This from Ed Balls, via twitter...
Sorry... But this is getting really weird.. RT @felicitymorse: Ed Balls makes it onto a train sign twitter.com/FelicityMorse/…
— Ed Balls (@edballsmp) April 12, 2013
Much delight amongst the Freighties!
It rather looks as if Tim Robinson, NR's Freight Director, has been appointed to the vacant Sussex Route MD post.
To paraphrase Saki: As good freight directors go, he went!
A hard act to follow, leaving an important role that will need filling PDQ.
Possibly the best picture on the internet you will see today!
This from Virginia Water...
Today, 200 industry leaders attended the launch event of Women In Rail.
WiR is a new initiative that aims to support opportunities for women in today's railway, as well as encourage all young people to consider a future in our industry.
With support from across the railway the event included high-powered presentations from ORR's
Anna Walker, NR's Dyan Crowther and Heidi Mottram (late of Northern
Rail)
Particularly striking was the statistic showing that the rail industry remains 83% male.
Meanwhile, the percentage of female workers amongst skilled employees languishes at the following levels: Train operators/drivers (4%); Engineers (4.5%) and Signallers (6.5%).
Despite this seemingly depressing imbalance of representation in the workplace, attendees left both enthusiastic and bursting for more!
Happily the venue afforded equally generous PNB facilities for both Ladies and Gents... (shurely shome mishtake? Ed)
Farewell Iron Lady from the iron road!
The Fact Compiler's latest column in Passenger Transport published on the 29th March...
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One for Messrs Jackson, Briginshaw, Abbott, Preston, Harris (both), Pigott, Jack, Abell, Dunn, Jones, Milne, etc... to mull over.
With a bowler tip to the latest issue of Private Eye for highlighting this part of the debate on Awards of exemplary damages in relation to the Royal Charter regulating the press:
Richard Bacon (South Norfolk, Conservative)
One could easily envisage a railway enthusiasts’ magazine which had a range of authors whose material was subject to editorial control but which many people would nevertheless consider to be a hobby magazine. It would fall outside the regime because it was aimed solely at enthusiasts. What would happen, however, if such a magazine were to get hold of some information, perhaps confidential information, about High Speed 2? Would it then be caught by the regime? Does my right hon. Friend not see the path that she is going down?
Maria Miller (Basingstoke, Conservative)
We have clearly set out the direction that we are going in, and it is there in the information for my hon. Friend to read. Ultimately, the court will decide whether any particular issues fall near the line. If a publication is concerned about whether it would be caught by the new regime, it can of course seek legal advice, but we have done a great deal to make this clear to individual publications.
Hmmm...
Eye suggests doing like the Speccie and just saying NO!
Good news for fans of Whitehall rolling stock procurement!
This from yesterday's Derby Telegraph...
In an interview with the Derby Telegraph in January, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said he expected the £1.4 billion deal to be signed off with winning bidder Siemens "by the end of March".
But moving into April, the deal for 1,200 carriages still remains unsigned.
Just fancy that!
This from Northern Spirit...
This from Graham Smith, Director General of the Rail Delivery Group...
“The Rail Delivery Group is pleased to
invite companies and organisations that are able to contribute to the
work and objectives of the Group to become Associate Members. By
becoming Associate Members of the RDG, companies and organisations can
make a material contribution to the achievement of the RDG’s objectives,
which will, in turn, benefit passengers, freight customers and
taxpayers”
Very good and quite right too!
Application forms for RDG Associate Membership can be found here.
But why is the RDG, now a company limited by guarantee, still issuing press releases through Network Rail...
Dontcha just love the Frenchies!
This from Lloyds Loading List...
French rail freight operator Fret SNCF is offering staff a reward if they can find around 150 (apparently empty) rail wagons that have gone missing over the past decade.
Railwaymen are to be offered the sum of €82.10 for each wagon located.
A spokesperson for parent company SNCF Geodis told Lloyd’s Loading List.com the search for the wagons was part of an initiative to remedy a discrepancy between where the company’s IT systems showed wagons to be and their actual location.
Fourth Railway Package?
First pen and paper may be a better starting point!
Wise words from Norman Baker in today's Metro...
The railways would have been better off in state hands than under the regime introduced in the 1990s, Norman Baker said.
But Mr Baker stressed nationalising railways now would be expensive and unnecessary.
Quite so Minister, quite so.
And talking of 'expensive and unnecessary' what will the privatisation of state owned East Coast cost?
Are we perhaps having a 'cake and eat it' moment Norm?
Dear Occupants of Great Minster House.
This from Wales Online...
A civil servant in Whitehall was almost jailed in the 1970s for saving
Aberystwyth’s train service and many others targeted for a wave of
Beeching-style closures, it has been revealed.
That's the way to do it!
An incredible tale and unbelievably one that isn't dated the 1st April - read it!!
Good effort!!!
This from Weiss Beer...
So, when Easter Sunday's 20.11 XC Leeds to Birmingham was caped on arrival due to
lack of staff, and the 20.30 NR Leeds to Sheffield is then extended to
Birmingham, just what do you put on the destination board?
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This from the Depot Master...
This from National Carp Parkes...
Attached are two photos for Silver Stump Watch. At neither location
could a vehicle ram into the station.
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