Roger Ford Was Right
For years in Modern Railways, Roger Ford has been questioning statistics and information from the Department of Transport. It emerged today, that three civil servants got their sums wrong and cost taxpayers a total of £40 million, over the Virgin Trains/First Group row about the West Coast Main line.
It is another failure of the Department, that in many peoples’ view, finds trains a rather historical method of transport.
Thpse involved have only been suspended. They should have been fired. But then I suspect they have all got a First from Oxford. If they’d got a Third in engineering from Sheffield or Exeter, they’d have got the sums right.
The Civil Service needs an Admiral Byng moment.
Back To London In Comfort
I came back to London in a Class 442, branded as a Gatwick Express, although it only stopped at East Croydon and Clapham Junction before Victoria.
Back To London In Comfort
The Class 442 could be considered an unusual design as it is just a series of legendary Mk. 3 coaches, with electric power underneath. They may be slower than an InterCity 125, but they still hold the world speed record for third-rail electric trains at 108 mph.
I took the train all the way to Victoria, but when London Overground opens to Clapham Junction on December 9th, I’ll be able to use that line to get to Dalston Junction.
I suspect, it will be whatever has the best connections.
To Brighton via Cable Car And A Lot More
And a few other things too!
I had plenty of time yesterday to get to the Ipswich match at Brighton, so I thought, I’d see how many different forms of transport I could use.
1. A 21 Bus to Bank
I started the simple way by getting on this 21 bus to take me to Bank station for the DLR.
A 21 Bus To Bank
It didn’t actually go to Bank, as southbound buses have to take a detour at Moorgate because of Crossrail.
2. Docklands Light Railway to Royal Victoria Docks
I then took the DLR to Royal Victoria Dock station for the cable-car.
DLR Train At Bank
I did take a pause at Limehouse station to take pictures of the Hydraulic Accumulator Tower.
3. Emirates Air-Line To North Greenwich
I’d actually come this way to give me a good title to the post. But, as I had a gondola to myself, I was able to take good pictures of the Crossrail site at Limmo.
The Crossrail Site On The Limmo Peninsular
Work seems to be proceeding at speed and hopefully Elizabeth and Victoria will be dropped in the big hole soon.
4. Jubilee Line To Canada Water
This was the point, I realised I hadn’t got an SD card in the camera, so I purchased one by the O2.
Jubilee Line At Canada Water
At least the Jubilee line was working properly.
5.Lift To The Overground
This might seem like blatant cheating to get my count up. It is!
Lift To The Overground
Although it was a nice clean lift!
6. Overground To West Croydon
Those who know London’s transport system can argue that I should have taken the Jubilee line to London Bridge station and got a train from there. But hey! That would not be fun.
Arriving At West Croydon
But even the Overground takes you to wrong station at Croydon for Brighton. But at least, West Croydon station now has a quick exit to the tram.
7. Tram To East Croydon
At least when you’re going West to East in Croydon, the Tramlink is simple.
Tram at East Croydon
In fact, if say I’m coming from Brighton to my home, I will probably go direct to the London terminus. But going south, I tend to take the Overground from close by my house and then the tram to East Croydon station, as I did here.
8. Train To Brighton
I bought my first ticket of the day. a senior return to Brighton for £11.70.
My Train To Brighton Arrives
I arrived in Brighton on time.
I then walked down the hill to Carluccio’s for an early supper.
The CrossRail TBMs At Limmo
I took these pictures today of the two CrossRail tunnel boring machines; Elizabeth and Victoria, at Limmo today from the DLR just before the Beckton branch gets to Canning Town station.
If you want to see them, you’ll probably have to be quick, as they’ll be dropped into the hole there soon.
In Style To Sheffield And Then This!
Barnsley must be one of the biggest towns in England without a direct service to London. I was in a very comfortable First Class seat to Sheffield and then this.
In Style To Sheffield And Then This!
We have more comfortable and decidedly newer trains on the Overground.
The name of these Class 142‘s is even crap, as they’re called Pacers. They should be called Crawlers or Rattlers. I suppose the only compensation was that the last bit of the journey took about fifteen minutes.
Does St. Pancras Station Need A Second Clock?
As I sat in Carluccio’s having my coffee yesterday, I could only see the clock behind me, with a bit of difficulty.
So I got to thinking, that St. Pancras station might need a clock at the other end.
Another Ipswich First
Ipswich is now believed to have the first Development Consent Order to come into force. This will allow the construction of the Ipswich Chord to take freight trains directly from the Felixstowe Branch towards Peterborough.
It doesn’t seem that the good burghers of Ipswich are bothered and that no badger-toed newts have been found on the site. But then they know a good thing when they see it. I suppose the only objectors could be truck drivers, as the scheme will cut a lot of road journeys.
Bus Pass On Rails
Modern Railways is reporting that the government is doing an experiment with First Great Western, whereby a concessionary bus-pass can effectively be used as a Senior Railcard.
I have both and it would be one less card to lose, if I had to carry just one card. The Freedom Pass also has a photograph and I have used it where a photo ID is required.
I also have to show both cards, when I go to Ipswich, by buying a ticket from the Zone 6 boundary to Ipswich, as I do the London end of the journey on my Freedom Pass.
I don’t know how many concessionary bus passes and Senior Railcards are in circulation, but abolishing the Senior Railcard and using the concessionary bus-pass wouldn’t be very affordable in these times of financial restraint.
But then the experiment may show that if those with bus-passes got rail travel with a third off, the extra revenue might pay for the scheme.
It certainly seems an idea that will eventually be implemented.
Especially, as it would be a real vote winner for the party that brought it in. Especially, if they tied up the rules, so that bus-passes worked under the same restrictions nationwide.
The Anonymous Widower 