Whilst WSMR is reducing services Grand Central is leasing more rolling stock!
A release reaches Eye from their spin-meister claiming they have signed a lease with Angel for two class 180s (no unit numbers given).
Oh, and it included a pretty photo-shopped picture...
So exactly how many 180s are there out there - as everyone (Hull, Northern, NXEC and now GC) claims to have them!
Beardie Rail is building on its unenviable reputation for shafting the good citizens of Carlisle.
Having been caught out last week for offering non-existent fares to Europe the greedy operator has now decided that passengers won't be able to buy cheap tickets from the station!
This from the News and Star...
The booking office at Carlisle railway station will be closed until Thursday of next week, leaving passengers unable to buy cheap ‘Advance’ tickets.
Virgin Trains spokesman Ken Gibbs said: “It’s not an ideal situation but we have publicised it and there really is no alternative.”
Not ideal - it's scandalous!
Where is Passenger Focus when you need it?
UPDATE: Passenger Focus understood to be feeling Beardie's collar...
***Howard Collins confirmed in post as London Underground Chief Operating Officer***
UPDATE: Boris Watch was unclear what this meant - so The Fact Compiler has posted a clarification...
Shock news from Wrexham & Shropshire!
This from the BBC...
A train company running a direct link between Wrexham and London is cutting the number of week day services from five to three.
Less than a year after its service was launched, Wrexham and Shropshire blamed the recession and said the decision reflected customer travel patterns.
DB Schenker must be feeling the chill wind of recession...
UPDATE: An 'Anonymous' reader advises....
Reinvent immediately as 'Ryanair of the Rails'.
Slash fares, axe fripperies!
Charge for use of the lavatory? Ed
Yes, charge for toilets, suitcases and pets! Anon
Let's raise a glass to the brave Boys in Blue!
This from the Daily Mail...
"Police chiefs were condemned last night after a £200,000 investigation was launched into two officers who shared five bottles of Vimto they found by a railway line."
The Eye commends their bravery...
Having seen what people put in bottles and then discard about the railway.
The Fact Compiler noticed that the red carpet had been rolled out at Marsham Street today.
Surely nothing to do with the visit of three shadowy figures who were seen entering DfT Towers but moments later.
Once the coats, hats and false beards had been removed who did we spy but the three Rosco MDs - taking tea as honoured guests of My Lord Adonis & Secretary of State Geoff Hoon!
Eye presumes that this has nothing do with funding the IEP... or Thameslink fleet... or London Midland vehicles... or Tramtrains...
More likely a Best Practice Club!
After all, raising capital for new trains is a doddle - isn't it?
Exciting news from Scottish heritage railways
Transport Scotland is planning to introduce an integrated ticketing system based on smart card technology.
Quick off the mark, the Heritage Railway Association's Scottish Committee is lobbying hard to be part of the scheme from day one.
Alas, south of the border, the luddites still rule.
Despite a trial with Season Ticket holders on the Windsor-Staines route, SWT "is still in discussion with the Department for Transport to finalise timescales for (Oyster) rollout to other lines on the network".
A mere five and a half years after the cards were first introduced.
Telegrammed by our Independent Expert
'Weak and ineffective'.
That's how the report by Price Waterhouse Coopers, leaked to the Gruaniad this morning, describes the non-executive board members of Network Rail.
Perhaps time, therefore, that NR reappraised the selection process for its Public Members, and ended the process of repudiating applications from knowledgeable Railway Eyers, such as the Independent Expert and Captain Deltic.
If called upon we're happy to serve...
UPDATE: This from the Pink 'Un today (Tuesday 3rd March)...
Decision-making could be more effective if the number of members were reduced to about 30, if some were paid to improve attendance and if more secretarial and analytical support were provided, to help members to follow the company’s performance in more detail.
Well if there's cash in it we're even more interested!
Looks like Arriva Cross Country has given up trying to appeal to female passengers.
The lame franchise has signed up the face of Channel 4 Racing, and super-misogynist, John McCririck to front a campaign for rail travel to Cheltenham Races.
McCririck earned the ire of the sisterhood by accusing Germaine Greer of "encouraging women to be above themselves".
He also managed to get himself thrown off Alan Titchmarsh's TV show for describing fellow guest Ingrid Tarrant as a "ghastly woman", whose estranged husband Chris cheated on her because she was no good in bed.
Mind you it's good news for McCririck, whose appearences on Channel 4 last year were reduced by 25% at the behest of TV bosses.
In the immortal words of McCririck: "Toerags behave yourself".
This from mhmediaonline
Adolf attempts to take his bicycle on a train... on a Sunday!
Genius
Bowler tip to Driver Potter for this...
Where the air world leads can the railways fail to follow?
Ryanair is musing over whether to charge passengers for making use of on-board facilities.
How long before cash strapped TOCs follow suit?
Beardie Rail has been caught out offering non-existent fares.
This from the News and Star...
"Virgin Trains is advertising return tickets from Cumbria to Paris and Brussels for £87 – but has now admitted the fare is impossible to obtain."
Here's to fares supremo Graeme Leech being hauled up in front of the Advertising Standards Authority!
***This from former Rail hack Will Green, now The Journal's Political Editor***
Perhaps Platinum Trains had a point?
By his own words shall you judge him!
This from the Daily Telegraph, 15th August 2007...
"We have had a very simple bidding philosophy,'' said Mr Bowker. ''We will not bid at levels we think are unsustainable or undeliverable - there's no point in being a hero for a day and a villain forever more afterwards."
A villain forever more.
Lord Adonis received a dressing down from the Transport Select Committee yesterday for having leaked his evidence beforehand.
"There's extreme concern in the committee that today there was extensive coverage in the media of what it's alleged you are going to say," Louise Ellman said.
"This is really out of order".
He claimed he thought that, since he was merely restating government policy, it wouldn't be a problem.
He's frankly lucky Gwynneth Dunwoody is no longer around to rip him limb from limb.
UPDATE: Meanwhile Nigel Harris excoriates the TSC for piss-poor performance...
Where Railway Eye goes, ministers are sure to follow.
Within hours of our Independent Expert posting that rail fares need to fall because of deflation, what happens?
Ministers let it be known that "rail fares will be allowed to fall in line with deflation".
In the land of the one-eyed the blogger is king!
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