Royals back High Speed Rail!

Good to see Her Majesty the Queen's granddaughter backing High Speed Rail!

Go, Zara, go!

DBS celebrates HMQ's Diamond Jubilee

A nice touch from DB Schenker at Manchester Victoria this morning.

The railfreight and logistics company invited Her Majesty the Queen to name a locomotive Diamond Jubilee.

The loco will be used to haul the Royal Train to Jubilee events throughout the year.

Sadly no pic of Her Maj doing the deed, so instead here is the loco in all its glory with the Royal Train Team.


Good effort.

Derby wins new Royal Train order

This courtesy of the Wyvern Rail newsgroup...

I am very pleased to announce after many many months of negotiations that the Sultan of Brunei has agreed to fund our reconnection to the national network, further refurbish the line to Shottle and install a number of facilities on the site of the Peak Oil operation including undercover storage of his own Royal Train to be built locally in Derby.

Good news indeed.

Meanwhile in other date related news...

It is now 729 days since the last order for new passenger trains was placed.

Germans bomb at Palace again

Oh dear.

Does Eye detect a degree of Palace dissatisfaction with the operator of the Royal Train?

This from the Mail on Sunday...

The man dubbed Mr Royal Train after playing a key role in helping it to run smoothly for more than 30 years has been made redundant after a German company took over its maintenance.

Strange that this story should surface almost four months after Deutsche Reichsbahn disinvented Mr Hillyard, presumably without consulting Brenda?

No matter.

After all what is Balmoral to Berlin?

But just to be on the safe side perhaps DB shouldn't make a large order for Royal Warrant embossed stationery?

UPDATE: This from Our International Correspondent...

Just to put the Daily Mail’s “scoop” into context, as every PR fule noes, when investigating a leak, follow the money.

In this case a little bit of forensics leads us not to the Palace, or to any disinvented ex-Railcare people who miss 1X01, but to the publishers of a new book.

Its author, Brian Hoey, is represented by one Gordon Wise, whose website helpfully informs us that the film rights may be available.

Not so much a Daily Mail scoop, as an obliging puff piece to help sales.

RVAR regulations flouted - Shocker

Telegrammed by Our International Correspondent

No doubt this will have the Disability Taliban frothing at the mouth.

Compliance with DDA has long since ceased to be optional for most operators, but luckily the requirement to paint doors a contrasting colour for the benefit of the visually impaired is not quite universal.

Obligingly the Grauniad has published a picture of a confused older chap failing to find the claret coloured door in his Mum's claret coloured train.

Eye salutes HRH the Prince of Wales for continuing to support the railways.

UPDATE: This from @daddydoink via Twitter...

@TheFactCompiler RVAR: Charles made the suggestion of wheelchair access loos on mk3s to Cyril Bleasdale's boss in 1979!

Maybe let him off?!