This from The Hoots-mon...
According to the BBC on HS2:
"Can a railway be worth £121m per mile?"
Mere bagatelle!
Consider the triumph that is the Edinburgh tram system. £1billion for 8 miles = £125m per mile.
So. Time for a new unit of HS2 cost: for each 'Edinburgh Mile' you get £4m change.
Bargain!
This from Leo Pink...
According to the Thamelink, Southern and Great Northern invitation to tender:
Publicity
The outcome of a rail franchise competition is of national significance within the United Kingdom and is likely to attract public and media attention. Bidders shall not and shall ensure that their Representatives, Affiliates and their Affiliates’ Representatives shall not (i) issue any press notice, press release or statement in relation to the franchise letting process or their Bid without the prior written consent of the Secretary of State; or (ii) use media or communication channels in a way that might reflect adversely and unfairly on the industry, its participants or the integrity or outcome of the competition.
Quite so.
On no account should the integrity of the DfT be questioned, no matter what the outcome of the competition.
Good to see lessons from the West Coast fiasco have been well and truly learned in Marsham Street!
This from The 10 Cities...
Eye favourite Beardie Branson hosted two weekends of parties this month - to thank Virgin Trains' employees for hitting record satisfaction scores of 92%!
To enable onboard staff to share in the celebrations, without impacting on customers, a number of office managers volunteered to help aboard trains.
Alas!
The RMT responded by balloting for industrial action over managers doing members' jobs!
Railways - dontcha love 'em?
Good news for fans of the crumbled edge of quality!
According to the Yorkshire Post...
CHANNEL Tunnel high-speed train company Eurostar is bidding to
operate a key rail route which runs between London and Scotland via
Yorkshire.
Eurostar is launching a joint bid with French company Keolis to run the East Coast line.
No doubt Eurostar's high quality rolling stock (sic) will convince the DfT that the company should also be entrusted with the UK's premier InterCity route?
UPDATE: This from Entraineur Rugby...
I must take issue with your shabby-chic vision of a Eurostar-run East Coast service.
They
are quite clear in the Yorkshire Post article that they are only
looking for a minority stake.
Surely they won't be in charge of the
trains?
Probably just the website.
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