This from Greg and Tonic...
All of these bollards are at the top of sets of steps, the 4 in the first 2
pictures are wedged between the “Hamilton Hall” pub & the stone
pillars.
This from the Albatross...
Bad news for lazy hacks across the land!
Apparently abroad is also completely useless at dealing with snow.
An honourable mention to Her Majesty's Daily Telegraph, therefore, for this.
And with Eurostar services caped, it's official once again...
Continent Cut Off!
Good news for fans of accountable and properly managed rail services!
Oh and also for all those hugely expensive bid teams currently twiddling their thumbs whilst DfT struggles to work out how to restart franchising after the ICWC fiasco, desperately hoping that at least one can be got out the door before the 2015 General Election when Maria Eagle will be the new Secretary of State for Transport and franchising policy is thrown up in the air once again... but I digress.
TfL has announced that it is seeking a
train operator to run Crossrail services from May 2015, with potential operators having until the end of April to respond to today's OJEU listing.
This unbelievable image was tweeted by @FirstCC this afternoon...
At 10:09, a train driver reported that water was flowing from the roof of the Moorgate Tunnel - between Old Street and Essex Road stations. Lines were immediately blocked and our response teams were sent to site.FCC also confirmed by Twitter that the piling drills are 'not railway related'.
At 11.05 our staff boarded a special empty train from Moorgate to investigate the problem. As the train approached the area at low speed, two large piling drills - which were being used above ground by a building contractor - penetrated the skin of the tunnel.
Repairs to the tunnel are ongoing but the line - which is normally closed at weekends - is expected to reopen in time for services on Monday morning.
This with a bowler tip to @AMonkster...
A noble Silver Stump defending the Fenchurch Place stairs.
The Fact Compiler's latest column in Passenger Transport published on the 1st March...
This from the Campaign for Better Transport...
The CBT is hosting our first Back on Track: Beeching 50 Years On event at the Science Museum in London on Monday 11th March 2013 (sponsored by Network Rail and Abellio).
Join us for an evening with Michael Palin; former Transport Secretary Lord Adonis; our Vice President Lord Faulkner; David Higgins, Chief Executive of Network Rail; and Freightliner’s Director of Strategy, Lindsay Durham.
The event, at the Museum's IMAX cinema, will include a panel discussion reflecting upon the national impacts of the Beeching Report and progress since 1963.
Our speakers will also discuss the role of the railways now and in the future of transport in the UK.
Details from: ruth.chapple@bettertransport.org.uk
There may be a £5 charge for attendance.
See you there.
Oh dear.
The Soi Disant 'Veteran Observer' has apparently been allowed near the railway.
Alas, judging from this picture he has broke it!
This from the Ward Room...
Exciting news for fans of kettles!
Devon and Cornwall Railway have operated their first steam train on the national network and completely failed to get the railway on fire!
Eye understands that despite desperate last minute interventions from others, the move went smoothly and the railway remained intact.
And a jolly good thing too, what ho?
This from GTRFN Inc...
Stretching as far as the Eye can see...
Here's a blast from the past!
This leader column appeared in the Grauniad way back in 2006...
"British trains may be slow and expensive, but there was welcome news
this week that at least one part of the country's rail industry is
pulling far ahead of its European rivals - even if it is, in every sense
of the word, a very small part.
"Hornby, the model maker whose OO
gauge miniature trains have rattled through countless spare bedrooms and
attics over the years, this week announced a seventh year of profits...
"But Hornby's main glory is
still its trains, even if regular travellers on the less-than-reliable
real thing may sometimes scratch their heads in wonder at the fact that
anyone would want to recreate the drab, maddening world of South West
Trains and Virgin Cross-Country once they are safely home."
Quite so!
But who on earth could have had such negative views of the 'drab and maddening world' of the privatised railway?
We can only hope that they never end up in an important policy role, advising a Transport Secretary for instance...
UPDATE: This from Mini-Me...
In its latest move towards complete authenticity, Hornby plc made a Network Rail-style loss of £500k in 2012.
In fairness, it blames poor sales of its Olympic themed merchandise rather than its trains. But, it has had huge problems getting its models manufactured in China (its main competitor, Bachmann, now owns the factory it was using) and has suffered numerous issues with steep price increases and long delays (sound familiar?).
Perhaps the 'very small part' referred to by your poacher-turned-gamekeeper was more accurate than he originally envisaged?
This, surprisingly, from the late Frankie Howerd..
Woe, woe and thrice woe!
According to the latest edition of RAIL which, for non-subscribers, hits newsstands tomorrow...
This from The Ninja...
Regular readers of Eye and Passenger Transport magazine may recall the Fact Compiler lamenting the paucity of ladies in senior railway management roles.
So Eye was heartened to see that a new organisation, Women in Rail, will hold its launch event on the 10th of April.
According to the blurb...
The theme of the event is "Women in Rail: shaping the future of rail". Presentations will focus on the business case for supporting and encouraging women in the rail sector and developing strategies for engaging young people to consider a career in rail.
Speakers will include, amongst others, Sir David Rowlands (former Permanent Secretary to the Department for Transport), Heidi Mottram OBE (CEO at Northumbrian Water), Heather Jackson (Chief Executive and Founder of An Inspirational Journey), The Hon Anna Walker (Chair at the Office of Rail Regulation) and Dyan Crowther (Route Managing Director, Network Rail).
And quite right too.
Although Eye wonders why WiR has given Angel chairman Sir David Rowlands top billing when the impressive DG Rail might have been more appropriate? (Perhaps because Angel is sponsoring it? Ed)
After all, Clare Moriarty is board champion for gender at DfT and is responsible for supporting the development of women leaders across the Civil Service.
This from Concerned of Caversham...
Seems that NR are planning to deploy an impressive array of 'nad-busters' at Reading:
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