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According to the latest set of accounts, ScotRail received a loan of £14m from Abellio and £10m from NS. However, these are interest bearing (at 4% and 8% respectively). so while there may not be "profits" flowing to Utrecht, there is certainly a flow of money. And of course, SR cant make a...

I believe one of the other bidders was offering new stock, but at the time of the bid, it skewed the finances of the bid. Judging by the short formations and cancellations this morning, I think most of the Classic sets are out of action. Most services are going to be running with 3 coaches not 4.

When I was a guard on my local heritage railway, I did encounter someone who, could be classed as a fare evader (though he did eventually cough up). I was going through the train, checking tickets, when one passenger said he didnt need one, as he had paid his council tax! When I questioned him...

I dont see that it is a pipe dream. Network Rail in Scotland is managing to deliver electrification much cheaper than south of the border - £1.3m/stkm, compared to close to £2m for GWML. Is it still too high? Yes. Is it heading in the right direction? Also yes.

Also, there were some Tram lines which shared a rail in the loops (presumably due to width restrictions).

I'm assuming it opened with the Scottish Midland Junction Railway, ie 20 August 1848. I dont think it lasted long, as SMJR trains were using the Scottish Central Railways Perth General within months.

As we move to smartcards, I can see the photo element being incorporated into the smart card.

Anyone else annoyed by the term Skip-Stopping? They're not stopping Skips! It should be Stop-Skipping, ie missing Stops!

Edinburgh/Glasgow-Aberdeen isn't up. Still worried about the HSTs?

I think theres two groups building a P2. The A1 Loco trust who own Tornado are building 2007 Prince of Wales while theres another group building 2001 Cock o'the North

I would say you can never have too many Bulleid Pacifics!

Of course, it was the District that originally built the line to Hounslow.

Not even a parliamentary service for IBM?

They issued another press release yesterday about the new timetables, but dont seem to have published them on the website

Yes, Westminster has decided that ORR as the regulator gets to decide Network Rail's budget. But if Transport Scotland were to chuck extra money at NR to do stuff, do you think ORR will say "No you dont unless DfT agrees to it"? If NR Scotland were fully hived off, would there not need to be...

During the recent Stonehaven derailment incident, I had to travel to Glasgow. My rail replacement bus was late (the driver didnt know where any of the intermediate stations were), and we missed a connection at Dundee, resulting in a 2 hour delay. On my return journey the bus waited half an hour...

Westminster doesnt get a say. NR's budget, and the HLOS and SOFA's issued by the DfT and Transport Scotland are signed off by the regulator - not "Westminster". If the the regulator doesnt think it appropriate, they dont get approved, and DfT and TS told to think again. ORR is of course mindful...

My understanding - and I could be wrong - is that NR borrows as a UK corporate entity. So if the HLOS and SOFA from Transport Scotland requires borrowing from NR against the asset base, it borrows it. Scotland Route already has an allocation of NR debt against it, does it not? So even...

At the risk of going off-topic, Alex Salmond is on record as describing Gordon Brown's regulation regime for banking as "gold-plated" and "far in excess of what we would do in an independent Scotland". Of course that was before the financial crash in 2007/8. After that he said that Gordon...

A question I have asked many times, but have yet to have a satisfactory answer. There might be an argument that timetable planning needs to be devolved - but thats the case for other Routes as well as Scotland. However, it was the independent regulator who told NR to centralise all timetable...