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Recent content by option

  1. O

    Report of Partial Bridge Collapse WCML 11/6

    What happens when/if the driver doesn't stop? If you agree to add cameras, & increase the penalties for the associated offences, then it might work. But those penalties would have to be extremely severe, we're talking loss of driving licence for life & custodial sentences.
  2. O

    The UK and white elephant stations

    Good luck doing that on that mainline :lol: In terms of electrification/new services, WMCA/TfWM aren't going to fund extending either from Bromsgrove, it's too far at 13miles. (Bromsgrove-New St is only a mile further & has 8 intermediate stations. The Kings Heath line is ~7miles & would be a...
  3. O

    Confirmed : HS2 West Midlands-Manchester line to be scrapped and replaced with other projects.

    It actually gets you to London, & there's space for lots of trains to terminate.
  4. O

    Heritage railway financial problems.

    One HR I know of uses concrete sleepers, CWR, & has visits from tampers. They are also replacing expired wooden sleepers with concrete. Safe track, with reduced maintenance needs, is more important than how 'heritage correct' it is.
  5. O

    Chiltern electrification alternatives being studied...

    Not about it being anyone's turn. That 30 years covers multiple governments, who have all shown zero interest in it, & now there's new DMUs for it, that's another 10-20years of not doing it. Is that just politicians of all parties being useless, or is there something inherently rotten at the...
  6. O

    XC desperately needs more rolling stock

    But XC can't use the wires to Bromsgrove, as its only the Cross City tracks that are wired up from Kings Norton to Longbridge, & there's no wires on the Camp Hill line, which XC also use.
  7. O

    Merits of Lichfield to Burton electrification

    Also, that would only be Lichfield passengers heading north-east. Who could easily do Lichfield TV to Tamworth & change. I also don't see Cross City services getting extended to Burton, its too far away with not enough population on the way. BNS to Lichfield TV is 19miles, Redditch is 16...
  8. O

    Chiltern electrification alternatives being studied...

    Is 15 miles a 'major electrification project'? Cross City is ~34 miles
  9. O

    Chiltern electrification alternatives being studied...

    Andy is Mayor for the WMCA. Although Worcester, & Worcestershire aren't members, they are neighbours & WMR run a lot of trains to/through Worcester. If you're pushing a project to wire Stratford/Leamington to Kidderminster, then Worcester isn't much to add on. Chiltern is too far out of the...
  10. O

    USB-C - do any UK trains have these ports for charging devices?

    USB C ports are more robust than the A ports, as they don't have the 'tongue' in the middle, which is what breaks.
  11. O

    CrossCountry double booked seats

    Which isn't helped by XC missing out random letters when they organise carriages. Had one last week that was ACDF.
  12. O

    It seems that Worcestershire Parkway is a success...

    Can't extend the Cross-City without extra stock. If you extend an existing Bromsgrove service, then you reduce frequency on the rest of the Cross-City, & you block the line at WParkway whilst doing the turnaround. It's at least 8minutes each way, + a 4minute turnaround. So that would need an...
  13. O

    Controversial railway opinions (without a firm foundation in logic..)

    Local taxation like the Business Rates levy on corporate HQs of national companies, & government offices. The GLA collects a precept on Council Tax, paid by those MPs with second homes there (which they then expense), & London based civil servants (the highest paid ones are in London) So, some...
  14. O

    Longest Heritage Railway extension

    The NT will only, & have done for some time, take on big properties if there's funds or an endowment to go with them. Now I don't expect locos & carriages would ever have endowments to go with them. Carriage owners, where there's not much asset value, might start giving a railway shares in...

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