Gibb transitions from poacher to gamekeeper

So. A big Eye farewell to Chris Gibb, as he moves from Chief Operating Officer at Virgin to a Non-exec role at Network Rail. 

With NR soon to abandon King's Place for pastures new it looks as if Gibby is keeping an eye on future travel expenses by selecting a sub-125 mode of transport.

Behold the Non-exec vehicle de choix - the Twizy, which Renault claims has a range of 61 miles between charges.

Alas, the actualité appears to be closer to 50 miles.

Chums of the railman be warned, a visit from Chris may see him clutching three pin plug in hand!

Rain forest vanishes in DafT photocopier

Telegrammed by Ithuriel
This Written Answer from the Noble Lord given on the 10th March:

In the latest year for which figures are available, the Department for Transport spent £328,471 on photocopier paper.

This figure excludes spend by the Vehicle Operator Services Agency, which could only provide the information at disproportionate cost.

£328,471!

On photocopier paper!!

And how much of that was down to the late and unlamented IEP?

Network Rail greenwash?

Telegrammed by Leo Pink
Much greenwash from Network Rail over the long awaited works to the 'Poacher line':

Passengers on the Boston to Skegness line are set to benefit from a £21m injection of new track on the route. The overall project will see 32 miles of track replaced using recycled materials making the railways even greener.

How much greener it would be if the rails and sleepers had been recycled, as used to be the case, instead of reusable rail being sliced up into 10m lengths for removal by road..

Green?

Perhaps a pale tint of eau de nil!

First for cutting carbon emissions

Is it a bird, is it a plane...

No, it's the latest German designed kettle!



Makes Tornado look halfhearted.

(With a bowler tip to Driver Potter and WNXX)

Minister dibbed and dobbed

The railways green credentials were sadly lacking this afternoon when Transport Minister Geoff Hoon presented Cub Scouts with their new safety badge at St Pancras International.

The choice of an EMT HST as a backdrop was rather unfortunate as the VP185 engine produced a veritable smokescreen on departure which masked Hoon from the cameras and probably shortened the lives of the poor Scouts!

The Fact Compiler hopes that Hoon complied with the law and was CRB checked before he consorted with minors?

Wooden you know!

An arboreal conundrum...

...from Driver Potter

Surely everyone knows that South Western men have hearts of Oak!

Railway Garden Competition #15

Off to the beautiful Derbyshire spa town of Buxton.

The Romans called the town “Aquae Arnemetiae” which translates as “The Waters of the Goddess of the Spring”.

And here are those self same waters - beautifully preserved by Network Rail.

Note the small oblations, lovingly gifted to the goddess, surrounding what once must have been the high altar.


Rumour has it that EWS will be refurbishing the station - and not a moment too soon.

Railway Garden Competition #14

Below is a picture of Avonmouth station, courtesy of Wikipedia.

Lovely!

And here the station pictured just last week.

Less lovely!

And below the view looking in the other direction.

A scene of such rampant neglect that any passing trade could only assume the wrecking train would be the next to call.

Pull your finger out Network Rail - this is an absolute disgrace.

Ones to watch

The Tories have also announced a reshuffle of the Shadow Cabinet.

Not many moves, but interestingly they have chosen to create a Shadow brief for Energy and Climate Change:

Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change - Greg Clark MP

Shadow Minister for Climate Change - Greg Barker MP

Shadow Minister for Energy - Charles Hendry MP

Their opposing numbers on the Government front bench are:

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change: The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP

Minister of State - Mike O'Brien MP

Minister of State - Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE (jointly with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs); and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State - Joan Ruddock MP

A nice long list of names that uber-consultant Jim Steer and Greengauge21 can get their teeth into.

Railway Gardens #13

The Fact Compiler is indebted to Al from Whittlesford Parkway for this entry to the Railway Garden Competition.

Al writes:

"It's nice to see the positive benefits of not having retention tanks on the West Anglia line.

"I was admiring this display when a train pulled in, and lo and behold, the most verdant parts of the track appears to be immediately below where the discharge pipe drips down when the train is at a stand.

"Lovely."

Indeed it is lovely Al - and thank you for this splendid entry to the Railway Garden Competition.

Railway Garden #12

Queenstown Road triffids rule!

Self evidently the "Do Not Alight Here" sign is cheaper than a man with clippers.

Does anyone on the Southern care anymore?

Railway Garden Competition #11

Even though we are now in the season of mellow fruitfulness the Railway Gardeners continue to ply their trade (or Network Rail fails to ply its - take your pick).

Here a discreet offering on the East Coast Mainline down slow.


Nice to see NR helping Welwyn Garden City live up to its name.

Talk is cheap

Telegrammed by our man in 222 Marylebone Road
According to Appendix A – 'Indicative Strategic Research Projects' of DafT's 'Rail industry research strategy implementation plan':

"A recent modelling study by Birmingham University demonstrated an energy saving of 6.75% for hybrid use on the East Coast Main Line and 14.75% for the Great Western Railway."

Aside from a wormhole of 60 years that allowed the GWR to slip into the appendix why a Desk study?

Whilst DafT postures the real railway industry (in the form of Brush Traction, Hitachi and Porterbrook Leasing) have already designed and developed a hybrid High Speed Train power car 'proof-of-concept-demonstrator', tested it, run it in daily service powering Network Rail's New Measurement Train and measured the fuel consumption savings.

Job done!

The Hayabusa hybrid is now being converted back to standard configuration because East Midlands Trains need more traction.

So lucky it didn't win the innovation award on Thursday night.

Railway Garden Competition #10

The Fact Compiler has received the following entry from a Mr Rayner of Ambergate.

It shows a truly venerable railway garden.

As Mr Rayner explains: "The tree is probably 15+ years old", so it has probably survived because:

• BR Civils were too busy being disaggregated
• Railtrack was too busy wishing it was doing something else
• and latterly NR is too busy with its face in the trough

Of particular interest are the two strengthening bars in the picture below. These must be a source of great comfort to users of the busy A6 which passes immediately beneath the bridge.

And see here the cooling dappled shade afforded to motorist and pedestrians alike traversing the Queen's highway.


Normally the The Fact Compiler would berate NR for having let this tree do significant damage to a mainline bridge that crosses a busy major road.

But perhaps NR has secret plans to construct their first totally carbon-neutral parkway station in the mighty boughs of this arboreal behemoth?

Perhaps not.

Railway Garden Competition #9

The inhabitants of God's own county are renowned for being careful with the pennies.

Notwithstanding this Sheffield station staff have managed to put on a splendid display without incurring the costs of the usual hanging baskets.

The Fact Compiler is particularly impressed with this ensemble - complementing as it does the station which was recently refurbished at vast expense.

Railway Garden Competition #8

This particular entry is the subject of some debate amongst the judges of the Railway Garden Competition.

Is it a Railway Garden or a Station Garden?

The foilage says Railway but the even spacing suggests Station Garden.


Either way a commendable effort by Network Rail's new Midland and Continental team.

Railway Garden Competition #7

The railway garden is no different to those apogees of the Horticulturalists' art - the gardens at The Royal Hospital Flower Show, Chelsea.

Too little water and all your best endeavours are in vain.

At Crewe this particular problem has been overcome.

Such is the shiite state of the guttering that it pours endlessly over pillar, platform and passenger alike.


Lest Network Rail protest that the image above was taken during abnormal levels of rainfall (in August!) the Fact Compiler would like to point out the verdigris - attacking brick and dissolving 'gobbo' alike - a clear sign of long term neglect.

At one with nature

Good news for tree huggers.

According to the Environment Times London Underground manages 10 per cent of the Capital's biodiversity.

More than 200 trackside sites, totaling almost 2,000 acres, have been identified as Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation.

And in recent years an impressive 550 plant species, 42 types of bird, 14 mammals, and 538 invertebrates have been recorded on LU's network.

Presumably the remaining 90% of London's bio-diversity is to be found, unmanaged, on Network Rail infrastructure.

Railway Garden Competition #6

Leamington SpaWhat a splendid piece of partnership.

Notice how the flower baskets, paid for by local citizens, are beautifully framed by the thrusting NR buddleia which at the same time is busy undermining the masonry of the bridge abutments.

It's good to see Network Rail's complimentary approach to vegetation management.

Railway Garden Competition #5

Primrose Hill tunnels on the WCML


Engineered in 1837 by Robert Stephenson and the first tunnels in London.

What marvellous custodians Network Rail are of our national heritage!