And on the 1000th day DfT gave to me...

A Merry Christmas to all Eye readers!

On the day that we were due to celebrate the 1000th day without an order for new rolling stock, DfT has pulled its finger out!

This from Bombardier:

London, 28 December, 2011 – Bombardier Transportation today announced that it has secured an additional order for 130 BOMBARDIER ELECTROSTAR* cars for Southern. The new trains will augment Southern’s existing fleet of Bombardier’s award winning electric multiple units. The contract is valued at £188.8 million (Euro 222.8 million).

Hail Greening - a Transport Secretary who makes things happen!

Greening fights for hard pressed passengers!

This from the Indie...

Ms Greening is suggesting that fares should go up by about 6 per cent – 1 per cent above inflation – in a move to reduce the impact on hard-pressed commuters and long-distance travellers.

Good effort!

UPDATE: This from Ithuriel...

How disappointing to see the Fact Compiler in 'God Bless yer Guv, you're a real toff' pitiful gratitude mode over Mrs Greening's alleged intervention on fares increases.

If the user doesn't pay more for their grossly uneconomic train-ride to work, then the tax-payer will have to make up the difference since the railway fat cats seem unable to curb their inflated costs.

UPDATE: This from Prof Calculus...

Please someone tell me this is a joke!

T12 is already long gone and it will prove virtually impossible to deflate the millions of fares already in the system for January.

This looks like half-baked policy on the hoof. Madness.