What's in a name?

Apologies to those reading this in the Shetlands or Orkney Isles, both locations being home to villages with the name displayed in the photo below.


Despite its colloquial connotations, it's the first time I've come across Twatt, be it the one on Shetland or Orkney. It is programmed into a former Rapsons Volvo B12M coach, currently operating on the National Express coach network. Rapsons had operated two services for NX until September, when their new owner, Stagecoach, chose, with mutual consent, to discontinue the diagrams - Bruce's Coaches being the beneficiary of the 588 (Inverness-London) and Coach Miles the 509 (Swansea-London).

Rapsons, being the major operator of bus services in the Scottish Highlands & Islands, must have a route that passes through Twatt (perhaps both Twatts?) - not that this coach is ever likely to have been there of course. It can be a very useful feature on a coach though, the electronic destination display units, retaining as many as 1,000 or 9,999 destinations (depending on the technology used).

There are plenty of humorous village names in the UK. Twatt has origins to Scandinavia, being Old Norse for a 'small parcel of land'; it also has one of the most photographed sign posts in the UK. Here are a selection of some of my favourites (a few of which are to be found in the LEYTR area):

Besses o'th' Barn, Bishops Itchington, Blubberhouses, Boothby Graffoe, Burton Coggles, Crackpot, Droop, Duck End, Great Fryupdale, Guthram Gowt, Horsey Windpump, Land of Nod, Loose, Lower Slaughter, Nether Wallop, New York, Once Brewed, Piddletrenthide, Plucks Gutter, Pratts Bottom, Rhodesia, Shaggie Burn, Silk Willoughby, Splatt, Splott, Tongue End, Upper Dicker, Upper Thong, Wetwang, Wyre Piddle. (GWB)

Help needed to bring Flying Scotsman back

Representing the apex of British engineering and the love of steam, The Flying Scotsman is arguably the most famous train in the world and was saved from exportation to Germany in 2004 by the National Railway Museum (NRM).

The museum intends to fully restore the steam locomotive so that it can once again operate along the East Coast Main Line by 2010. In order to meet their target, they've started an SOS appeal: Steam Our Scotsman. It is hoped that donations to the tune of £250,000 will be raised, which will ensure completion of the restoration and overhaul.

Can you put a price on The Flying Scotsman? The NRM did 5 years ago, when they purchased it for £2.6 million, and since then engine 4472 has taken pride of place at their museum in York.

NRM's curator of rail vehicles Jim Rees said: "When the museum acquired the engine it was carrying a boiler from an A4 that had been fitted in the 1970s, as was commonly done in BR days. It also came with an A3 boiler that it had carried before then from 1964. The A4 boiler was in poor condition, having had many repairs and alterations, some conventional and recorded, others less so, so we decided to repair the A3 boiler, not just for the short term, but to the highest possible standard. The restoration has cost a great deal more than anticipated due to the poor condition of the boiler and the rising cost of copper - hence the need for a public appeal."

Members of the public are being invited to sponsor various components and significant donors will have their names displayed at the NRM in a special 'hall of fame.' Parts on offer range from a bolt at £25 to the entire outer firebox at £100,000.

To donate, supporters should either click here; contact the museum's development team on 01904 685707 or here; or write to: SOS Appeal, NRM, Leeman Road, York, YO26 4XJ. (PW/GL)

Derbyshire soldiers on... for now...

At the start of the week I received the latest edition of Derbyshire County Council's (DCC) Mid & South Derbyshire Bus & Coach timetable book. It is still priced at 80p and contains all the excellent information that readers have hitherto become accustom.

The accompanying letter was not a welcome sight though. I guessed its subject matter prior to reading the text: following the blip the county council had last June when it suddenly ceased production of two of its three comprehensive timetable books, the period of grace that had been granted by them is now at an end and a more definite result is on its way.

By the end of last June a decision was made to resume the production of the timetable books, albeit to a bare minimum timescale (free amendments were not produced as quickly and the written guarantee to produce and send a minimum of two copies of each area guide per year to annual subscribers was not maintained).

I was told by a very nice lady in the Public Transport Unit at DCC's base in Matlock back in November that the 'jury was still out' with regards to what the long-term plan was. At the time I, like many who make very regular use of the county's buses and trains, was just glad to start receiving the books again.

Back in July I commented that there was no official reasoning for the gap in timetable book production given to the book's users, and that it might even be prudent to produce a flier along the lines of 'use it or lose it'. Monday's accompanying letter from Kyle Hulme, DCC's Senior Public Transport Officer, told annual subscribers that, effectively, the jury is still out and in the mean time the latest Mid & South Derbyshire book was enclosed. We're all owed one from last year's reduced subscription period anyway (the Peak District October timetable wasn't produced).

Apparently the way in which DCC provides "bus timetable information is being finalised for the next financial year, in line with budget constraints" and that because of this an annual subscription for this year is not able to be offered, presumably as they plan on ceasing the books' production come the first week in April.

It's the realist in me you know! (GL)

The OFT's jolly to Eastbourne

Following Stagecoach's recent acquisition of the world's oldest municipal bus operator on 26 November 2008, just over a week ago they snapped-up its main competitor, Cavendish. Ten days after this latest acquisition, Stagecoach announced that in order to restore order to the bus operation in Eastbourne, it plans to close the Cavendish operation completely, with the loss of all 65 jobs.

On the face of it, this is surely Stagecoach reverting back to its old ways, or is it?

One of the main contributing factors in Eastbourne Buses' demise was Cavendish. This operator ran in direct competition with the municipal company and yet offered no evening services. Neither operators' fleet was awash with the latest body and chassis designs either.

Stagecoach has indicated that Cavendish's closure and the expansion of the core Eastbourne Buses network is, in its opinion, the best way to salvage the fallout of the last few years' competition there. It would seem that unlike Stagecoach's recent victory in Preston, competition in Eastbourne was far more low-key and involved neither operator splashing out thousands on the latest vehicles. Council-owned companies have far greater priorities than directing more cash towards their bus fleet!

The proposed expanded network in Eastbourne will require an additional 23 drivers and those with Cavendish will be given priority for these posts; additionally, Stagecoach has indicated that it has vacancies for drivers at its other depots in the area and that Cavendish drivers would be offered these, too.


The OFT will be planning an outing by the sea in the very near future that's for sure. Quite what they'll make of it isn't clear. Eastbourne Buses was the penultimate operator in our list from last year that noted the largest 35 independent operators; Cavendish was even smaller, but is this any reason not to ensure the same scrutiny is made of the purchase? Hitherto the OFT has placed many restrictions on Stagecoach following its acquisitions, though have later gone on to lift virtually all of them. We mused on the likelihood of this happening in Preston, but there has been a 2-year guarantee to maintain driver numbers there. (GL)

Perhaps the world's funniest complaint letter?

Dear Mr Branson

REF: Mumbai to Heathrow 7th December 2008

I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years. This latest incident takes the biscuit.

Ironically, by the end of the flight I would have gladly paid over a thousand rupees for a single biscuit following the culinary journey of hell I was subjected to at the hands of your corporation.

Look at this Richard. Just look at it:

I imagine the same questions are racing through your brilliant mind as were racing through mine on that fateful day. What is this? Why have I been given it? What have I done to deserve this? And, which one is the starter, which one is the desert?

You don’t get to a position like yours Richard with anything less than a generous sprinkling of observational power so I KNOW you will have spotted the tomato next to the two yellow shafts of sponge on the left. Yes, it’s next to the sponge shaft without the green paste. That’s got to be the clue hasn’t it. No sane person would serve a desert with a tomato would they. Well answer me this Richard, what sort of animal would serve a desert with peas in:

I know it looks like a baaji but it’s in custard Richard, custard. It must be the pudding. Well you’ll be fascinated to hear that it wasn’t custard. It was a sour gel with a clear oil on top. It’s only redeeming feature was that it managed to be so alien to my palette that it took away the taste of the curry emanating from our miscellaneous central cuboid of beige matter. Perhaps the meal on the left might be the desert after all.

Anyway, this is all irrelevant at the moment. I was raised strictly but neatly by my parents and if they knew I had started desert before the main course, a sponge shaft would be the least of my worries. So lets peel back the tin-foil on the main dish and see what’s on offer.

I’ll try and explain how this felt. Imagine being a twelve year old boy Richard. Now imagine it’s Christmas morning and you’re sat their with your final present to open. It’s a big one, and you know what it is. It’s that Goodmans stereo you picked out the catalogue and wrote to Santa about.

Only you open the present and it’s not in there. It’s your hamster Richard. It’s your hamster in the box and it’s not breathing. That’s how I felt when I peeled back the foil and saw this:

Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking it’s more of that Baaji custard. I admit I thought the same too, but no. It’s mustard Richard. MUSTARD. More mustard than any man could consume in a month. On the left we have a piece of broccoli and some peppers in a brown glue-like oil and on the right the chef had prepared some mashed potato. The potato masher had obviously broken and so it was decided the next best thing would be to pass the potatoes through the digestive tract of a bird.

Once it was regurgitated it was clearly then blended and mixed with a bit of mustard. Everybody likes a bit of mustard Richard.

By now I was actually starting to feel a little hypoglycaemic. I needed a sugar hit. Luckily there was a small cookie provided. It had caught my eye earlier due to it’s baffling presentation:

It appears to be in an evidence bag from the scene of a crime. A CRIME AGAINST BLOODY COOKING. Either that or some sort of back-street underground cookie, purchased off a gun-toting maniac high on his own supply of yeast. You certainly wouldn’t want to be caught carrying one of these through customs. Imagine biting into a piece of brass Richard. That would be softer on the teeth than the specimen above.

I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was relax but obviously I had to sit with that mess in front of me for half an hour. I swear the sponge shafts moved at one point.

Once cleared, I decided to relax with a bit of your world-famous onboard entertainment. I switched it on:

I apologise for the quality of the photo, it’s just it was incredibly hard to capture Boris Johnson’s face through the flickering white lines running up and down the screen. Perhaps it would be better on another channel:

Is that Ray Liotta? A question I found myself asking over and over again throughout the gruelling half-hour I attempted to watch the film like this. After that I switched off. I’d had enough. I was the hungriest I’d been in my adult life and I had a splitting headache from squinting at a crackling screen.

My only option was to simply stare at the seat in front and wait for either food, or sleep. Neither came for an incredibly long time. But when it did it surpassed my wildest expectations:

Yes! It’s another crime-scene cookie. Only this time you dunk it in the white stuff.

Richard…. What is that white stuff? It looked like it was going to be yoghurt. It finally dawned on me what it was after staring at it. It was a mixture between the Baaji custard and the Mustard sauce. It reminded me of my first week at university. I had overheard that you could make a drink by mixing vodka and refreshers. I lied to my new friends and told them I’d done it loads of times. When I attempted to make the drink in a big bowl it formed a cheese Richard, a cheese. That cheese looked a lot like your baaji-mustard.

So that was that Richard. I didn’t eat a bloody thing. My only question is: How can you live like this? I can’t imagine what dinner round your house is like, it must be like something out of a nature documentary.

As I said at the start I love your brand, I really do. It’s just a shame such a simple thing could bring it crashing to it’s knees and begging for sustenance.

Yours Sincererly

XXXX

• Paul Charles, Virgin’s Director of Corporate Communications, confirmed that Sir Richard Branson had telephoned the author of the letter and had thanked him for his “constructive if tongue-in-cheek” email. Mr Charles said that Virgin was sorry the passenger had not liked the in-flight meals which he said was “award-winning food which is very popular on our Indian routes.”
  
  

Transit's Power 50

Transport trade magazine Transit produces an annual 'who's who' supplement, titled Power 50. As you'd expect it lists what its panel of expert commentators feel is an accurate reflection of who in the UK transport industry weilds the most power.

This year's top 10 altered slightly from that of 2008, though Sir Moir Lockhead (First Group), Brian Souter (Stagecoach Group) and Keith Ludeman (Go Ahead Group) remained static in 1st, 2nd and 5th places respectively.

London Mayor Boris Johnson made his first appearance in the top 10, being what Transit believe to be the 4th most powerful person in the transport industry; he is joined by another new entry, Geoff Hoon, Secretary of State for Transport, in 6th place although this position is likely to be held by whoever was appointed. Up 7 places to 3rd place was Network Rail's chief executive, Iain Coucher. Staying in the top ten, although dropping 1 place is TfL's Commissioner, Peter Hendy; up 1 place to 8th is National Express' Chief Executive, Richard Bowker; down 5 to 9th is Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer; and down 3 to 10th place is Arriva's CE, David Martin.

1. Sir Moir Lockhead, First Group
2. Brian Souter, Stagecoach Group
3. Iain Coucher, Network Rail
4. Boris Johnson, Mayor of London
5. Keith Ludeman, Go Ahead Group
6. Geoff Hoon, Transport Secretary
7. Peter Hendy, TfL Commissioner
8. Richard Bowker, National Express Group
9. Alistair Darling, Chanceller of the Exchequer
10. David Martin, Arriva

Recognisable names who've left the Power 50 entirely are outgoing London Mayor Ken Livingstone; former Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly; former Transport Minister Tom Harris; and EastGroup owner Stelios Haji-Ioannou. Newcomers, in addition to those already mentioned who made it directly into the top ten, include Transport Minister Lord Adonis; Passenger Focus' Anthony Smith; First Group's Dave Kay; Merseytravel's Neil Scales; and the Association of Train Operators' Michael Roberts.

It's interesting to note that one of Transit's judges, Hull Trains' co-founder John Nelson, managed 50th position last year and knocked himself out altogether in the latest list.

Transit's panel of experts comprise George Muir (former ATOC DG); Brian Cox (former exec director of Stagecoach); Transit's editor Robert Jack; Transit's contributing editor James Dark; and First Class Partnerships' John Nelson.

Preston Bus sold

Appearing on Stagecoach's website was a report of its acquisition of Preston Bus. The two companies have been in competition since the autumn of 2007, with North West Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell having to intervene to ensure a fair battle, as it were.

Two Stagecoach drivers had their licenses suspended following underhanded tactics and a call from the Traffic Commissioner for both operators to sign a voluntary code of conduct was heeded and adhered to by both operators. The alternative was a full Public Inquiry.


Back in June last year, Preston Bus was 20th in our list of 35 largest-remaining independent bus operators. Not only is the acquisition a "nice fit" for Stagecoach, it also removes the competition it had in the city for the past 18 months or so and also provides a very large, predominantly urban operation added to the fold.

We reported the meeting, planned for last Wednesday, at which Preston Bus employees discussed the possibility of selling their business, of which around 40% have a 53% stake in the company.

Stagecoach has pledged to make no redundancies to driving and engineering staff for the next two years, though has signalled that administrators may not be so lucky. Passengers have already started to benefit with inter-availability of tickets from last Sunday, and from next month fares and ticket-availability will be simplified.

Preston Bus' MD Peter Bell claimed the main reason to sell to Stagecoach was the future of uncertainty. Would he have been looking for a buyer this week had Stagecoach not 'come to town' with competing services and cheaper fares in the autumn of 2007??? If the 21st largest independent operator in the UK is willing to sell as a result of uncertainty, then what about the hundreds of smaller operators beneath it?

In the end perhaps the sale took place as a result of Preston Bus' long-term employees wanting to cash their shares in - they value of which had been calculated at £30k for some drivers - which could certainly be put to good use in the current financial climate. And who could blame them? A spare 30k would come in handy for everyone. The sale almost certainly bodes less well for newer Preston Bus employees, who are likely to see a worsening of conditions after the 2 year 'honeymoon period'. (GL)

Counter attack

So annoyed have members of parliament become at the athiest bus adverts that a number of cross-party MPs are now calling for Christian groups to respond with a campaign along the lines of adverts stating "But what if there is?" This would address the claim that "There probably is no god", which has caused something of a stir.

MPs have shown their support for two Commons Motions stating that the athiest adverts are "religiously offensive and morally unhelpful".

I can't imagine that, in their wildest dreams, the British Humainst Association could've wished for better publicity than this.

NXEC consideres seat reservation fees

Updated 25/1/09.

Such is the cash-strapped state of the rail industry, that National Express East Coast (NXEC) is considering charging passengers to reserve a seat. This comes days after the franchisee celebrated its first birthday by offering single fares up and down the East Coast Main Line for £5.

NXEC confirmed on Monday that it could charge its passengers £1 per reservation. Seat reservations - compulsory for advance-purchase rail tickets - have been completely free for decades. With the company admitting that some of its advance-purchase tickets are costed too cheaply, thus increasing some of the hitherto "miniature prices", a further stealth increase could soon be added to these tickets.

In a crucial meeting last Tuesday between public transport executives and the transport secretary Geoff Hoon, the economy featured high on the agenda after the latest revenue figures showed an alarmingly low growth rate at some of the country's biggest franchises.

Figures circulated to members of the Association of Train Operating Companies show that revenue growth at intercity franchises - National Express East Coast, Virgin Trains, CrossCountry, First TransPennine, First Great Western and East Midlands Trains - was 4% in November and December. Rail industry insiders said several franchises would have pencilled in higher revenue growth figures for their contracts. One of the shortlisted bidders for the east coast franchise, knocked out by a more aggressive offer, had factored in revenue growth of 8% in November and December for its bid.

NXEC claim that the seat reservation fee's potential implementation is to combat the high number of reserved seats that are not used. How is this a problem? Those ad hoc travellers who've purchased flexible tickets where reservations are not possible can sit in the reserved seats whose occupants have not shown. I've lost count of the number of times I've boarded a train in central London with 80% reservations and managed to sit quite happily in a seat that's been reserved but whose occupant has not shown. I suspect this may not be a truthful reason!

Not on the same scale is WHSmith, who've recently started charging customers 1p per carrier bag. A penny is hardly likely to deter people from not requesting one, surely?. I certainly wasn't but noticed that my penny purchase was not rung into the till, nor was the penny physically placed inside the cash drawer. At least WHSmith's reasoning, while being pretty feeble, is unequivocal. NXEC's is not. With no prospect of DfT hand-outs as the franchise is a mere year old, and with low growth (4%) being reported when NXEC's own estimates are far greater than this, it may well be just a ploy to attract more revenue.

We've been told that Virgin Trains will not be charging for seat reservations.

Atheist adverts

During last summer some newspapers carried columns devoted to adverts being prepared to be placed on the sides of buses that claimed "There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life".

Initially the adverts appeared on buses in London, though in the last few weeks the scheme has moved nationwide and has attracted further attention. A relative of mine, born and bred in Hungary, recently contacted me to say that he would love a photo of an "agnostic advert" on the sides of one of the buses he's heard all about. The difference is that in Hungary they're being reported as agnostic adverts, i.e. not atheist.

To date I've not seen one of these atheist/agnostic adverts, except by Googling them (not sure if m'colleague has?), but with 800 buses nation-wide carrying the advert, they are most certainly out there. They can also be seen on the London Underground.

At the end of last week, a driver in Southampton, working for First, made national headlines when he - of Christian faith - refused to drive a vehicle based at First's depot there that had an atheist advert on the side. Wanting to nip any possible claim of prejudice on the grounds of religion (and the bad publicity this could bring - remember the Stagecoach bus boycott when its chief exec Brian Souter showed his support for Section 28?) in-the-bud, First Southampton has "agreed to do everything it can to accommodate his refusal to drive the vehicles".

First will also be more than aware that the public has no idea that it has nothing to do with the adverts that appear on the sides of its vehicles, being provided and applied by companies such as Viacom. Revenue from this type of advertising on buses provides a fair sum of money for operators. The solution could be for operators to welcoming advertising on their buses but specifying they would not allow advert-carrying statements that could annoy religions.

It could be that First's sympathetic view towards the situation could be the minority view. Initially I suspected that the nation would be behind Ron Heather, the driver - we still live in a country whose main religion is Christianity, after all - but having trawled through the web looking for other papers' online 'take' of the story seems to suggest little sympathy.

The courts ruled a year ago on the case of a 55-year old check-in desk worker at Heathrow Airport. They said that she had no grounds to refuse to return to work after British Airways, her employer, told her to remove her necklace as it contravened their uniform policy. Nadia Eweida claimed that her Sikh and Muslim co-workers were entitled to wear religious garments. Back in 2006 when the argument first aired, then prime minister Tony Blair urged the airline "just to do the sensible thing", i.e. back down. BA didn't and ultimately won, though has since reviewed its uniform policy. The tribunal ruled in favour of BA on the grounds that being a Christian does not rely on wearing jewellery, whereas being a Sikh man does necessitate the wearing of a turban. The view was also taken that wearing jewellery as a check-in desk employee could cause injury when handling luggage.

The Southampton bus driver's case is further marred by the chief executive of the British Humanist Association (BHA), Hanne Stinson, who said, "I don't think he should be allowed to refuse. There's no way that the advert on the side of a bus means the driver agrees with it. It's important that people have the right to express their belief." It is the BHA who is behind the so-called atheist adverts on buses.

The Atheist Bus Campaign has its own website (it closes on 14 April 2009), where "freethinkers and atheists" can donate money, and also has a shop that sells its own merchandise.

The bus adverts carefully (deliberately?) carry the word "probably" (There is "probably" no god...). The European press are reporting them as "agnostic adverts"; perhaps they get the real message being portrayed?

Brian King steps down

No sooner had we mentioned the 43 'really good' new buses for Derby-based trent barton, than their managing director, Brian King, announced his intention to step-down.

He will assume the role of company chairman, which will see the current director of Service Delivery, Jeff Counsell, take his place at the very top.

Mr King is one of the few managing directors who's remained at the top of his company since it emerged from privatisation in 1986, which three years later became part of the Welglade Group, initially comprising Barton of Notts, and latterly Kinchbus of Leicester.

There had been recent speculation that his impending retirement could see, what is regarded as one of the best bus operators in the country, pass into the hands of one of the major three groups who would impose their corporate livery to the Welglade fleet.

As trent barton themselves state "We are not part of the large groups like Stagecoach, Arriva and First that dominate the bus industry. We are owned, managed and staffed by local people, and we believe that we can offer a more personal service than our much larger rivals."

The wolves have been kept from the door for now at least.

First's 20th birthday

It was yesterday that marked 20 years since the UK's largest transport operator was formed, FirstGroup. Lead by the group's current chief executive Sir Moir Lockhead, it was on 20 January 1989 that an employee and management buyout saw Grampian Regional Transport (GRT) be purchased from Grampian Regional Council.

At the time, Lockhead presided over 225 buses and 600 staff as the company's managing director; today he is at the helm of one of the most powerful transport groups, employing over 137,000 staff and operating around 80,000 buses. FirstGroup is a FTSE 100 company. The GRT Group, as the company was known, made strategic acquisitions in the aftermath of bus deregulation and merged with the Badgerline Group in June 1995 to form FirstBus. It was in December 1998 that the company was re-named FirstGroup, to reflect its ever-growing rail businesses.

Buses are just the tip of the iceberg. First used to be a company who classed itself as a bus operator who also dabbled with rail franchises. Today, with its plethora of rail interests in the UK, it prefers to be known as a rail operator who dabbles in the bus industry. First operates trains along the Far North line to the most northerly British mainland stations of Thurso and Wick, while at the same time operating trains to the most south-westerly extremity of the British mainland, Penzance.

First also operate more buses than any one else here in the UK.

Back in 1989, GRT cost Sir Moir and his workforce £5.5 million; last year the company announced record profits of £360.1 million. Annual revenues for the entire group came to £6 billion last year

Based in Aberdeen since day 1, Sir Moir said time had flown by since it opened for business. He said, “We have been so busy in the last 20 years and have reached so many milestones. We could never have believed 20 years ago that we would be here, but we all got our heads down and worked hard to make it a success. One of our key strengths in reaching that success has been our staff – they have great experience, and wherever they work they are a part of their community. Later this year our new global headquarters will be finished and built here in Aberdeen, and we are all now looking forward to the next 20 years.”

Today, First operates not only in the UK, but also in Ireland, Canada, Denmark, Sweden and is the largest operator of yellow school buses in the United States of Amercia.

43 'really good' new buses

Trent barton has announced an order for 43 brand new buses, worth £6 million, for later in the year. The vehicles will feature their Best Impressions-designed 'cafe' interior. While trent barton has been affected by the current financial difficulties, they have identified that now, more than ever, the standard of service they offer is incredibly crucial.

With more and more people having to sell their second car and those even less fortunate having to sell their only car, public transport could well benefit. It's when the financial slump starts to level out that bus operators will know if their effors at attracting and retaining new patronage have been a success. Having been forced onto your local bus service for a couple of years, when you've suddenly got more money in your pocket, would you return to the daily commute by car? With the current service levels operated by my local operator on my local route, I would regrettably have to answer "yes".

However, trent barton is hoping that those in the Mickleover suburb of Derby; the residents along the route of Service 15 between Ilkeston, Long Eaton and Sawley; those along the Alfreton-Derby corridor (The Nines); and those who catch the Rainbow 2 (Nottingham-Ilkeston) will stay with them by offering such a large investment in brand new, state-of-the-art vehicles.

The vehicles will be a mix of Optare Solos, Mercedes-Benz Citaros and Wright Eclipse Gemini-bodied Volvo single deckers. The first vehicles - Volvo/Gemini singles - are due to start being delivered at the end of March for operation on The Mickleover. The Citaros are rumoured to have cost the company £2.5 million and will be allocated to the upgraded Service 15 and Rainbow 2. Air conditioning will be fitted to the Geminis and Citaros.

With the introduction of these new vehicles, the cascading of older single deckers within the fleet will take place. It is expected that most Dennis Darts and Optare Excels will be removed from regular service.

But would trent barton, a company who in many ways has set an admirable benchmark in attention to detail and customer satisfaction, lose passengers to the motor car? I would suspect that if they can't retain custom then no one can! (GL)

A piece of the action

After being given the go-ahead on Thursday, despite a much vociferous campaign and a threat of legal action by London Mayor Boris Johnson, thousands of people have signed up to join the campaign against the third Heathrow runway by buying part of a field near the airport.

Greenpeace said 1,000 people an hour were adding their names to a list to buy the title deeds of a parcel of land in the village of Sipson, which is due to disappear under the new landing strip and sixth terminal - not just the parcel of land you understand, the entire village.

Over 10,000 people have now signed the land-purchase bid, which was started by actors Emma Thompson, Alistair McGowan and Conservative Party green adviser Zac Goldsmith, who bought the land for an undisclosed fee. The parcel of land is about half the size of a football pitch and the campaigners insist they will never sell it to BAA and would fight any compulsory purchase order (CPO) in court, which would considerably push-up costs for the airport operator.

Greenpeace director John Sauven said: "We've thrown a massive spanner in the engine driving Heathrow expansion. As the new owners of the land where the Government wants to build the runway, we'll resist all attempts at compulsory purchase. If it comes to it, Greenpeace will be joined by huge numbers of people to block BAA's bulldozers from getting onto our land. This site will become a focus for climate campaigners across Britain and the wider world because this new runway cannot and will not be built."

One way in which any CPO could be slowed down further is to divide the prized parcel of land into thousands of tiny pieces and to sell it to people around the world - the Inuits near the Polar ice cap was mentioned - with Greenpeace claiming that any CPO would need to physically serve it to the landowner.

Opponents to the runway claim that at full capacity, an expanded Heathrow would become the biggest single source of CO2 emissions in Britain. They argue that environmental concerns should outweigh the argument by business that expansion is crucial to the British economy.

BBC told to use public transport

It's essentially a piece of housekeeping, but its subject matter is of interest to us. The British Broadcasting Corporation has told its workforce to not book private taxis for themselves and to instead use their public transport and their shuttle buses. They've also been asked to only purchase "modest" gifts for talented guests, with champagne specifically ruled out.

The regulations were outlined in a memo from BBC Vision finance director Derek O'Gara to all Vision staff, as part of a drive to kerb spending on expenses and stave off additional redundancies. Staff have been specifically warned not to cheat the system by pretending that staff transport is being booked for guests.

The astounding Flight 1549

A pilot of a US Airways Airbus A320 was forced to make a crash landing in the Hudson River, adjacent to Manhatten's 48th Street, after both engines failed following a collision with a flock of geese.

Miraculously, all 155 people aboard Flight 1549 survived to ordeal as a result of the skill and experience shown by the plane's pilot, Chesley Burnett Sullenberger III. In the day that followed the crash, it emerged that not only was the plane's captain a hero, but others from the crew offered their jackets to passengers suffering hypothermia after a lengthy period in near-freezing water. One passenger claimed that he was literally given the shirt off one of the stewards' back.

A total of 57 passengers were taken to local hospitals following injuries sustained in the crash landing, most of which were as a result of prolonged exposure to the elements; the worst reported injury was a woman who broke both her legs. It is also being reported that Captain Sullenberger III made two sweeps of the stricken Airbus after all passengers and crew had been taken to safety so ensure no one had been overlooked and that he was the last person out.

Quite rightly the 57-year old former US fighter pilot is being hailed a hero and I'd imagine that pilots everywhere have felt much pride as they went about their work today. The fact that a flock of geese could make both engines fail shows the futility of our modern aircraft, yet at the same time aviation experts claim the chances of this type of accident happening were "a million to one".

One of the reason there are thousands of people who simply will no set foot inside a plane is that they perceive this type of travel as unsafe, or certainly not as safe as more conventional means. Primarily, this perception is as a result of the survival rate should a plane make a crash landing - not very high. When a coach - quoted as the safest mode of public transport in Britain by National Express - is involved in an accident, 100% of those on board do not die. Most plane crashes see either a 100% mortality rate or a percentage very high indeed. It is, therefore, even more astounding that landing in such a populated area of the United States - and on water - saw a 100% survival rate.

Not wanting to detract any glory from the captain, but a certain element of luck was evident during the crash landing - the location of which had been chosen by the captain after an initial attempt to land at a nearby airport was aborted. The domestic flight was relatively short, too, so the plane's fuel tanks were only half-full, which aided the plane's ability to float on the water.

Hitler's leave refused

Depending on whether you've worked in the transport industry or not, you may or may not have felt the frustration Aldof Hitler can clearly be seen expressing in the following video that we were forwarded. It's taken directly from a scene of Downfall - that chartered his fall from power and the ultimate end of WWII, though with added English subtitles.

Please be warned though, the written subtitles contain some choice words! Despite this, I hope it will bring a small grin to your face.

Peterborough's £1m debt

We've learned that Peterborough City Council's (PCC) transport budget for the next financial year faces a shortfall to the tune of one million pounds.

We understand that the vast majority of this deficit is directly attributable to the free concessionary fare scheme. Additionally, the large number of bus services the unitary authority has set-up, and operated directly over the past few years through Kickstart funding, has added another dimension to PCC's financial problems: the money for many of the services runs out in April. These 'Local Link' services were effectively routes Stagecoach did not want to operate commercially when it revampted its 'citi' network there in 2004, and so are not commercially viable.

With no additional funding from central government, the routes will only be able to continue if funding can be found from within PCC's budget. With a recent report that 400 jobs are to be lost there and a £1m shortfall in the transport department, can the recent award-winning local authority pull a very significant Sterling-shaped rabbit from its proverbial hat?

Additionally, the council's bus drivers recently won an appeal into their rate of pay, with an hourly increase of over one pound to an impressive £9.21 - considerably more than the pay rate Stagecoach offer the majority of its workforce there.

It's ironic that, while the DfT said that money allocated to local authorities for reimbursing bus operators for the free concessionary scheme was not to be ringfenced, it would appear that when a specific debt has been run-up in an authority's budget, this debt is most definitely ringfenced!

WCML upgrade

The West Coast Main Line (WCML) upgrade was completed to its modified time-frame, though not within its original budget, and has been a particularly controversial decade-long scheme. The claim that Virign Trains would be able to operate their Class 390 Pendolino trains at their maximum 140mph speed has also fallen by the wayside, yet despite this, thanks to the upgrade, around 2,000 trains are now able to operate along the WCML and rail freight growth has been estimated at 70%.

Following completion, Virgin Trains introduced its Very High Frequency timetable last month, which saw a 30% increase in journeys that have up to 25 minutes shaved off some end-to-end journeys. A maximum of 13 trains per hour can depart London Euston bound for the West Midlands, the North West and southern Scotland.

One of the last sections of the WCML that required work was a £350 million project in the Trent Valley, where new track needed laying between Tamworth and Armitage, thus unblocking a bottleneck along the route. Rugby has made the news on many occasions during the upgrade works, and not always for the good! It was near here at the start of 2008 than an engineering overrun saw no train services for up to three days into the first week in January. So bad was the inconvenience that Network Rail was later fined £14 million for that and other overruns at the same time elsewhere.

However, the line speed through Rugby for non-stopping services has risen dramatically from 75-125mph; this was possible as a result of a £415 million project to simplify the signalling and track in the area.

With air travel seeing a 40% reduction along the same route of the WCML, things are looking very rosy indeed. We hope to travel the full length of the route aboard a Pendolino between Glasgow Central-London Euston in the advertised time of 4:44 in the very near future. This now presents a problem, however: with a reduction of around 25 minutes, it's one less passing of the refreshment trolley - its contents totally free to those travelling first-class!

The fly-in-the-ointment has been the unprecidented situation of three 'wires down' incidents in as many days within the first week of its opening, causing horific delays to commuters.

Waterloo breaks Euro record

At a cost of £20 million and 200,000 man hours, since April last year Network Rail has been kitting-out London's Waterloo station with Europe's largest railway gating project.

The gates - 171 in total - protect the station's 19 main line platforms as well as the subway that connects the station with the Underground network, through which the station's estimated 70 million commuters pass each year. Hitherto, Waterloo station had been one of the last large British rail terminals to offer unrestricted access to all platforms when platform staff were not on duty.

With the operation of the automatic ticket gates, Network Rail say the aesthetics of the station environment have been improved by providing a view of the platform area from the concourse, which has been concealed for years.

The gates have been configured to recognise the magnetic strip type National Rail tickets issued by all Train Operating Companies, as well as London's Oyster card that have London Travelcards loaded onto them, and are also set-up to recognise ITSO smartcard for future implementation (concessionary Oyster cards are not ITSO-compatible, unlike the free concessionary bus travel cards throughout the rest of England)

The project, which has been on site since April 2008, is the result of over 200,000 man hours of work and has cost £20m.

LibDems blow hot and cold

"Incredibly patronising and insulting" were the words used by RAIL editor Nigel Harris in yesterday's magazine, hot off the press. It would seem that it wasn't only us who were a little narked by the LibDem MP's comments towards hobbiests on rail stations using cameras. It would also seem that RAIL have a bone to pick with Norman Baker, too, as they are of the opinion his recent national media campaign against what he sees as Britain heading into a "police state" was pinched from RAIL magazine themselves.

As long ago as September, we've said how RAIL leads the way in getting those in authority at rail stations and British Transport Police officers to let those with cameras simply continue enjoying their hobby and to leave them well alone. The LibDem Transport Spokesman, it appears, grabbed his "much-needed publicity" from the pages of the railway mag following correspondance earlier in the year with them which showed he vetted the pages of the publication.

In complete contrast, the LibDems have released details of proposed re-opening of rail lines, should they win the next General Election. Here's the list and as impressive as it may read, is not an early April Fool's joke:

Bletchley-Oxford
Matlock-Buxton
Crewe-Northwich
Galasheils-Carlisle
Penrith-Keswick
Leamside & Stillington lines
Barnstaple-Bideford
Lewes-Uckfield
Exeter-Oakenhampton
Plymouth-Tavistock
Colne-Skipton
Reconnect Meadway Valley Line with Gatwick
Reconnect Bentley with Whitehall-Bordon
Reopen Stuard Road chord, Camberley

Taking just one as an example, Matlock-Buxton could be reopened for £100m, or so their figures would suggest. As grand as this all seems - so too is the accompanying list of 7 brand new stations they'd open along existing lines as well as 6 new entire rail lines, none of which will ever happen.

As my dad used to say "the thing with the LibDems is that they can say anything they like as they know they'll never have to implement it".

A hobby of "questionable appeal" - an MP writes...

Tuesday's Daily Telegraph reported the number of occasions rail enthusiasts have been stopped by Police. The figures were uncovered by LibDem MP Norman Baker, who is his party's transport spokesman.

The Prevention of Terrorism Act 2000 has been used to stop 62,584 people at railway stations and another 87,000 were questioned under "stop and search" and "stop and account" legislation.

Mr Baker rightly warned that these figures showed that Britain was heading towards a "police state". He said: "Law-abiding passengers get enough hassle on overcrowded trains as it is without the added inconvenience of over-zealous policing. The anti-terror laws allow officers to stop people for taking photographs and I know this has led to innocent trainspotters being stopped."

Had he left it there then he'd have earned our respect; instead he chose to continue. "Trainspotting may be an activity of limited, and indeed questionable appeal, but it is not a criminal offence and it is not a terrorist threat."

RAIL magazine has done much to highlight the plight of railway enthusiasts who've been accused of being up-to-no-good by Police officers and verbally abused - on some occasions threatened - by uniformed railway workers. The Chief Constable of the British Transport Police (BTP), Ian Johnston, has written to the magazine and his response was published in September.

Similar to the letter he sent to Mr Baker, he states "There is clear guidance available to officers (and railway enthusiasts), and this has been reissued on a number of occasions over the last couple of months in response to the increased concern among some railway enthusiasts."

We printed the main elements of this guidance in a recent LEYTR. The BTP web page that contains the guidance mentioned above (and would have been a useful link in the Telegraph article) can be seen by clicking here.

Rather than offer unequivocal support for rail enthusiasts, Mr Baker's remarks have shown that he is yet another resident of the Westminster Village who simply doesn't understand those who are enthusiastic about the many different facets of the transport industry. His closing remark lays bare the precise reason why so many PCSOs and egregious platform staff tackle rail enthusiasts enjoying their hobby: ignorance. (GL)

Nationalisation in Donny?

Certainly that's how the Doncaster Free Press made their headline sound in Tuesday's edition!

What they meant to say was that South Yorkshire PTE (SYPTE) is hoping to have a Statutory Quality Partnership Scheme (SQPS) in place across the Doncaster area by the summer. The SQPS would comprise members from SYPTE and the Transport Authority, along with representatives from the local council.

Part of the SQPS would see buses operating through Doncaster's town centre needing to meet strict guidelines for accessibility, their environmental credentials, security and accessibility.

What bus operators wont be enamoured to learn is that, following consultation and on the assumption that the scheme is approved and implemented, it could pave the way to a whole host of quality partnerships, where SYPTA/E could specify all manner of minimum requirements for services, such as frequency, vehicle/emission type and even maximum fares. Stagecoach's chief executive Brian Souter has regularly made his feelings known about what he describes as "nationalisation by the back door".

However Doncaster's largest bus operator, First, signalled its intention to committing to quality partnerships. The devil will surely be in the detail of each SQPS!

Stourbridge Town branch line

13 December saw the final day of heavy rail operation on the Stourbridge Town branch line in the West Midlands. London Midland's 153334 operated the last-ever journey adorned with a suitably worded headbord.

 

Stourbridge Junction on 28 March 2009 where one of the Parry's People Movers shares track with a Class 153. Photo: Banbury Bob

Parry's People Movers were due to supply a new type of vehicle, which they call a 'people car', to London Midland for operation on this branch line the following week; however due to a delay while testing continue, passengers are being bussed between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town stations as London Midlands' Class 153s have been assigned elsewhere.

The people car being allocated to the service has been allocated number 39001 and will be painted in London Midland livery and is depicted below:

It was in 2004 that a people car being used to replace Class 153s on the Stourbridge Town branch was reported in the media as being a real possibility, with the West Midlands Express & Star reporting the possible use of such a vehicle as part of the area's Community Rail Programme; 11 December 2005 dawned the first-ever trial of a people mover on the line.

In March 2005 a report carried in the local media recognised that light rail service would be better suited to the branch line than conventional heavy rail, with the go-ahead finally being given to the end of heavy rail service at the start of 2006.

The seven day operation of a people car will see the first Sunday service to Stourbridge Town since 1915. When the vehicle will become operational is yet to be known!

Sell your sole for £30k?

Could the foot leather of Preston Bus' workforce be pressing the accelerators pedals of Stagecoach vehicles sometime soon?

The opinion Preston Bus' loyal workforce has of Stagecoach is no secret at all. When Stagecoach started competing within the city of Preston in 2007, the retaliation by employee-owned Preston Bus was regularly reported in the national media, as was the tactics used by certain employees of Stagecoach.

Despite two Stagecoach employees having their licenses suspended by the North West Traffic Commissioner for underhanded tactics, the Scottish-based transport group still managed a very impressive 6th place in the list of Most Respected Companies in the UK for 2008.

At the end of last month, Stagecoach approached Preston Bus with a bid for their purchase, believed to be an amount in the region of £6.4 million. One of the reasons why the Preston Bus workforce remained so loyal to the cause has now been put to the test in another way: each employee with a stake in the company (120 in total) could stand to receive a £30,000 windfall as a result of the sale. Not everyone at Preston Bus is said to be happy as around 180 employees are thought to have no stake in the business at all.

However, the 120 employees with a financial stake only account for 47% of all shares, with the remaining 53% being held in a trust. Those with shares in the business will ultimately have the final say in whether or not the remaining 180 employees receive any of the capital unlocked with the remaining 53%.

Not surprisingly, Preston Bus' MD Peter Bell has a gagging order placed on him by Stagecoach, precluding him from giving any details of note. He did say that was a shareholders' meeting on 21 January where a decision would be made - a decision we understand that could see 44 Preston Bus employees being made redundant if the sale to Stagecoach is given the go-ahead.

But would Stagecoach's purchase of Preston Bus ever be given the green light by the regulatory authorities. Remember it took the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) almost six months to okay their purchase of Cavalier Contracts in Lincolnshire and that ComfortDelGro-owned Scottish Citylink, in which Stagecoach has an investment, was forced to divest services in central Scotland as a result of the Competition Commission's (CC) ruling that passengers were being given less choice and that the potential for price-fixing was there.

With Stagecoach operating in most of Lancashire, Cumbria and southern Manchester already, would the OFT believe that by acquiring yet more of the same area, passengers would not lose-out by the lack of competition? I suspect that in this purchase, unless Stagecoach was to agree to particularly draconian undertakings imposed by the OFT, the purchase could well end up in the hands of the CC. (GL)

Inflation-linked rail fare rises

From the start of the year the annual fares increase on the railways took place with some operators raising their fares by around 11%, which has once again seen calls for ministers to scrap the link between rail fares and inflation. An estimated half a million commuters have seen an 8% increase in their season tickets, upping the annual cost of rail travel for them by around £300.

Non-regulated rail fares have increased even more, with the 11% figure quoted being applied to off-peak tickets, for travel at quieter times.

London fares have risen, on average, by 6% and this affects bus, Tube and the Docklands Light Railway. Mayor of London Boris Johnson said that he was forced to increase fares in the Capital in order to "tackle the unfunded legacy of Livingstone's largesse". In stark contrast to elsewhere in the country, Johnson has introduced lower off-peak fares to help keep prices down for tourists at least.

Union leaders are calling for reform in the way that rail companies can use the inflation rate of July the year before on which to base their increases, plus an additional 1%, permitted by the government. Last July, inflation stood at 5%, hence the capped 6% increases to regulated fares and when added to the non-regulated off-peak fare rises, see the overall average fare rise of 8%.

Commuters in the south-east have seen the greatest rise to their regulated fares as Southeastern was given permission to rise peak tickets by 8% in order to pay for new Javelin trains operating on the High Speed 1 line between Kent and central London - despite many of Southeastern's commuters not being able to use the service unless they happen to live along the route's length.

2008 Summary

Below is a summary of transport news stories that we featured on this blog. They don't represent anything like every single major news event in the transport industry - we have our own preferences - and unlike other blogs that concentrate on just one mode of transport, we have a much broader canvas to cover.

January

Our first entry of the year detailed a finalised Stagecoach in Lincolnshire pay deal. This was followed by a small suggestion of what might happen in the LEYTR area during 2008 - not on the same scale a 'Mystic Wolmar' in RAIL magazine - though we were correct in predicting further investment in the Lincolnshire InterConnect partnership by Stagecoach and that the free concessionary travel scheme would cause problems; we've heard rumours that Hull Trains' damaged Class 222, Dr John Godber, will, once repaired, go to another TOC. Arriva bought Tellings Golden Miller, which broke as the earliest major news story in the bus industry, followed hot-on-its heels by the first big aviation story of the year: the Heathrow crash landing. Not for the first time this year was the driver of a National Express coach jailed; the end of long-established bus/coach operator Felix of Stanley's holiday programme; and that Stagecoach North West drivers rejected their pay offer. The month ended with a Fares Strike on First Great Western train services, and that the former Lincs RoadCar bus depot in Grimsby was up for sale.

February

The month started with another National Express coach driver facing charges of death by dangerous driving; we were the first to publish easy-to-understand Driver CPC requirements; and that Scottish Citylink was forced to divest its Saltire Cross routes to Park's of Hamilton. The first map to catch our eye in '08 was the amended Underground diagram, which now contains TfL's Overground network where Oyster is valid. Being based in the area where the highest bridge toll is charged, we were very impressed with the scrapping of tolls on two bridges in Scotland. Stagecoach made the news thrice more this month with the operation of their Cross-Forth hovercraft, some brand new buses for Mansfield (but stored at Grimsby) and the posting of 'good' financial results (no mention of a 'thumping, enormous recession' yet!). On the rails, a possible signallers' strike was looming in the Lincoln area and a report published by ATOC was likely to show £100m being lost as a result of passengers being forced to use replacement buses while the railway is being worked on at weekends/holiday periods.

March

The first 'biggy' this month was that AIM-listed Rotala purchased Go West Midlands from Go-Ahead, following poor performance for the seller, followed swiftly with news that Grand Central, the UK's newest open-access rail operator, had begun running its new inter-city services between London and the north-east. We posted our own tribute to the MCW Metrobus as Stagecoach in Lincolnshire had signalled the end of regular service for these vehicles in the spring; produced a summary of Alistair Darling's first budget; and reported on the £14m fine Network Rail were ordered to pay following the engineering overrun at the start of the year, during which thousands of commuters were seriously inconvenienced. March saw us both attend a superb day at the Manchester Transport Museum, while we reported on the fifth anniversary of London's Congestion Charge central zone. March was the month when the DfT said it planned to reform BSOG later in the year, but this never actually happened; Routemasters operated on Nottingham's streets; and we exclusively revealed NX's big secret!! The month ended with the opening of Terminal 5 at Heathrow and that a new form of transport was to be trialled in South Yorkshire.

April

Free concessionary travel was not an April Fool, and we summarised the scheme in the LEYTR area; Stagecoach bought Cavalier Contracts and its subsidiary Huntingdon & District, though we didn't foresee that it'd be almost 6 months before the OFT gave it the green light; we were leaked official details of massive service cuts planned for Stagecoach buses in Grimsby, which thankfully were a management bluff to force the hand of the trade union; and celebrated our very own birthday! We reported that Passenger Focus beat Bus Users UK in being the first official passenger watchdog for the bus industry; we showed one of the first photos of the new East Midlands Trains livery; reported on a worldwide rail journey planner, citing Cleethorpes-Beijing as an example (taking a mere 10 days); and gave details of a new Sunday timetable for the Robin Hood Line. Gwyneth Woody died in April; Ken Livingstone outlined his Bus Upgrade plan; we reported on a very special duo finale; and reported on our first-ever visit to the Brighton Coach Rally. The end of the month saw the second open-access rail operator, Wrexham & Shropshire, start running its new services; Stagecoach released details of a record vehicle order; and we visited Hulleys of Baslow for the evening.

May

A very colourful HST was our first report of the month, when East Midlands Trains revealed it to journalists; this was followed by take-over talks between Rapsons and Stagecoach, which was confirmed later in the month. Arriva had two negative stories this month - the first of a driver seeing red and being caught in a very compromising position, the second with news of one of its bus fares increasing by 1,900%. Nottingham City Council became the first authority in the UK to be given permission for a Workplace Parking Levy; a fascinating account of a chap called Neil who'd walked the entire London Underground network but overground and made a map of his trek; and that Eddie Stobart planned to operate a new freight rail service. We uploaded to YouTube a two-part announcement given by a National Express coach driver that'll be sure to put a smile on your face; we reported problems with Grand Central after a few of their HSTs suffered mechanical problems; Boris Johnson, London's new Mayor, saved £450k by cancelling his predecessor's plan to send a red London bus to China and that First's Cornish Riviera sleeper train ended shared births.

June

NXEC's first Class 91 in their new livery entered service in June; we reported that MCWMetrobus operation by Stagecoach in Lincolnshire would continue but as open-toppers in Skegness and, initially, Cleethorpes. We gave details of Stagecoach's intention to close its Louth depot; that the ORR suggested budget cuts for Network Rail; then Rail Minister Tom Harris said no to another high speed rail line in Britain; and TOC's punctuality. We produced a list of our favourite London transport blogs; record profits for Stagecoach Supertram; that Manchester succeeded in securing TIF money for its ill-fated improvements; that Derbyshire County Council stopped the production of 66% of its timetable books (later reversed). The town of Boston came to a standstill after protests took place, angry at the route a revised town service would take; the chief executive of First, Moir Lockhead, was knighted; the Go-Ahead Group posted positive results ahead of schedule; Stagecoach announced significant investment in Caithness, once the OFT gave its takeover of Rapsons the go-ahead; and we ended with very positive news for our area as NXEC placed greater emphasis on direct train services to Lincoln and Grimsby.

July

The seventh month of the year was relatively quiet for newsworthy stories. We posted a total of 18 items. The first was the reasoning behind why railway expert Barry Doe described ArrivaCrossCountry as "wholly negative negative operator". We also produced one of our most popular posts, commented on by Stagecoach themselves, which listed virtually every one of their depots in the country and the hourly pay rate they offered there at that time. After limited success in Nottingham, we reported on the demise of the Routemaster there; how a new Cab Card was being launched in London; that in north Wales, Arriva was paying KMP to stop running competing services; and how bus passengers in Edinburgh were losing out during the installation of tram lines in the city. The most popular post of the year was our analysis of railway Station Usage Figures; we thanked transportinfo.org.uk for the amount of traffic they sent our way; and reported on the very untimely death of our friend Robin Sisson. Three-and-a-half months after its initial purchase, the OFT placed 17 undertakings on Stagecoach and what it was and wasn't permitted to do with Cavalier Contracts; we publicised a new forum, Bus Pass Heaven; and reported how Stagecoach in Peterborough were legitimately refusing concessionary free travel on its Skegness service.

August

Another traditionally quiet month saw us blog once a day. August was the month that due to the theft of one of our credit cards, the LEYTR Website was taken down and that thanks to the inefficiency of PayPal, this still remains the case today. Our first story of the month was of the first steam train to be built for use on UK rails for over 50 years; followed by two rail link bus services being cut. An overturned open-topper in Studland threw 15 passengers from its top deck into the undergrowth at the end of July, which we mentioned this month; British Airways announced 66 flights between London-Aberdeen were to be cut; we mentioned that Translink's Ulsterbus would be increasing its bus fares by 5%; and how a gimmick in Cumbria made the headlines. The best shipping post of the year can be seen here; Bullocks decided to sell its bus operation to Stagecoach; Hull announced its first 24/7 bus service; TfL sacked TranSys from administering its Oyster scheme; one died following a coach crash in Alton; First Capital East & Centrewest drivers announced their intention to strike the following month; and significant investment was announced for the Tyne & Wear Metro. The Competition Commission was adamant that BAA would not be allowed to continue with its monopoly of UK airports; we were one of the first to announce the centenary of the London Transport Roundel; and we gave details of the last service to arrive at Louth depot before it closed for good.

September

The summer-long blockade of Lincoln Central ended at the start of September; the Docklands Light Railway reported massive increases in revenue; we pondered on why RAIL magazine's strapline had altered without any notification; we discovered our own gallery of images used on this blog; we reported on a bus service linking London with Australia; how Robin Hood Airport was strapped for cash; and a bad accident between a bus and a tram in Croydon. Alexander Dennis made a surprising entrance at the finale of the Beijing Olympic Games; how a fire in the Channel Tunnel caused much disruption to Eurostar & Eurotunnel services; and how the remains of the Weymouth Harbour Railway looked under threat. The Royal Train loco visited Skegness; the take-over of Cavalier by Stagecoach was okayed by the OFT; that new-look road signage is being considered; and how black cabs in London were spontaneously combusting. Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly resigned; Decker Bus of Whittlesey was cleared of any involvement in the crash at Alton last month; EYMS unveil their 'Yellow Peril' at the same time as an article in Classic Bus magazine resulted in a spooky coincidence; and we travelled with Stagecoach to Showbus.

October

We started the month with a poser concerning bus stop flags; the previously published volumes of the railway Fares Manuals are now contained on one CD that is available to the public through the TSO website; Platinum Trains emerged as a new, late-comer to the railway industry, adding its intention to operate the East Coast Main Line. A plethora of new designs for the 21st century Routemaster were commissioned and published after London Mayor Boris Johnson said TfL would choose its favourite to go into production; in a Sir Humphrey moment, the DfT altered its classification of an overcrowded train to 'acceptably loaded'; Metrolink announced the new livery to be applied to its Manchester trams (including the new ones due next year); the DfT admitted that due to its low calibre staff it was letting TOCs take advantage; and that NXEC got rid of their china cups and saucers as people complained they made too much noise. We ended with some toilet humour.

November

A councillor in Slough made national headlines when he said all fixed speed cameras there would be removed as they were a blatant tax on motorists, though the news had a nasty sting in the tail as motorists in Slough are probably finding out right now. The first EMT Class 158 to be re-furbished and re-painted was released into traffic; the UK's newest steam train, Tornado, undertook operational tests; Stagecoach Bluebird drivers started a series of crippling strikes; and Go-Ahead's Oxford Bus Company won the contract to operate the lucrative Brookes Bus contract from Stagecoach. On The Buses star Reg Varney died; we reported how the DfT was considering further regulation for free concessionary travel; how GMPTE were wasting paper; the sale of the world's oldest municipal bus company to Stagecoach; and that the driver of the NX coach that overturned in January 2007 was sentenced to 5 years' imprisonment.

December

A new livery for Stagecoach in Lincolnshire services operating InterConnect services was revealed; we reported on the plethora of Lincoln Christmas Market charter trains; how the most texted bus stops in the UK have been recognised; we showed an humourous take on the London Underground map, following TfL admitting that it is considering sponsorship of Tube stations; that Stagecoach came 6th in a list of Most Respected Companies in the UK; and we were both part of an historic trip aboard the first-ever direct Lincoln-London EMT service via Nottingham and the Midland Main Line. December was the month when uniforms worn by VOSA officials were stolen and operators were informed of the possibility of bogus blockades by people purporting to be VOSA; the West Coast Main Line opened fully for high-speed service, then closed for a short time while a fuse costing 20p was replaced - but the BBC were on the case; we ended 2008 with some stats for the M1 upgrade which opened on the eve of 2009.

Let's hope 2009 brings the same number of varied transport stories to report.