Money behind SoFA bigger than expected!

Much rejoicing over the size of the Statement of Funds Available!

A cool £48bn for CP6, and apparently almost all of it on OMR.

Plaudits to RIA, RSG, RDG, RFG, RFEM, NR etc… for a job well done.

The devil of course will be in the detail!

Meanwhile, supply chain colleagues, SHARPEN YOUR PENCILS!

And then sharpen them again. And possibly still further!

Alas, there is a dark cloud…

Cynical Eye readers have been asking whether the disclaimer found on the government website this morning, announcing the SoFA allows DfT wriggle room?

Worrying if true!

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!

Battle of the barriers - Sheffield falls!

This from passenger and pedestrian champion Richard Malins...

Lord Adonis was in Sheffield yesterday.

The Sheffield Central constituency, which includes the station, is a Lib Dem/Labour marginal and the former Labour MP Richard Caborn is standing down.

It is being contested by Paul Scriven, leader of the City Council, for the Lib Dems, and the ticket barrier scheme is a political embarrassment to the Labour candidate as it has become a serious local issue.

Adonis announced that it will not proceed, pending the creation of an alternative pedestrian footbridge route, and EMT has announced that they have been relieved of the franchise obligation.

No shit Sherlock!

Could this volte-face by the Noble Lord be in anyway connected with events on the 6th May?

UPDATE: This from 28481k, via Twitter...

Hurray, so Park Hills regeneration project is saved (for access, for now)!

UPDATE: The Fact Compiler observes...

Apparently no deal has yet been signed with EMT on this.

So campaigners would be advised not to take their foot off DafT's throat yet...

Sparks and the Thunderer

Oh dear.

Allowing a Peer to announce Electrification via the Times may have upset Wapping's home team!

This from Transport Correspondent Ben...

Passengers on one of Britain’s busiest intercity routes face six years of disruption while it is electrified under the Government’s low-carbon agenda.

Shome mishtake, shurely.

No doubt the huge amounts Network Rail will pay to First Great Western for disruption will allow passengers to be suitably compensated.

And they may even get tomorrow's railway!

Let the bells ring out in Whitehall

Welcome back Edward Funnell.

DafT needs you!

UPDATE: This subliminal message is surprisingly contained within Virgin's latest TV ad.


How did Beardie Rail know?

Gobsmacked!

Unbelievable!

And in the Daily Telegraph of all places!

The train service may be more punctual and getting faster, but both expense and discomfort are going up, too. There were strikes, and it was all filthy, but otherwise – what exactly was wrong with British Rail?

The Fact Compiler's flabber is gasted!

Irish vote no!

Guido had it first