NatEx,Cross Default and another broken promise?

This from Crow Bar Bob over at the RMT...

“Both Andrew Adonis, and Geoff Hoon before him, made it quite clear to RMT that if National Express defaulted on the East Coast they would be stripped of the c2c and East Anglia franchises and that there would be no reward for failure. We are calling on the government to stand firm, to get this company off our tracks and to seize the opportunity to begin a long-term programme of renationalising the railways.”

Perhaps My Lord Adonis and Geoff Hoon of that Ilk should have looked at the contracts a little more closely before making promises they can't keep.

It doesn't rain but it pours

This from the Independent...

Rail workers at a National Express train company are to be balloted for industrial action in a row over pay and working conditions, it was announced today.

Always good to remind the government why it handed over rail operations to the private sector in the first place.

2009 Railway Garden Competition #4

As today is the 7th of the 7th, probably time for a spot of reflection...

However!

Good news.

There is new life on the railway.

This taken at Chester - gateway to the Principality - only today.

At least the weeds almost render Northern's 'experimental' livery less offensive.

Modally antagonistic

This from New Civil Engineer...

Transport minister Chris Mole officially started work to widen the busy A46 in Nottinghamshire after the project was accelerated as part of the Department for Transport’s £700M fiscal stimulus package.

Still no news on the 200 DMU vehicles "accelerated" in the Pre-Budget Report 2008...

Face ache

This from the Daily Telegraph...

Japanese railway workers face enforced "smile scans" every morning in a bid to boost their customer services, it has been claimed.

Apparently Lord Adonis is very interested in this new technology and is keen to to see its use mandated in future franchise agreements.

Eye understands that a top secret trial of the machine took place at King's Cross as recently as last Wednesday.


The manufacturers have assured the noble Lord that it can be repaired.

Three degrees of separation

This just in from NR's Internet Rapid Rebuttal Unit...

This is fantastic, a shot-for-shot re-creation of Top Gear level crossing crash in Lego!



It's not that bleedin' good!

The original featured a Type 2 rather than a Type 5.

2009 Railway Garden Competition #3

This verdant vista can be seen at Clapham Junction, Britain's busiest railway junction.


Although frankly it could just as well be a branch heading into the jungles of Belize.

Wheels of fire

Good to see that the 'sparks effect' has reached South Devon.



Those who say that driving is now a "semi-skilled" operation may just have a point.

UPDATE: This from the 'The International Rantiquarian'...

I see the Fact Compiler is taking an interest in wheel rail interface deficiencies.

He has always been blessed with a fine technical mind (shome mishtake, shurely. Ed).

Here are a couple more from the Golden Age of Steam (i.e after it evolved into theatrical traction/nostalgic toy)

1. Blue Peter becomes, er, broken.

IC Special Trains Unit coughed up £37,000 compensation to the engine's owners (in the STU's last year of trading before becoming Waterman Railways and then just a memory), after the Knight of The Iron Road broke his mighty steed and all the outside motion flew off.



2. And proof that privatisation hasn't helped much in the footplate professionalism stakes.

Ian Riley's 76xxx pocket rocket is helped by Light Pacific Tangmere to look utterly foolish in Devon. The drivers were from Merlin and EWS respectively and dismally failed to reach any sort of understanding, clear or otherwise, when they left St Davids for their trip almost to Central.



Spookily, given the legend that Ye Olde Steam Men used to drive by the seat of their pants, BOTH incidents saw the drivers attempting to restart their ruined machines as if nothing had happened.

Perhaps their bottoms were numb with excitement?

Crikey!

Say as you see

This just in from 'Is 1A03 out of Chester yet, Bert?'...

I wonder if Eye readers might be interested in this extract from the signal box diagram at Attleborough.

The names they came up with on 'The Sweedey' as it was known to GN blokes.

Well that's Norfolk for you.

Après le Déluge...

Surely First Great Western won't be allowed to profit from this?

According to thisiscornwall.co.uk...

TRURO railway station has been closed after torrential rain caused the roof to cave in above the ticket office on Thursday morning.

Passengers can only buy daily tickets in cash from a machine on platform two; all advance tickets and payments by card are unavailable.

Eye trusts that Passenger Focus is on the case, even though it's the weekend?

Cash back

Bill Cash, Conservative MP for Stone, received overwhelming support in a constituency vote of confidence.

Apologies - just wanted to run that headline.

Blazing Saddles

The Fact Compiler likes a good western.

Others, on the other hand, prefers them bad and mean.

Please don't follow this link if you are a P-way engineer of a sensitive disposition or a member of the Safety Taliban.

UPDATE: This from our International Expert...


And here is what the Maybach Railgrinder could do if left to its own devices...

Economist - Loss of East Coast saves NatEx a fortune

Has The Economist seen better days?

It would certainly appear so, judging by this howler...

National Express reckoned it could pay the government £1.4 billion a year by 2015, assuming that revenue grew by 10% a year until then.

Saved from paying DafT such massive sums, NatEx should now be able to afford a suitable leaving present for Beau Bowker.

Something small and useful, like Oman perhaps?

Old joke recycled

This from the Daily Telegraph...

SIR – Now that Gordon Brown’s administration is to take over the East Coast main line should the 10am King’s Cross to Edinburgh be renamed The Lying Scotsman?

Keith Porter
London SW14

With a bowler tip to our man at Buggleskelly

UPDATE: This from "Old BR Hand"

A more charitable name might be The Trying Scotsman?

The Reshaping of British Broadcasting

Exciting news from the world of broadcasting.

This in the Grauniad...

ITN newsreader Alastair Stewart calls for 'Beeching' inquiry into BBC.

Beeching of course not only closed lines, he also introduced the freightliner and merry-go-round concepts.

Judging by the number of comedy repeats on the Beeb the latter is already in place.

Summoned by Bells!

Sir John Betjeman will be spinning in his grave.

The saviour of St Pancras station and quinetessential Englishman has a pub named after him at the station he saved.

Situated just inches above the former Burton beer store could there be a better place for a cooling ale in the summer heat?

Alas, not yesterday.

The beer was "off" leaving thirsty punters with a choice between fizzy continental lager or head-banger's cider.

Perhaps My Lord Adonis should intervene?

UPDATE: Leo Pink splutters...

This is, of course, the Station Czar's fault.

Adonis should should call in the so-called Chris Green and give him a right royal rollicking.

But what did Adonis expect appointing an old-BR manager for this vital task?

Missing DafT Press Releases

***If you are not getting any government press releases emailed to your inbox Guido has found out why.***

Motorail

Spotted on the ECML yesterday


The Eye is happy to confirm that this was not a spoiling tactic by the Continuity NXEC.

UPDATE: This from 'Concerned NR Employee'...

Standing with your back to a moving train in the middle of the line whilst using a mobile isn't terribly sensible and it's something we are specifically warned against at safety briefings.

And shouldn't he be wearing a hard hat?

Thank you 'Concerned'.

If you look closely at the picture you will notice that there is a very large object, at a stand, on the left hand running line.

Similarly, in the middle of the right hand running line, there is a slightly smaller object which is also going nowhere.

Perhaps the use of the telephone is, in some special way, connected with the complete lack of forward motion being displayed by both of these objects?

Of course the Eye completely takes on board your sensible point about the wearing of hard hats.

Although it would appear that at certain places local arrangements may apply, as illustrated below:

'Nuff said?

UPDATE: This from Dreadnought...

Not wishing to contradict ''Concerned NR Employee" but (there's always a "but" when someone says that), as I understand it the train is on the Up Fast and the car is on the Up Slow.

So the staff in question were actually facing the train when it approached and the photo was taken looking back after the photographer had passed them.

The Fact Compiler also stands corrected.

Tudor Trains

Apologies for the lack of posts.

Been resting after yesterday's exertions.

Normal service will be resumed Friday.

Meanwhile enjoy poor deluded John Prescott pretend he has travelled on a nationalised train.



John of course was New Labour's first Secretary of State for Transport.

So what did you do to deliver the supposed nationalised utopia John?

That's right. Bugger all.

Eye hopes the mock Tudor Beams we paid for have blended in well at Prescott Towers!

Mediaballs #3

Good to see that BBC Radio 4's World Tonight elected to interview Ken Livingstone on the National Express East Coast Story.

Out of thirsty Ken flowed the usual late night tosh about the evils of privatisation and the failings of Metronet - an infrastructure company.

Could that be the same Ken Livingstone who when Mayor decided to privatise the operations of the formerly publicly operated London Underground East London line?

Perhaps we should be told?

But not by the lame editors of the World Tonight.