FGW restores the glass of Christmas cheer

Oh dear!

Last week's roasting by Sir Beardie of DfT franchising policy and Johnny Foreigner railways has resulted in unexpected collatoral damage to the industry's great and good.

Today should have seen the hard working team from Modern Railways wasailing with Virgin as they sped to Crewe to play on simulators followed by an agreeable luncheon.

Alas Virgin received a severe spanky botty from Marsham Street for last week's unguarded words and as a consequence all schmoozing by the red machine's PR department has been unceremoniously caped!

With BeardieRail forced into the role of Scrooge it looked like Christmas had been cancelled for Ian Allan's finest.

Happily a Fairy God Mother appeared in the shape of First Great Western's Mr Hopwood, and as a consequence the Modern Railways team will still be able to dine in style today but heading West.

As the original Great Western was so fond of saying: "See your own country First". Indeed!

Lord Berkeley bigs up Hammond at RFG lunch

Is ace railfreight lobbyist and Labour peer, Lord Berkeley, mellowing with age?

Despite harbouring republican sympathies Lord B had secured the services of Her Majesty's very own Scots Guards to lead revellers in a medley of Carols at yesterday's Rail Freight Group Christmas Lunch.


The canny political operator had also invited shadow Rail Minister Stephen Hammond MP to address members before luncheon.

There was a collective choking on bread rolls when Lord B confidently predicted that Hammond "would make a very good Secretary of State"!

Of course the wily old fox was clever enough to add... "or opposition spokesman".

UPDATE: This from Steve Strong...

Hammond may not have endeared himself to any railway hacks present.

He told a joke about five surgeons discussing who in the industry was easiest under the knife.

The punch line had the last saw-bones saying he preferred operating on railway hacks; as they had neither heart nor backbone and their lips and ar$eholes were interchangeable...

UPDATE: This from the Lobby Correspondent...

Could this be the same Stephen Hammond who was observed entertaining one Roger Ford in the the cafe area of Portcullis House earlier this year, in what was clearly an unsuccessful attempt by the good Captain to explain the break down of the 1300 (sic) vehicles in the HLOS?

I think we should be told!

UPDATE: This from NR's Internet Rapid Rebuttal Unit...

'Bigs up'?

Tfc will be 'repping his endz', next.

UPDATE: This from 5741 Duck...

You say that Lord Berkeley is a "cany political operator".

Is that because they frown on whips in the House of Lords?

Thank you 5741. Noted and corrected!

Back to reality

This from the Army Rumour Service via Tom Harris



The Fact Compiler raises his bowler to our brave boys and girls serving overseas.

Freighty Christmas

Telegrammed by The Raver

Interesting to see yesterday's Railfreight Group annual bash pass off with nary a mention of the fact that EWS are making over 500 people redundant.

Perhaps that may not be such a bad thing as one client of EWS was overheard commenting that he always phones them in the morning as his account executive usually swans off to the golf club every afternoon. It made him hark back fondly to the bad old days of British Rail...

But then was it tactful of DB Schenke to pay thousands of pounds to provide chocolates and Christmas decorations for the assorted guests.

At least the colour, black, was apt!