Recent content by spongsdad

Interesting if perhaps Freudian comment about this Saturday; “It won’t be a full service but it won’t be as bad as a NORMAL Saturday”

2018: maybe not the worst year but certainly up there with the worst years in the past especially if you’re coming at this from the point of view of a paying customer as opposed to a railway professional or a rail enthusist. Where to start: modernisation programmes years late, over budget and...

You seem to be about the same vintage as I am, 52290. Lets hope we both live long enough to see this scheme completed; I'm not so confident about seeing an end to the strikes though.

Message from HM Government. "If you are hoping to travel from Preston to Manchester by the wonderful means of electricity, you might be better off using an electric car. Network Rail is suffering from a chronic inability to provide modernisation on time and on budget. Chris Grayling is returning...

And all this brought to you by the team who are delivering such a wonderful Brexit. The Conservative Government.......working for commuters in the North by stifling the development of their rail network. Give me strength!

I solve the problem of unhelpful staff by visiting Blackpool (if I really have to) by car. After all, it's not as though Northern and disruptive RMT staff care whether I travel by train or not. They seem to want to make it as difficult as possible. I save my sympathy for the poor souls who have...

The November 1898 edition of the Railway Magazine, in an article about the attractions of that part of what was then Lancashire, refers solely to Cark station. By 1934 the LMS were certainly referring to it as Cark AND Cartmel which would be incorrect. It would certainly seem that the correct...

Referring to post #7412. Thank you, Dave, for all the excellent photographs but also for a very measured and thoughtful commentary on your travels on Monday. Whilst most of the people on this forum will be enthusiasts or professionals, we should not lose sight of the raison d'être for the...

Sad to say that the United Kingdom is bottom heavy. We have a London-centric government and a London-centric economy; moreover the franchising system allows companies like Aviva to stick two metaphorical fingers up to the poor saps who have to ride on their trains. Every new minister should be...

Murphy’s Law then; you wait all those years for a 319 and then two come along at once.

Indeed. Me being naïve thought: " Fair enough, Farnworth Tunnel is a huge obstacle and barrier -get that done and it will be plain sailing". How long ago was Farnworth Tunnel complete - amazingly slow progress. Balfour-Beatty, Carillon, running sand, old mine workings etc. I really am starting...

Yes, but December of which year? I note that, depressingly, this thread was started in June 2012, six years ago, barring a month. Progress has hardly been spectacular has it?

I rather think they measure tendencies, Dave, though I could be mistaken.

You are absolutely correct; that was the original concept. Indeed it was more particular even than that. Physical impairment meant an inability to walk more than a short distance. So, for example, you might need a prosthetic arm to drive but that would not of itself entitle you to a blue badge...

As the husband of a severely disabled wife, I would first of all ask posters to refer from ad hominem attacks on Isabel Oakeshott or indeed anyone else. She just happens to be mistaken and perhaps she sent the tweet on a bad day. For a relative few, the provision of disabled spaces is absolutely...