Monday 1 December 2008

November thank you

November site stats:

In November 2008 Railway Eye received 8,298 visits from 3,010 unique visitors.

Apparently you viewed 13,969 random scribblings in total.

Since the site launched on the 13th May 2008 (or there abouts) Railway Eye has received 31,301 visits from 9,241 unique visitors.

The Railway Eye team are humbled that their random and splenetic utterances merit such attention from industry colleagues. Thank you.


Bid to rejoin the network

Excitement on Sunday...

"At 1448 staff at the East Anglian Railway Museum, at Chapel & Wakes Colne, had used the Ground Frame telephone to report an incident on the museum line and that there maybe debris on Network Rail infrastructure. An emergency NRN message was sent to 2T17, EB, 1440 Sudbury – Marks Tey, after stopping the driver was contacted by the signaller at London Liverpool Street IECC and cautioned forward to examine the line. Network Rail Operations Staff attended. The driver of 2T17 reported that a train on the museum line had crashed through the buffer stops at the Marks Tey end of their line, and became derailed. However, there was no involvement of Network Rail infrastructure other than the large amount of spectators crowding around the incident. It was arranged for Network Rail staff to remain on site for safety reasons and to ensure that rerailing operations did not foul Network Rail infrastructure. Rerailing was completed at 2154 and cautioning ceased."


Poltrhoon?

Good news for the incredulous.

Geoff Hoon is again trying to shift the blame for above inflation fares increases onto TOCs

This from today's Times:

Mr Hoon said that he had urged the main train companies “to bear in mind the difficult economic circumstances when setting their fares”.

A source at the Department for Transport said Mr Hoon was disappointed that most companies had chosen to ignore him.

If only we could Buff, if only we could.

Let's be clear.

It is Government policy that regulated fares rise annually by RPI+1.

Unregulated fare increases are notionally at the discretion of TOC's.

But they are set in line with Government policy which seeks to reduce taxpayer support to the railway by increasing passenger contributions.

If Geoff Hoon were really serious about curtailing increases to unregulated fares he could instruct his Civil Servents to issue appropriate directions and guidance to TOCs; the same TOC's whose franchises are let and managed by his own Department.

In the meantime Hoon's continued pretence that this has nothing to do with him is beginning to look more and more craven.


Olden but golden

The Fact Compiler is delighted to receive an invite to a do being held tomorrow night by Bombardier and The Prince's Trust.

The blurb on the invite says the event will pilot a new initiative to provide young people with practical skills to get started in transport.

Is this the sort of thing "Get into Railways" has in mind?



Okay I know this has been around for ages but it's still great!

Gunboat diplomacy

Disturbing news from Liverpool.

Whilst the Met are busy locking up MPs it emerges that MerseyTravel have procured a U-boat!

This presumably to encourage Network Rail to surrender control of MerseyRail infrastructure
.