This just in from Sussex Driver...
I know that railway gardens are close to your heart, so here in Sussex we've decided to go one step further and help maintain them. 
Cue our very own railway garden shed at Horsham Branch Sidings!
Huntingdon has a magic carpet!
Lovely!
This just in from the 'Clapham Gardener'...
Recent criticism of Network Rail's vegetation control seems to be producing results.
Have a close look at this picture.
Our infrastructure chums now appear to be manicuring their Railway Gardens!
Has shame induced one of NR's bonus laden directors to max out the credit card on B&Q strimmers?
This from Accountancy Age...
The future of railway group National Express is under a cloud after Ernst & Young raised doubts over the troubled transport giant's ability to continue.
At least the weather in the United Arab Emirates is nice.
Eye wonders whether Beau Bowker will be sending a postcard to his former Davis Street colleagues?
The Eye has been pretty hard on Network Rail in recent months over its Railway Gardens.
And just to show that NR is not alone in facing a problem with vegetation control (shurely neglecting to kill weeds, Ed) here is a picture of DB Schenker managed infrastructure at Northampton. 
The Eye wonders if this sort of neglect would be tolerated on DB's home patch?
Perhaps readers visiting the Reich this summer could advise?
UPDATE: This from 'Alias Interail'...
Further to your comment about railway gardens in the Fatherland, here’s a shot (taken from a level crossing) of a typical freight loading facility at Walldorf, near Meiningen in the former DDR, last autumn.
As you can see, DB’s drive for ‘efficiency’ in the run-up to privatisation means that weed clearance is taken just as seriously there as it is here...
The Fact Compiler stands corrected.
If DB can't manage vegetation at home what hope in this Sceptered Isle?
This from a soggy Nottinghamshire reader...
Passengers boarding yesterday's 12:15 St Pancras to Nottingham all got drenched as the wind and rain combined - it really was dreadful.
And as the picture below shows the platform was transformed into a giant skating rink - putting the life and limbs of passengers and staff alike at risk.
Perhaps London and Continental should pay more attention to station canopy design and domestic passenger comfort rather than champagne bars and whizzy retail outlets...
Via Twitter...
On the 7.30 from st pancras to nottingham where I'll be announcing approval for the nottingham tram extension.
Eye asks how can you announce something in Nottingham when you've just given it away on Twitter?
This really is a case of pearls before swine.
But if Network Rail is prepared to keep taking it, then the Eye will keep dishing it out.
Yes it's Chester (again!!!)...
This courtesy of Gareth Marston, Chairman of SARPA and taken at Chester today.
Gareth writes:
Here are some bona fida current railway weeds at that well known garden at Chester today.
Some must be six footers!
The Eye assumes that Network Rail board members are now too busy counting the bonus lolly to worry about the increasingly piss poor state of the nation's infrastructure.
Perhaps the ORR or Passenger Focus could have a word - if they're not similarly engaged?
UPDATE: This just in from Anthony Smith over at Passenger Focus...
Thanks for alerting me to the garden that is parts of Chester station.
While it is worth noting that in the last couple of years there has been plenty happening at Chester and Passenger Focus has been involved but, as with many heritage stations, dealing with some of the detail seems beyond the industry.
It is the largest National Stations Improvement Programme (NSIP) project in the Arriva Train Wales franchise area at present which has led to the complete redevelopment of the front of the station, concourse, etc... Passenger Focus have been involved in project development including leading on an accessibility audit of the station.
ATW is actively monitoring National Passenger Survey scores for the station, which have gone up more than 20% in the past year for some categories.
We also raised this very issue at Virgin's passenger panel a few days ago.
Virgin say that to clear the weeds, NR need full possession of the track and weeds aren't a priority (Crewe station has trees growing halfway up the wall at the side of the track!).
The panel asked Virgin to look into the problem at both stations. As Chester is an ATW station, that has just been refurbished, they should be pursuing NR with vigour.
We’ll pursue this one and report back – maybe weeds are the new graffiti?
It all makes the passenger think no-one is caring for the railway's fabric.
UPDATE: This from a Mr Saltraire...
A cynic might suggest that a way of doing “station improvement” on the cheap, is to let the weeds grow waist high… and then cut them down.
There, station improved… what more do you want!
UPDATE: This from Shiny Shoes...
Part of the horticultural delights of Chester station are in fact the unintended consequence of an idea put into effect by a rather imaginative (and for the time) forward thinking Area Manager, one Mr Eric Roberts.
Mr. Roberts' tenure at Chester in the early to mid 80's was quite different to what had gone before - he made great efforts to improve the image of the station (with I suspect very limited resources) as he was aware that the place had always 'enjoyed' the reputation as a tip with the good people of Chester and as long as I can remember was (and is) referred to as 'the hole' by railway folk.
Part of the improvements were the grand landscaping of redundant land, which included ornamental conifers and a neatly manicured lawn alongside the through lines - all visible for the delight of passengers from platform 3.
All happily attended to on a Sunday by the local p/way complete with mowers and pruners! Ah, those were the days!
Inevitably and perhaps predictably Mr Roberts' fine intentions have turned to rat-shit on a post privatisation railway.
The once manicured delights are now a wild jungle.
Unfortunately those on platform 3 can still see it, in all its neglected glory.
I often wonder what Eric Roberts would have to say about it.
Via Twitter
Princess Badiya of Jordan will be there too. I need to make sure I remember Royal etiquette!
Poor old Willie Hamilton will be spinning in his grave.
Via Twitter...
I have written to George Osbourne today asking him to confirm the Tories are committed to £1 bil spending/annum for concessionary fares
How much?!?
What are the passes made of - solid gold?
UPDATE: This from the Commuter...
I hope the Tories don't commit to spending £1bn on Concessionary fares.
Why should an OAP with no mortgage and thousands in savings be permitted to travel for free on buses and trains in certain areas whilst others are paying through the nose?
The actual cost of it is much higher, elsewhere across the country, underfunded councils are having to cut money from services such as parks and transport in order to fund this extravagance.
What a waste of money.
This was, presumably, a Party Political Broadcast from the non-Dave-aligned Conservative Party!
This just in from 'Marshy'...
Good news indeed for those whose journey's are interrupted by fires alongside the railway.
According to Network Rail: A new robot-based service has been launched to help fight fires and support other major incidents, in particular those where acetylene gas cylinders which can become highly unstable are involved.
One assumes that said robots will be PTS or IWA certified as a minimum and will be able to don HiVis and take a T3...
Our latest entry is a genuine Railway Garden!
This from the London Evening Standard...
A memorial garden for the victims of the Clapham rail disaster has been neglected for so long it is "unrecognisable", claim commuters.
The piece is accompanied by a truly splendid picture.
Obviously Vegetation Management just isn't Network Rail's thing.
UPDATE: This from Mr Saltaire...
Whilst on the subject of Railway Gardens have the Eye and Mr Harris nothing better to do with their time than bicker over weeds?
Via Twitter...
Just driven a coach around a training circuit, in and out of cones. Nat Exp examiner reckons I'm a brilliant driver. No bridges this time!
Looks like NatEx's bus operations are safe then... Cosmen allowing!
This from DOS Ambala Division, Northern Railway...
Flattered though you may be to find that your august column is read, with great interest, in far away New Delhi, I thought you might like to consider the attached photograph. 
I am sure you will then appreciate that however low the UK railway system has sunk, it is (not yet) faced with dealing with these sorts of endemic problems!!.
Regrettably Railway Eye has to disqualify this entry as neither Network Rail nor any UK train operating company can be held accountable for this particular example of a Railway Garden.
Excellent picture though DOS and Eye hopes that your new role in Ambala is as rewarding as your previous post at Rugby.
Via Twitter...
Just had my 1st meeting with Passenger Focus - their job to stand up for commuters on rail (buses too soon)
Good discussion with action agreed to ensure I am on side of commuters
Is there no one prepared to stand up for the poor beleaguered TOCs?
This from a Mr Saltaire...
Remember the Eurostar court case which resulted in the railway coughing up damages and costs to a courier company for using their name?
A Google search on Super Express brings up a Polish tabloid newspaper and a customs clearing agent in Dubai, amongst others.
With the cost of each Super Express train rumoured to be nudging £32m, additional legal costs are the last thing the project needs.
This just in from Bushy...
This is Euston downside carriage shed, taken this morning...
Note the contrasting graffiti...
Disgraceful, it looks like a bombsite.
Congratulations asset owner DB Schenker!
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