Telegrammed by Dr Gloucester
Here's another entry for the RGC, taken yesterday at Stockport.
Like many boxes in the area, Stockport No. 2 has been 'plasticised' in recent years, and looks rather smart, only let down by the jungle that has sprouted in front of it in the last few years. 
Any chance it will be dealt with before observation of tail lamps becomes a problem?
Telegrammed by Bushy
The following consultation email was sent out by ATOC in June 2008:
ATOC, on behalf of all TOCs, together with Network Rail and British Transport Police (BTP) have decided to review the Enthusiast Guidelines, which give advice to railway enthusiasts on visiting railway property in pursuit of their hobby and also set down what sort of photography is permitted on railway property. The Guidelines were drawn up three years ago and we believe are still appropriate.
It is our intention to reissue the Guidelines later this summer so as to re-brief and make all rail staff aware of the them. We have decided to consult a number of stakeholders to ask for their views on whether they need to be modified or revised further before they are reissued. As part of this process BTP will also ask their senior officers for a view on the guidelines (particularly in relation to photography) and Network Rail will also consult station mangers at their stations.
I have attached a copy of the Guidelines and would ask you to come back to me directly with any comments or suggestions by Friday 18th July. We don’t envisage changing them radically but are interested in hearing any constructive suggestions for their improvement, particularly when it comes to the Guidelines for photography. As part of the consultation we are inviting the trade press and a number of well known railway photographers to give us their views also.
Finally, from time to time it has been suggested that there might be some form of accreditation for well known railway photographers who contribute to the trade press regularly. One suggestion is that magazines/publications would nominate a limited number of contributors who would be given an accredited railway photography press card. This might involve a small charge. Do you have any views and if you are a railway publication would you support such a scheme?
Errr... as it's summer 2009 any news?
Telegrammed by the International Correspondent
The dogfight between High Speed Railers and the Aviationists hotted up over Birmingham last week when the Birmingham Post provided the oxygen of publicity to RAF Elmdon (better known as Birmingham International Airport).
The airport authorities, anxious to be seen to protect their customer base of small domestic airlines scrambled their crack fighter ace to strike at the heart of high speed rail's environmental claims:
Mr Morris said: “I think what you will see is companies like Flybe changing the way they operate, adapting, and improving their service.
“The Eurostar did not put an end to cross channel ferries and in the same way I think a high speed rail network will not put an end to short-haul and domestic flights.
“There’s no doubt that travelling from Birmingham to London is best done by train - that is why we have no flights there from Birmingham. “But getting to Glasgow and Edinburgh is better done by air.
“You just have to look at the lower carbon emissions for the journeys, the quicker journey times, and a noise footprint that is significantly less than the 300-mile one left by trains”.
But who is the Flying Spokesman?
Surely the sharp-shooting and combatative Baron Von Richtmorris of the airport is not the same Class 40-loving John Morris who was for many years Chief Apologist for Cross Country, and who became dis-invented after daring to suggest that Virgin's Voyagers were a less than optimum transport solution?
And who supported the Red Revolution from the inside by painting a XC Class 86 engine in, er, chic but very retro Caledonian Railway 1920s blue livery?
Perhaps we should be told.
Telegrammed by Leo Pink
What ever happened to right first time?
Pre-Qualification Questionnaire
Specialist Advice and Support in Connection with DfT’s Duties as ‘Operator of Last Resort’
Date: First issue: 04 August 09
Rev 0.1: 07 August o91
Clearly three days is a long time in DfT Rail politics.
The Fact Compiler is enjoying a traditional English summer holiday.
So posting will be as intermittent as the breaks in the atrocious weather.
Wish you were here...
This just in from Ollie over at I work for First Great Western...
This from the First Group Intranet...
“After six years as Managing Director, Mark Leving left First Hull Trains at the end of last week.
I would like to thank Mark for all his good work during his time as Managing Director.
He established a capable team and laid strong foundations for the next phase in First Hull Trains' development, which will include the engineering and on-board upgrade of our Class 180 train fleet. We wish Mark well for the future.
James Adeshiyan, who has worked in key commercial and operational roles in a number of train operating companies across the rail industry over the last 13 years, becomes General Manager of First Hull Trains, with immediate effect.
I hope you will all join me in welcoming James to First Hull Trains and congratulate him on his appointment.”
Anyone know where Mark has gone?
Sky appears to have misplaced its Baker's Rail Atlas.
Or so it would appear judging by this headline...
More Rail Misery For East Coast Commuters
Alas, the story actually refers to industrial action on National Express East Anglia.
Of course attempting to travel up the East Coast Mainline via Norwich would be misery indeed - strike or no strike.
UPDATE: This just in from Leo Pink...
Given Mr Baker's propensity in his day job for coming up with at least a dozen radical new ideas a week, it may be that Sky has got hold of an advanced copy of the next edition of the Atlas!
Telegrammed by our Independent Expert
You're only as good as your latest story – as the saying goes in the Street of Shame.
So what should we make of the covers of the Railway Magazine and Rail sitting together on the newsstands today.
The monthly Railway Magazine has a hot front leading on the GW electrification on top of a pic of Grand Central's new Adelantes.
The fortnightly Rail's front misses the electrification story altogether from its cover, squeezing it into just a single column on Page 9.
Pigott scoops Harris! Now there's a story...
UPDATE: This from an 'Old Hack'...
Given that RAIL was the first of the newstand magazines to cover the GWML electrification story, I'm not sure your independent expert can claim Railway Mag got the scoop.
When is a scoop not a scoop? When a rival has published the story a week before.
And I can't remember how long ago it was that RAIL published a picture of the first GC Adelante driving car in that rather handsome black livery (let's hope the aircon doesn't fail on a hot sunny day!)...
UPDATE: This just in from Mr Harris himself...
Oooh, 'Independent Expert', what a tease you are!
'Old Hack' is quite right of course - we'd already reported this and goodness knows what else, ages ago - but methinks Eye's 'Independent Expert' does us a gross disservice in this case which, in the interests of accuracy, I feel compelled to point out.
The RAIL you mention went to press on Wednesday July 22, while the electrification announcement wasn't unveiled until July 23, fully 24 hours after we'd all gone to sleep in P'bro, after our fortnightly exertions.
This being the case, come on - please - not even a hint of a bowler tip for squeezing in the essential facts, as remarked, fully a day before the story was known?!
The vagaries of publishing schedules, eh?
In a weird sort of way, we scooped ourselves, let alone The Railway Magazine, illustrious organ though it is, edited by my good friend Mr P.
That's got to be worth something!
I'm off on leave for two weeks now, so keep up the good work.
UPDATE: The Fact Compiler wishes to pour some soothing balm on these troubled waters.
As Fat Mark pointed out two weeks ago...The Gruaniad actually had the story Wednesday morning!
And Radio 4's You and Yours led with the same at lunchtime.
So first to be last was the Gruaniad.
Of course regular Eye readers had been kept up to date with the emerging details long before all these Johnny-come-latelies had even put fingers to keyboards!
UPDATE: This from Charles Yerkes...
Finger to key boards and the Gruaniad?
You've got to be joking. It's not a keyboard but a dictaphone you need.
Many of recent transport stories in the paper are so riddled with Adonis quotes that they look as if they've been dictated by Andrew himself!
At least there is now an official channel, bypassing both Parliament and the Department, allowing Lord Adonis to talk directly at the British people.
Perhaps TOCs should consider dumping The Times and replacing it with the Gruaniad as the preferred on-board newspaper?
Probably best to do it now before it appears as a requirement in the Noble Lord's new franchise agreements.
Telegrammed by our Independent Expert
Hot news from Britain's remotest railway station
On Wednesday's 08.45 from Rannoch to Fort William, passengers boarded the Caledonian Sleeper only to discover there's standing room only.
As one agitated Sassenach put it:
"It's taken us 12 hours to get all the way here from London and now it looks like we've imported the rush hour."
Good news for wheelbarrow manufacturers!
The Bank of England has decided to expand quantitative easing by £50bn to £175bn.
At least now we know where NR will get the money needed to do all these exciting electrification projects.
It's just a shame that a loaf of bread will soon cost a million quid...
UPDATE: This from Charles Yerkes...
That might not be so bad...
At least it would wipe the smile from NR's bonus encrusted directors!
Via Twitter...
Great piece in The Guardian about our plans for High Speed Rail. Recommended reading. Read it here http://tiny.cc/sU3JP
After following the link Eye fears that Sadiq may be preoccupied with the credit crunch.
It was Chris Austin, of the then Strategic Rail Authority, who dreamt up the concept of Community Rail Partnerships (CRPs).
With great fanfare and the full blessing of Beau Bowker he set about attempting to secure the future of many marginal railways, whilst cynics carped on the sidelines claiming it was mere PR piss-and-wind.
We cynics have been proven wrong.
The CRPs have delivered real improvements, not just by working with TOCs to improve service frequency but more importantly by making small incremental upgrades to passenger facilities; with the result that over recent years most CRP lines have seen enormous growth in passenger loadings.
As this extract from a memo from the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) confirms:
(TOC's name REDACTED) opinion is that, as far as rail travel is concerned, there’s little need to further promote the rural services as the majority are now full and therefore have a future. Any service improvements would require levels of rolling stock or infrastructure investment that would simply not be available or justifiable.
Good news indeed.
The memo makes the point even clearer by saying:
It is (TOC's name REDACTED) opinion however, that some CRPs are turning into lobbying groups (which they are not prepared to support) whilst others have effectively run their course, having succeeded in their aim to secure a future for the line.
So where does this leave the future of Community Rail Partnerships?
ACoRP helpfully suggests...
It’s apparent that in the current situation, CRPs in (REDACTED) are gradually seeing their rail role diminish. This doesn’t mean however that they have no future – they are after all, rooted in the community and should be addressing a multiplicity of other concerns such as access to work, local transport integration, environment, health and regeneration. CRPs might also benefit from looking at other transport modes, such as community and local buses, cycling and even walking.
When Community Rail Partnerships were established the railway was fighting a rear-guard action against the perceived threat of a reduction in the network's size.
Under the aegis of My Lord Adonis there is the real possibility that the network might actually physically expand!
Clearly, however, in these cash constrained times something will have to give.
The message is clear: CRPs broaden your base. User groups redouble your efforts!
UPDATE: This from Branch Line Boy...
I'm not so sure it was Chris Austin who dreamt up the concept of Community Rail Partnerships.
I thought it was Paul Salveson, late of AcoRP, now a big wig in Northern!
The Fact Compiler stands corrected!
UPDATE: Captain Deltic points out:
My Lord Adonis is quite scathing about the poor value for money of even ATOC's modest proposals for line reopenings.
The only way he wants to see the network expanding is through the construction of high speed lines.
See the Grauniad's on-going advertorials all this week (yawn).
This just in from an incredulous reader...
LNE/NE/D3 NORMAL WORKING AT KEIGHLEY FOLLOWING THE DRUNKEN TRESPASSER, HE HAD TIED HIMSELF TO THE COUPLER OF 1E23, BTP HAVE REMOVED HIM.
Perhaps 1E23 was wearing a rather fetching mini-skirt, stilettos and white handbag combo?
Telegrammed by Lord Peter Whimsy
An extraordinary out of office email from FT transport hack Robert Wright...
"I am taking a day off to build a climbing frame for my children"
As Groucho Marx might have said "I didn't know you guys were allowed to have families."
UPDATE: This just in from the man himself!
I hadn't expected, I must admit, my working on the Jungle Gym Club, like the one seen here, to garner so much attention.
But, since it has, your readers might appreciate an update.
I finally completed work on the climbing frame - better described as a small, wooden house - at 9pm on Wednesday after spending Saturday and all of Sunday after church working on it.
The low point on Wednesday came when, after I'd dug substantial holes for the foundations, my electric drill, which has seen more work these last few days than in its entire previous life, gave up the ghost. There were 400 screws, each of which needed to have its position measured before a hole was drilled and the screw finally inserted.
However, rest assured, railway people. As with a new Bombardier EMU, there will be some retrofitting to correct manufacturing defects. I put the wrong kind of 80mm screws in a lot of the holes.
Also, the Fact Compiler shouldn't fear that I have a life.
Yesterday was taken as a day off in lieu for working this coming Sunday,
I left the office at 2.30am on Saturday and I've yet to take a day's annual leave this year.
Errr... thank you for this Robert. Eye is none the wiser but no doubt better informed.
This has to be one of the most extraordinary public statements made by a Transport Minister!
This from the Grauniad...
Transport secretary, Lord Adonis, said "For reasons of carbon reduction and wider environmental benefits, it is manifestly in the public interest that we systematically replace short-haul aviation with high-speed rail".
Of course he did caveat it by saying:
"But we would have to have, of course, the high-speed network before we can do it."
Bearing in mind the aviation industry's relatively slick lobbying machine this is either going to cause one hell of a stink, or even the airlines now know the domestic game is up!
My Lord Adonis - so much to do. So little time.
UPDATE: And here is the official response from Stephen Hammond, Shadow Rails (sic) Minister...
“I am glad that (Lord Adonis) has finally accepted our argument that high speed rail can provide a viable alternative to thousands of short haul and domestic flights. Now that he has undermined his Government’s case for expansion of Heathrow, the next Conservative policy he should force Gordon Brown to adopt is to cancel all moves to build a third runway at Heathrow."
Excellent, that's Cross Party consensus achieved on High Speed Rail.
Now all that's left is to find the lolly...
UPDATE: This from a yet to be convinced Mr Saltaire...
According to the Daily Telegraph Lord Adonis wants to shift 46m passengers from short haul air to high speed rail.
That equates to 126,000 passengers a day (on average, not accounting for peaks and troughs).
Which is the equivalent of 301 fully loaded Pendolino type trains a day.
Based on a headway that allows a clock-face timetable with departures every twenty minutes, only 54 trains could depart from a London terminus heading north each day (assuming an eighteen hours a day timetable) meaning that a maximum of 22,600 passengers could be moved north and a similar number south = 45,200.
Even doubling the number of carriages in each train leaves you woefully short of capacity (and this assumes all trains are fully loaded and takes no account of peaks and troughs in loadings).
Computer say "No can do!".
Maybe the Government should invest the £30bn in researching teleportation… this seems more feasible.
UPDATE: This from Sim Harris over at Keeping Track...
Not sure Mr Saltaire is juggling with the right figures.
I hope very sincerely indeed that the trains on our eventual High Speed domestic network are significantly more spacious than Bendydildoes.
Some figures to consider: seats on a TGV Duplex (8 vehicles) -- 516; Eurostar (18 veh) -- 770.
Also, the Adonis figure is very broad brush: I would have thought that the short haul routes which are most likely to be effectively replaced by rail are London--Manchester, London--Glasgow, London--Newcastle, London--Edinburgh and London--Leeds/Bradford.
Rail is never going to wholly supplant air between London and "outstations" like Inverness/Plymouth/Newquay/Belfast (unless the British LGV network is going to exceed even the dreams of Steer Davies Gleave).
A 225km/h ECML (surely not an insurmountable problem with ERTMS) would also help to mop up some of the London--Leeds/Newcastle/Edinburgh traffic.
If a viable operator can be found, of course!
UPDATE: This just in from Tom West in the Dominions...
516 people in eight vehicles?
770 spread over 18?
Lightweights all of 'em... here in Toronto, the local trains carry 2,100 in twelve (double-deck) carriages!
This from Tom Paine over at the Last Ditch (with a bowler tip to Obnoxio)...
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Top Gear can be found at the bottom of the list...
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