Friday 3 July 2009

Après le Déluge...

Surely First Great Western won't be allowed to profit from this?

According to thisiscornwall.co.uk...

TRURO railway station has been closed after torrential rain caused the roof to cave in above the ticket office on Thursday morning.

Passengers can only buy daily tickets in cash from a machine on platform two; all advance tickets and payments by card are unavailable.

Eye trusts that Passenger Focus is on the case, even though it's the weekend?

Cash back

Bill Cash, Conservative MP for Stone, received overwhelming support in a constituency vote of confidence.

Apologies - just wanted to run that headline.

Blazing Saddles

The Fact Compiler likes a good western.

Others, on the other hand, prefers them bad and mean.

Please don't follow this link if you are a P-way engineer of a sensitive disposition or a member of the Safety Taliban.

UPDATE: This from our International Expert...


And here is what the Maybach Railgrinder could do if left to its own devices...

Economist - Loss of East Coast saves NatEx a fortune

Has The Economist seen better days?

It would certainly appear so, judging by this howler...


National Express reckoned it could pay the government £1.4 billion a year by 2015, assuming that revenue grew by 10% a year until then.

Saved from paying DafT such massive sums, NatEx should now be able to afford a suitable leaving present for Beau Bowker.

Something small and useful, like Oman perhaps?

Old joke recycled

This from the Daily Telegraph...

SIR – Now that Gordon Brown’s administration is to take over the East Coast main line should the 10am King’s Cross to Edinburgh be renamed The Lying Scotsman?

Keith Porter
London SW14

With a bowler tip to our man at Buggleskelly

UPDATE: This from "Old BR Hand"

A more charitable name might be The Trying Scotsman?

The Reshaping of British Broadcasting

Exciting news from the world of broadcasting.

This in the Grauniad...

ITN newsreader Alastair Stewart calls for 'Beeching' inquiry into BBC.

Beeching of course not only closed lines, he also introduced the freightliner and merry-go-round concepts.

Judging by the number of comedy repeats on the Beeb the latter is already in place.

Summoned by Bells!

Sir John Betjeman will be spinning in his grave.

The saviour of St Pancras station and quinetessential Englishman has a pub named after him at the station he saved.

Situated just inches above the former Burton beer store could there be a better place for a cooling ale in the summer heat?

Alas, not yesterday.

The beer was "off" leaving thirsty punters with a choice between fizzy continental lager or head-banger's cider.

Perhaps My Lord Adonis should intervene?

UPDATE: Leo Pink splutters...

This is, of course, the Station Czar's fault.

Adonis should should call in the so-called Chris Green and give him a right royal rollicking.

But what did Adonis expect appointing an old-BR manager for this vital task?

Missing DafT Press Releases

***If you are not getting any government press releases emailed to your inbox Guido has found out why.***