Re: Train Spotters Corner
 

Great news and hopefully more will follow along with the re instatement of more disused rail lines.

Re: Train Spotters Corner
 

http://www.railjournal.com/index.php...ml?channel=542

More good news

Re: Train Spotters Corner
 

London's Charing Cross Station closed after fire on train.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30167555

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HS2 Euston plans could derail whole project

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...s-to-halt.html

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No, they really couldn't. ;)

The story is based entirely on carping by Camden council (which is against it) and a good old fashioned residents committee (which is also against it). The Tele has drawn its headline from a quote from said residents committee ... some nice chap called Tim, who is doubtless concerned that the scheme may knock a mill of the value of his city pad, says "I think HS2 is slowly dying". Wish fulfilment and all that.

Most of the Telegraph's readers hate HS2 because it will run through their back gardens. It's not surprising that the paper caters for its readers by running stories like this. But be in no doubt, that line's getting built.

Re: Train Spotters Corner
 

Blueprint for Waterloo railway services launched.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-30173775

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First Crossrail metals laid

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-30173787

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A joint venture between Stagecoach and Virgin has won the franchise to run the East Coast mainline rail route.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30222458

Up to yesterday it was rumoured to have gone to the french state rail operator Keolis/Eurostar joint venture

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Cue a lot of predictable huffing a puffing from unreconstructed leftie trade unions who wanted East Coast to remain State-operated.

I'm really glad Stagecoach/Virgin have got this. They have made a grand job of the WCML and I predict, over the next few years, they will comfortably improve on the performance of DOR on the East Coast. Then we can (hopefully) put to bed the ridiculous idea that bringing back British Rail is a big or clever thing to do.

Re: Train Spotters Corner
 

I have often championed re-nationalisation of Franchises, because I do think it can work. It worked brilliantly in the case of the South Eastern railway, although, having said that, it would be almost impossible for any other operator to run the service as badly as Connex did. South Eastern Trains introduced serious, and almost instant, improvements to the service. Trains were suddenly running on time, with the correct number of carriages. Passenger information systems were overhauled (seriously, what dimwit really thought it was a good idea to put the signalling team in a building on the other side of Kent from the team that runs the passenger information systems?).

Now, the service is provided by the privatised South Eastern Railways and has mostly (in my experience) kept the standards that South Eastern Trains managed. However, I've noticed that the service is slipping a little. Little things, like the different passenger information systems sometimes give incorrect or conflicting information (several times this week, I've been told by their app that my train has just left my station, while I am standing on the platform, and being told by the Platform indicator screen that the train is due in a few minutes, only to have the app correct itself all of a sudden).

Don't get me wrong. I do not think that wholesale re-nationalisation is the best idea for every franchise. When it comes down to it, as long as a franchise operator can provide me a relatively cheap, reliable service, I don't really care that much whether they are private or publicly owned.

Crossrail 2 cost rises by almost a third, says TfL.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-30228899

Dawlish rail line: Backing for alternative route.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-30292756

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Good news for the South West.

All we need now is the political will to find the money!!

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I noticed in the autumn statement that Osborne is pledging death to the Pacers on the Northern and Transpennine franchises. Can't come soon enough. I still wait nervously on the platform when I'm passing through Wigan NW, hoping one of them isn't going to pull up.

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My worry is talking about things is one thing but doing it is another as talk is cheap and until we see these things actually happen l won't be convinced.

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Well if they don't get the nodders off the network soon, they're going to start falling apart (hopefully, anyway). They're well past their sell by date, so something has to happen soon.