The Department of Transport Should be Re-located to Whitby.

[yorksrob]

It must be frustrating working for the DoT. You come up with all these grand ideas such as abolishing off-peak fares and denying working age people railcard discounts, yet you're hampered from enjoying all of these innovations by being based in a city with world class transportation.

I propose to rectify this situation by re-locating the entire DfT to Whitby, with no transport expenses or allowances provided. That way DfT employees can enjoy the fruits of their labour.

The scenery is good, the pubs are excellent and there are more fish and chip shops than you can throw a stick at.

I'm sure there'll be an old hotel available that could be tastefully converted into office space.

You know it makes sense.

 

[Harpo]

I'm sure there'll be an old hotel available that could be tastefully converted into office space.

Hotel? Office? I suggest maybe a cupboard? That way DfT (rail) would be the right size*, leaving professional railway managers to, er, manage railways.


* A former manager would occasionally say he needed a small team to volunteer for a task he had - ‘Preferably an odd number of people. And 3 would be too many.’

 

[yorksrob]

Hotel? Office? I suggest maybe a cupboard? That way DfT (rail) would be the right size*, leaving professional railway managers to, er, manage railways.


* A former manager would occasionally say he needed a small team to volunteer for a task he had - ‘Preferably an odd number of people. And 3 would be too many.’

Too many cooks spoil the broth !

 

[Harpers Tate]

Have a satellite office in Middlesbrough and Scarborough, and require them to travel by train.

 

[yorksrob]

Have a satellite office in Middlesbrough and Scarborough, and require them to travel by train.

Yes, that might make it easier to source the office accommodation

 

[brad465]

Doesn't the Darlington campus sort of fulfil this?

 

[yorksrob]

Doesn't the Darlington campus sort of fulfil this?

Not unless the big-wigs and grandes fromages are all moving there as well !

 

[Magdalia]

I propose to rectify this situation by re-locating the entire DfT to Whitby, with no transport expenses or allowances provided. That way DfT employees can enjoy the fruits of their labour.

The only department that would be appropriately located in Whitby is the Department of Bloodsucking, with Dracula as Secretary of State.

 

[The exile]

The only department that would be appropriately located in Whitby is the Department of Bloodsucking, with Dracula as Secretary of State.

The Treasury, I assume you mean.

 

[nr758123]

Have a satellite office in Middlesbrough and Scarborough, and require them to travel by train.

I suggest Teesside Airport instead of Middlesbrough

 

[Farigiraf]

I hear the former pub at Berney Arms is currently vacant...
Though that may be doing them a favour! How about Polesworth?

 

[brad465]

I hear the former pub at Berney Arms is currently vacant...
Though that may be doing them a favour! How about Polesworth?

Altnabreac

 

[Magdalia]

The Treasury, I assume you mean.

No the people who want to suck the lifeblood out of the productive economy for schemes that cost a lot for little benefit.

 

[izvor]

Maybe the Treasury could go to Middlesbrough? Been in the news a lot lately so I'm sure it must be nice. They could savour the fruits of their lavish investments over the years, and I'm sure Mayor Houchen and his cronies would love to have them right on his doorstep.

 

[class26]

Altnabreac

Or maybe Haven House, two trains a day ought to suffice

 

[Egg Centric]

I'd be fine with this although for very different reasons to the OP. One quick comparison between the Esk Valley line and the Moor Road and future possibilities, along with seeing more competent northern car drivers, and we'd soon see country wide building of beautiful new high speed roads.

 

[yorksrob]

I'd be fine with this although for very different reasons to the OP. One quick comparison between the Esk Valley line and the Moor Road and future possibilities, along with seeing more competent northern car drivers, and we'd soon see country wide building of beautiful new high speed roads.

What roads have you been driving down

 

[Bald Rick]

It must be frustrating working for the DoT. You come up with all these grand ideas such as abolishing off-peak fares and denying working age people railcard discounts, yet you're hampered from enjoying all of these innovations by being based in a city with world class transportation.

I propose to rectify this situation by re-locating the entire DfT to Whitby, with no transport expenses or allowances provided. That way DfT employees can enjoy the fruits of their labour.

The scenery is good, the pubs are excellent and there are more fish and chip shops than you can throw a stick at.

I'm sure there'll be an old hotel available that could be tastefully converted into office space.

You know it makes sense.

Have a satellite office in Middlesbrough and Scarborough, and require them to travel by train.

They already have a satellite office in Leeds, and I know several people who work there who commute to Leeds by rail (on Northern).

 

[Harpers Tate]

They already have a satellite office in Leeds, and I know several people who work there who commute to Leeds by rail (on Northern).

I'd suggest it's a rather different situation with most suburban/residential places for a Leeds commute having a 30-minute or better service vs. Whitby with it's sparse service along a ridiculously over-rationalised bit of track, and no remaining direct route south.

 

[Egg Centric]

What roads have you been driving down

Enough to say the average driver in the north (proper north not Bradford where obviously the driving is probably the worst in the whole country) is far better than the average one in the south. They've just given up tbh so congested are the roads.

 

[Zomboid]

I'd suggest it's a rather different situation with most suburban/residential places for a Leeds commute having a 30-minute or better service vs. Whitby with it's sparse service along a ridiculously over-rationalised bit of track, and no remaining direct route south.

The volume of traffic that the DfT would generate (and remember that the DfT has responsibilities well beyond rail anyway) wouldn't come close to justifying a feasibility study into enhancement of the Whitby line or a connection from Battersby to Northallerton, never mind actually building anything.

 

[Russel]

Have a satellite office in Middlesbrough and Scarborough, and require them to travel by train.

Now that is just cruel...

 

[Harpers Tate]

The volume of traffic that the DfT would generate (and remember that the DfT has responsibilities well beyond rail anyway) wouldn't come close to justifying a feasibility study into enhancement of the Whitby line or a connection from Battersby to Northallerton, never mind actually building anything.

The whole subject of this thread (in case it escaped your notice) is, I suspect, very tongue-in-cheek. Let's just say - were they to relocate as described, it might just bring such study and/or real work marginally closer. It could probably be studied and done several times over for the projected cost of Mr Khan's 4 mile tube extension along the OKR.

 

[RT4038]

Be careful what you wish for. Easier rail connections to Whitby (and, of course, a branch off the motorway network as well) will likely completely spoil the charm of Whitby. I doubt more than a small proportion of those people who travel by car to Whitby, or residents travelling out, are gagging to change to travelling by train.

 

[Russel]

Be careful what you wish for. Easier rail connections to Whitby (and, of course, a branch off the motorway network as well) will likely completely spoil the charm of Whitby. I doubt more than a small proportion of those people who travel by car to Whitby, or residents travelling out, are gagging to change to travelling by train.

I was in Whitby yesterday, it's already overrun with tourists to the point where it was unenjoyable, I'm not sure what charm is left to spoil.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

The only department that would be appropriately located in Whitby is the Department of Bloodsucking, with Dracula as Secretary of State.

The Treasury, I assume you mean.

You guys are funny. I hear what you are saying and understand your frustration - but ........

No the people who want to suck the lifeblood out of the productive economy for schemes that cost a lot for little benefit.

Is more realistic.

 

[yorksrob]

Enough to say the average driver in the north (proper north not Bradford where obviously the driving is probably the worst in the whole country) is far better than the average one in the south. They've just given up tbh so congested are the roads.

That's not what my parents said when my dad was still able to drive !

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Yesterday at 21:27 ==

Be careful what you wish for. Easier rail connections to Whitby (and, of course, a branch off the motorway network as well) will likely completely spoil the charm of Whitby. I doubt more than a small proportion of those people who travel by car to Whitby, or residents travelling out, are gagging to change to travelling by train.

I see your concern, but from a purely selfish point of view it would be nice to be able to do a reasonable day trip to the place by train.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Yesterday at 21:28 ==

I was in Whitby yesterday, it's already overrun with tourists to the point where it was unenjoyable, I'm not sure what charm is left to spoil.

Yeah, a bank holiday Saturday is going to be trying. It's much nicer on a non-descript friday afternoon.

 

[Russel]

Yeah, a bank holiday Saturday is going to be trying. It's much nicer on a non-descript friday afternoon.

True, the last time I was there was mid-week in May, it was still very busy though not as bad as yesterday.

I wanted to get home via the Esk Valley yesterday but decided to go back via the bus to Scarborough because I wasn't sure I'd get on the train.

 

[Darandio]

Yeah, a bank holiday Saturday is going to be trying. It's much nicer on a non-descript friday afternoon.

We go to Whitby a hell of a lot, it's 35 minutes by car and we're probably there every 3 weeks at least. Non-descript Friday afternoon is something I don't recognise any more unless you're talking January and February.

 

[Russel]

We go to Whitby a hell of a lot, it's 35 minutes by car and we're probably there every 3 weeks at least. Non-descript Friday afternoon is something I don't recognise any more unless you're talking January and February.

Indeed, give me sleepy Filey any day!