Recent content by GuyGibsonVC

Therein lies the argument about providing a public service or prioritising income. It is a fine balance but all the decisions seem to be geared towards the bottom line.

Don't worry, you will still be able to work and have PTS. You may not be able to do certain competencies as your Sentinel card will have a blue circle on. It isn't uncommon and also takes into account conditions such as diabetes. Congratulations on the role.

I'll go ECML with just a tad local bias. Mallard, Flying Scotsman, Deltic, Class 91, bridges over the Tyne, Royal Border Bridge, Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Newcastle Central Grade One listed, George Stepheson, Robert Stephenson, capital to capital and York Railway Museum.

Not weather related but disruption this morning north of Newcastle due to swans and cygnets on the line. They were quite hard to wrangle on the ballast, so a local wildlife group helped to gather them in.

Too Scared to Strike Association. Bands 1-4 in Network Rail are represented by TSSA and they have joint bargaining with RMT for Bands 5-8 and a few frontline roles. Network Rail are actually in the middle of a Management Efficiency Programme with quite a few management roles going and a lot...

Do you mean staff efficiencies in terms of job losses? The railway in both train operation and infrastructure is quite lean.

They do have a mixture throughout the day. My guess would be to keep time to Benton Junction as not to mess up the ECML timings?

Reopening of old lines or new stations on existing lines?

It is still on my list to do as there is some cracking walking and history in the Scottish Borders. It seems to have been as success against all the usual metrics and I’m sure the locals don’t mind it at all. On that note, has there been a reopening in recent history that hasn’t been a success?

Isn’t this the most distilled form of Privatisation as promised all those years ago? Letting the market decide and giving passengers choice? You have to laugh.

Yes, the Balkanisation of the past 30 years is going to take a while to unpick, and I don't think will ever fully be.

Not to go off topic but what bloat and inefficiencies would you tackle first?

This news has made me dig out this Viz Top Tip from 13 years ago.

The point still stands as it is busy on a Saturday. It is just extra rammed if Newcastle are at home and you may get the odd 4 car set.

I’ve always said a coffee van in the morning would make a few quid at Ashington. A very well used car park and even the Northern staff could get refreshments.