HS2 - Cleggy giveth and Cleggy taketh away

Exciting news from the Deputy Prime Minister!

Cleggy has been busy twittering the following (several times in fact):

I'm delighted that we've managed to include Sheffield in the high speed rail route. It is a clear demonstration of this government's commitment to creating jobs and prosperity in the north. The Coalition will invest in capital infrastructure like high speed rail and continue to ensure a fair deal for Sheffield.

Good news indeed (what with Cleggy having a Sheffield constituency and all).

However, cuts will no doubt have to be made elsewhere in the transport budget to pay for this Lord Adonis-esque piece of Pork Barrel routing.

Friend Cleggy is already making ominous noises about sleeper services.

This from the latest edition of the Speccie:

"A long walk is overdue, especially after a night on the 'sleeper train' - surely one of the crueller oxymorons in the English language."

Oh dear.

Looks like the days of the Deer Stalker Express are numbered...

Pointless signs - Cardiff Central

This from the Wicked Weaver...


The train is a Cardiff - Cheltenham service with passengers boarding.

Heritage Rail leads the way in DDA compliance

This from Only2misters...

Whilst mulling over the innate difficulties of DDA compliance on heritage lines, I was pleased to see this effective and sturdy, yet Value for Money solution, deployed by Cumbria's Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway.


Clearly the National Rail network has much to learn from our heritage friends.