This from the Metro, referring to the buffer shunt at Chester today...
The 10.10am service from London Euston completely failed to stop at the
station and partially derailed, smashing into the buffers.
Hmmm...
Perhaps a case of 'completely' hyperbole 'reporting'?
This from a Mr Norman Collier...
Pointless and USELESS signs!
The Fact Compiler's latest column in Passenger Transport published on the 15th November...
This from a Mr Antonio Kilometer...
From Southern’s press release last week about its winter timetable...
“There
are two last Monday to Saturday trains which will leave earlier than in
the previous timetable. These are the 23:47 London Victoria to Horsham
service which will leave Victoria
at 23.40 and the 23.49 London Victoria to Oxted service which will
leave Victoria at 23.47. The early departure of these services will
allow Network Rail to carry out vital maintenance and minor repairs
overnight on the Brighton Main Line. This frees up track
access on Sundays so that three services per hour between Victoria and
Brighton can now be maintained all year round.”
So
I make that an extra 2 minutes a night for NR to carry out all this
“vital maintenance and minor repair” work - that will keep the route
open all day on Sunday.
Network Rail is to be congratulated on achieving such dramatic efficiencies well in advance of CP5.
This from Rich Tea...
As HS1 consult on increasing freight track charges by some 450% their owners, Ontario Teacher’s Pension Fund, have just bought the maker of – yes, you guessed – Wagon Wheels.
Evidently, flicking two sticky fingers at the freighties is very much the rapacious Canucks game.
This from the Grauniad...
Creagh has previously refused to rule out renationalisation of UK
railways, and said the franchising model has led to a fragmented network
which consumers find difficult to navigate. Labour opposed the refranchising of the East coast mainline,
and Creagh said that by pursuing "the franchise model at all costs"
the government's political orthodoxy is holding back the UK. "I think
it's extraordinary that the government is allowing the German, French
and Dutch states to come in and bid for that railway franchise. It's got
no objection to state ownership of our railways as long as it's not UK
state ownership."
More here.
An Eye spy in Wiltshire has sent the following intriguing image.
Pictured deep in meditation is SWT/Wessex Route supremo Tim Shoveller, after having met Winchester passengers on Thursday night.
This from the Shadow Minister for Transport...
A bus pretending to be a train. & not one of @alextrentbarton's classy ones. But its warm ta @northernrailorg #pacer pic.twitter.com/r4Emt9FoIn
— Lilian Greenwood (@LilianGreenwood) November 15, 2013
This was just asking for trouble.
Earlier this week Transport Minister Baroness Kramer observed that dumping raw effluent on the tracks was "utterly disgusting".
Quite so.
So what are we to make of this from the BBC...
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents the train companies and
Network Rail, said the issue did not come up in a bi-annual national
passenger survey and it was not often raised as an issue by staff.
Hmmm...
This from the RMT:
RMT has also completely refuted suggestions from within the industry
that the issue has either never, or rarely, been raised as the union has
been campaigning on the scandal for at least decade and passengers have
now launched their own petition to get it stamped out.
Track
workers have repeatedly pointed out that some sections of the rail
infrastructure are like an open sewer and that the human waste doesn’t
simply hit the track bed, it sprays out when trains are travelling at
speed posing a serious and disgusting health risk to track-based staff.
Rail works have been delayed because staff have been confronted with
pools of raw sewage.
Either the RDG has a very short memory or none at all.
UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...
And not just track workers are at risk.
Changing brake pads is a really sh*tt* job when the bogies have been covered by an aerosol of excrement.
And do passengers opening slam doors on Mk 3 stock realise that the external handles have received the same treatment.?
Didn't Angel propose a major IC125 upgrade which included retrofitting retention tank toilets almost a decade ago?
A shame DfT decided it wasn't worthwhile because the trains wouldn't be in service much longer.
This from @Julog90...
I've come across this video of a DRS Class 68 on test at Albuixech (Valencia).
UPDATE: This from the Clagmaster General...
How good to see a return to traditional values.
Clag fans everywhere will welcome a locomotive which is unashamed to show that internal combustion is at work.
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Someone evidently has a sense of humour at Rail Business Intelligence!
The latest issue contains a report of a talk given to the Railway Study Association by DfT's Director Franchising, Pete Wilkinson.
He is recorded as bewailing lease costs for ex BR rolling stock:
"How come the ROSCOs get away with the price of second hand trains? It's got to stop."
Quite so Pete, quite so.
Rather elegantly RBI juxtaposed the whinings of DfT's very own Doctor Evil with a story about Eversholt refinancing £600m of senior debt; which according to CEO Mary Kenny, will allow the ROSCO "to respond to future investment opportunities."
As our American friends might say - do the math!
Such apparent naivety in understanding market value from the official charged with franchising will no doubt do much to gladden the hearts of thinly capitalised equity profiteers everywhere!
No matter.
Meanwhile, as DfT clearly has it in for the ROSCOs (again), expect fleet refurbishment to become more difficult as nervous finance houses price in political risk.
This from the Yorkshire Post:
Shadow Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood said Ministers are so keen to re-privatise the route linking London, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York and Edinburgh that they redacted a prospectus for the proposed sell-off to make the line seem less successful than it actually is.
Happily Stephen Hammond was able to mount a spirited defence of privatisation:
He claimed Labour's position on the East Coast franchise was driven by “dogma”.
Errr...
This from IKB...
Good news for all fans of gaspers!
FHT have evidently relaxed the draconian restrictions on lighting-up in this carriage, although smoking on top is still verboten!
This from Dear, Dear, Dicky...
Tuning into Sky's brand new
series on East Coast, my ears were audibly assaulted by some dulcet
thespy Scottish tones reminding me of the popularity of rail travel and
how hard TOC staff work.
Why it was none other than 1990s has-been (shurely: 'favourite'? Ed), star of the 2011 Channel
4 Dispatches rail travel 'documentary' and everyone's favourite leftie - Richard Wilson!
Presumably this time the uber-luvvie was in possession of his Senior Railcard?
Very much a case
of "I don't believe it.".
This from the Daily Mirror...
After a leak by rail union RMT, Transport Minister Stephen Hammond yesterday admitted bidders for the rail franchise will be “free to consider such initiatives as third-class travel”.
Bidders, ministers and officials will of course keep in mind that under the PRM (Passengers with Reduced Mobility) Regulations each class of travel requires its own fully accessible facilities.
Rosco chums suggest that each PRM compliant lavatory takes up the space of approximately seven seats, as passengers forced to stand on Voyagers will no doubt be more than aware!
Good to see DfT's new, improved, franchising policy addressing capacity issues so early on in the process.
This from a Mr Tony Miles...
On Armistice Day I thought Eye readers might be interested to see picture of the West Midlands Railway Service
of Remembrance, held at Moor Street station on Friday 8th.
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