Luvvie Wilson faces lifetime rail ban - Shocker

Much excitement in railway press offices across the land!

Luvvie Wilson has taken to the media trail to promote tomorrow's Channel 4 Dispatches programme.

The Sunday Times even devoted a whole page to the 74 year old, and former 90's celebrity, noting that he has:

"...never made a secret of his twin tastes for champagne and socialism.

"For the past twenty years Wilson has rarely encountered the ignominy of second-class..."

Indeed!

Eye is frankly surprised he can remember what class he travels nowadays, as clearly the years have taken their toll.

Sadly on a recent rail journey to Sheffield, with amazingly enough a film crew in tow, it emerged that the old boy had forgotten both his wallet and Senior Railcard!

Having paid a mere £15.85 for a first class return!!! the absent minded voice of the Labour Party manifesto, when asked to show his correct travel documentation, accused a hapless Gripper of calling him a liar.

Ed Balls would be proud!

No matter.

The industry will be watching tomorrow's programme with interest.

On the plus side Eye has spotted grounds to ensure that Meldrew cannot take advantage of the industry again!


Meanwhile, the Railway Benefit Fund may wish to consider their links with such a partial observer?

Channel 4 Dispatches has one foot in the grave

Good news for devotees of incisive reporting!

Channel 4 Dispatches is airing a programme on Monday night boldly entitled "Train journeys from hell."

Clearly balance will be at the very heart of this particular televisual feast.

Aside from walk on parts by the World's Greatest Living Transport Correspondent and Steven Norris of Jarvis fame, Channel 4 has evidently spared no expense to recruit a suitably qualified journalist and transport expert to host the prog.

So step forward then errr... uber-luvvie Richard Wilson!

Clearly oratorical declamation and hyperbole will be the order of the day.

Wilson of course was once famous in the 1990s and more recently became the voice of the Labour Party manifesto (the party, lest we forget, responsible for the structure of today's costly and over complicated railway). Sweet irony.

Somewhat bravely the DfT is rumoured to be putting Cruella into the firing line to respond to the Groucho's Greatest.

Meanwhile Eye has already put a wager on how quickly misenthrope Meldrew can utter his trademark line "I don't believe it!".

For what it's worth Richard, nor do we.

UPDATE: This from The Major...

Before anyone dismisses Richard Wilson as a luvvy who knows nothing about railways it's worth noting that he's a vice president of the Railway Benefit Fund.

UPDATE: This from Andrew E...

Do you really think Labour are responsible for the structure of today's railway?

Surely the [justified] complaint is that they did nothing to repair the disaster they inherited from the Tories!