 

Attendees at Thursday's National Rail Awards were treated to a scoop in the event programme!

Apparently a suitable broom cupboard is already under construction...

Scotrail to run Manchester rail services - Shocker

This from the Vice Marshall... 

A small presentational error at Thursday's Greengauge 21 HS2 conference in Birmingham, when the Scottish Transport Minister was the speaker following Sir Richard Lees, leader of Manchester City Council.

 The slide was corrected after about 10 minutes.

HS2balls, or 'The Silence of the Lords'

Westminster and Brighton alight today with suggestions that Labour is wobbling on HS2

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said in his set piece conference speech:

"We continue to back the idea of a new north-south rail link.

"But under this government the HS2 project has been totally mismanaged and the costs have shot up to £50bn.

"David Cameron and George Osborne have made clear they will go full steam ahead with this project - no matter how much the costs spiral up and up. They seem willing to put their own pride and vanity above best value for money for the taxpayer.
 
"Labour will not take this irresponsible approach. So let me be clear, in tough times - when there is less money around and a big deficit to get down - there will be no blank cheque from me as a Labour Chancellor for this project or for any project.

"Because the question is - not just whether a new high-speed line is a good idea or a bad idea, but whether it is the best way to spend £50bn for the future of our country."

Andrew Adonis has mostly not been tweeting about HS2 today...

RMT unveils new negotiation tool - Shocker

This courtesy of @RMTLondon...

No surprises there then!

Railway Garden Competition - Victoria

This from Tiny Sleigh...

Note the bush growing on the station roof which compliments this platform 8 pastoral idyll.

HS2 - the fight back begins...

The Fact Compiler's latest column in Passenger Transport published on the 13th September...

The next edition of Passenger Transport is published on the 27th September.