Worst dining experience

Telegrammed by The Master
Intending bon viveurs aboard today's 12:06 Paddington to Penzance soon wished they had packed their sarnies.

The train had just reached Reading, 30 minutes into the five hour journey, when the Chief Steward announced the "last and final" call for luncheon!

As the next stop was Exeter and the train was near full it was a pretty piss-poor show.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, plucky National Express East Anglia manage multiple sittings on their London - Norwich services (with more stops and a shorter journey time).

It has come to a pretty pass when the little Great Eastern can show the mighty Great Western how on-train catering should be done. Mind you with Worst in charge of the latter nothing should come as a surprise.

Now is the winsor of our discontent

Telegrammed by our man at 222 Marylebone Road

The Salon des Refusés of those suitably qualified railway people who have applied for Network Rail public membership and been rejected is filling up nicely for 2008.

Whilst, as expected, Captain Deltic has been denied for the third time, Network Rail seems to be reverting to aversion therapy to deter others.

One highly qualified applicant, who was rejected last year, was personally invited by Network Rail to apply this year - only to be turned-down again.

Network Rail refuses to give specific reasons for individual rejections.

Is this legal?

Are any of Railway Eye's m'learned friends up for a pro-bono judicial review?

It's a wind up

Much excitement in the freight community.

According to HM Courts Service there was a hearing on the 16th July into winding up Advenza Freight, the Cotswold Group's railfreight arm.

The reference for those keen to learn more is: 3369/2008 Advenza Freight Limited.

As the company is still trading it appears that the case was dismissed.

The Fact Compiler is unsurprised. Cotswold is often better known by its sobriquet 'Cost-loads'.