woodenhead

The economics of anything is out of the window at present but people still need to travel and commute so we do need trains to keep running hence nationalisation in all but name at the beginning of lockdown. With regards Boris, he too is just a vehicle I think and at the moment he has a couple of flat tyres and his motor is out of tune. I reckon they will see him out in the New Year, lets face it who is going to want to deal with a no deal Brexit in the next two months when they can take control in January and blame him for the fallout.

Even the PM cannot explain the rules, what chance does some 18-24 year old wanting to live a life have in understanding how they are expected to behave. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54342688

But thankfully not Sprinterisation which would see off the Peaks.

There may be a bond, but for the TOC it is a known value so they know the cost of walking away - it might be expensive but less expensive than carrying on. I did over simplify but there was no need to complicate either. Franchising has just been a fancy name for outsourcing.

Took ages as well for the 3kg bags to be back, I think even Sainsburys had them before Asda.

Locomotives are not water tight but are designed to be able to operate with water present - drains, seals, paint etc. Of course it all needs looking after otherwise you get:

Or more simply Franchising was a dream but it ended as a smokescreen - there was no freedom for the TOCs outside of the strict terms of the license they had to run the trains on behalf of HMG. ECML failed time and time again because they handed it to the proposer with the highest profit projections and then in standard outsourcing culture the new TOC began to try and find excuses to avoid paying the money it promised and when that did not work they simply handed back the keys and walked away. Why is there micro management, because HMG and DFT have never let go of the railways, they knew they couldn't, they just wanted to be able to blame the TOCs for anything and everything that went wrong. What I have not noticed in all of this curtailment of franchising is the TOCs not speaking out against it, HMG have just de-risked the whole sector, the TOCs can still make a profit but now it is going to be easier for them to predict the return and all the risk has been taken back onto HMG. Juxtapose this with buses in Greater Manchester, the Mayor wants to build a London model and the bus companies do not like it one bit and have been doing PR to keep the status quo.

But never to Sheffield Exchange

About three weeks in a strict lockdown with just supermarkets remaining open with distancing in place or everyone on click and collect would do it. However, despite being an island we don't have control of our borders - the first thing lots of people did when the lockdown eased was fly abroad and it's been quite apparent from the news that there was little or no control on people entering the UK. So any strict lockdown is defeated the moment it is lifted unless people simply stay in the country and we don't let people in (whether legally or by illegal means). So sadly unlike our friends in New Zealand who have an ocean to keep the infected out, then we are doomed to this cycle repeated lockdowns until the rest of the world is clean too.

Amazon appears to be a very distributed network, having a single hub leaves you open to disruption if that hub fails for any reason, the more distributed you are the less risk of disruption. Rail has proven itself to be most effective when it comes to bulk loads and containers from shore to distribution points. Getting the smaller parcel traffic back is going to be difficult as there isn't really anyone with an interest as they are so invested in their current networks. Containerised food has proven itself to be achievable but it's point to point with road distribution thereafter. Whilst there is still growth for the railways I don't think there will be a massive return of freight to rail now because the distribution hubs are not integrated into rail anymore they are road integrated

Most definitely the latter.

There are options for road that does away with fossil fuels and allows them to charge on the road. Think trolley buses and replace the bus with a lorry under wires on a motorway. They put a power line above the first lane of the motorway, the tractor unit carries a pantograph - extends to pick up power , for overtaking it uses a diesel hybrid engine using batteries or diesel

That's just the issue, those of us who are going out less were already doing so, I didn't need a government mandated early closure to stay away from pubs, I only venture out to the shops and very rarely these days go into a coffee shop. The people whose activities they were trying to curtail won't be bothered by a curfew, the only beneficiaries are the local boozers as less people may venture into the city centre. My son is a bar manager, he's in this every day. New statistics are showing that it it schools/colleges (and I guess universities) plus care homes where the infections are coming from - interesting they target the pubs, is that to deflect away and cover for their deficiencies in the two sectors the government should have complete control - education and care.

Good that they have fixed it, but only because they've been found out really isn't it - surely it was staring them in the face the pomposity of them being able to drink when they wanted whilst telling us we have to all go home at 10pm. Of course as I suggested when this early closing was announced, it just means the people will shift their behaviour and all many people are now doing is continuing drinking on the streets or at home with the supermarkets are making a mint from late night alcohol sales (and probably snacks).

Well this is literally becoming a sh*t thread.

I don't disagree and all the teams do this I would imagine, when you are talking such micro variations in car performance you use every angle you can to gain an advantage. In the commentary it was very much about the stewards having a go, when it was more likely someone had questioned the legality of the move with them to spur intervention. But putting two points on his licence when he had clearly been heard asking if he was ok to perform what he did shows he himself was taking steps to ensure he was not foul of any regs.

Seb was looking rather anonymous this week, Sainz was showing he is ready to replace him over at Ferarri and Albon again had a hard race from the back whilst Gasly & Kvyat benefitted from good strategy. The races are certainly not boring these days.

This is exactly the problem we have right now and why people don't follow the guidance: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8779373/Parliaments-bars-NOT-subject-10pm-curfew.html One rule for us and no rules for them.

With regards to the Hamilton penalties - which team had the most to gain from using the rulebook and raising a complaint with the FIA and which team whilst seeing the punishment as perhaps harsh didn't condemn it. I'm glad that in the end the FIA took back the licence points as that did seem a step too far and I was beginning to think myself this is the FIA indirectly taking him to task about his increasingly political stances.

It appeared in my unread items, I do try and not read stuff but sometimes you just see enough and then you zoom in and read the whole sentence. It didn't affect my enjoyment of the race from the comfort of my recording of the highlights show. Also I did end my post with a laugh emoji - I know I have only myself to blame if I see the result before I see the race.

There is a massive supply line if you look at the simple act of commuting: The trains require drivers / guards require timetablers require maintenance require track requires steel for track requires maintenance / upkeep requires signallers signalling signalling upkeep require leasing companines to provide the stock leasing company employees The stations require staff require upkeep require ancilliary service cafes & shops require staff requre supplies requires supply chains require inspections require connections with local services public transport buses taxis The list could go on and on and this is just to and from work, then there is the whole build up of shops, services and infrastructure around the workplaces. If less people need offices then the whole supply chain that keeps those offices running becomes affected and ultimately it means less jobs. Covid has decimated the holiday market - some 30,000 air crew without jobs and it's not like it's one airline where many will ultimately find employment with other airlines who buy up the capacity created by the loss of one. They are all suffering and will continue to suffer well into 2021 and probably beyond. I've read EasyJet was in the uneviable position of owning it's jets, to keep afloat is is now selling it's aircraft and leasing them back - this is a major shift for the airline, what happens when it has no more aircraft to sell?

Arghh spoilers, I don't get to see the race until the highlights and even then it may be the recorded highlights

But really by this time these weren't express trains in Mr Wright's world of expresses, these were fast locals between Sheffield and Manchester. Even the Boat train was only 7 or 8 coaches - making the line between Sheffield and Barnsley Junction quite modellable with a Heljan 76 and a few Mk1s and then some freight in the period after the Great Central mainline closed and before the electric passenger services ceased.

If the station is surrounded by retaining walls, how do the chaps in the goods yard get the goods in and out of the goods yard other than by rail. Could you extend the loading dock to cover both tracks and then make a hint of a warehouse in the side retaining wall with the tracks extending inside maybe a wagon's length. No coal facilities but it would then address how the goods got from the rail level to the upper level where the road would be.