And they were told not to persevere with the 769s by the DfT to cut costs.

And had they persevered, they would probably have been less reliable than the 175s!

https://www.railbusinessuk.com/traction-rolling-stock/2022/12/23/gwr-fleet-to-shrink-further-as-it-abandons-class-769-introduction/

Correct - but at the same time it is valid to be ask if the RAIB is uncovering all the facts.  I have absolutely no reason/evidence to suggest they are not doing a really good and complete job, but never the less it is valid to check up on the skilled and trained specialists.  Just because someone's appointed to a role as the expert / authority does not make them perfect - as we have seen from various scandals in other fields over the years.

I'm confident that in the light of the Neville Hill collision and now this, the RAIB will subject the behaviour of the class 8xx couplings to scrutiny. They're now working with a sample of two collisions, the first at ~14mph and the second, far more severe, ~50mph and in both, one of the train's carriages has derailed and been laterally displaced sufficient to foul an adjacent running line.

From the BBC:


Fair enough: Andy Burnham 'working from home' would limit his reliance on train services between Manchester and London - just for example.

E-scooters being advertised for commuting despite UK road ban

Retailers including Amazon, Argos and Currys have been found to advertise e‑scooters for use on public roads and paths, despite this being against UK law.

An investigation from the Press Association (PA) found major brands and independent sellers were promoting their use on the roads.

But only rented e-scooters can legally be ridden on roads, cycle paths and in parks in the UK. Privately-owned e-scooters can only be used on private land with the landowner's permission.

The major outlets changed their advertising after being contacted by PA. They also pointed to guidance on their websites which said customers had to follow local laws.

And at the opposite end of the scale - line OPENED 1st July 1903

That's the same day that the Badminton cutoff was opened - Wikipedia link and that survives to this day and is a very expensive piece of infrastructure to keep open and run reliably.  With some disquiet, I looked at Labour's plans to provide a railway that is more reliable and costs the public purse less. Closing expensive to maintain cutoffs would meet both of those manifesto objectives.  Electrify Chippenham to Temple Meads and Parkway to Temple Meads, 20 minute frequency London to Bristol with one train onward to Swansea ... just asking.

This is a reminder email regarding the upcoming engineering work between Bristol Parkway and Swindon where we'll be undertaking track renewal work, structural repairs and some further drainage work.

Between Monday 6 July and Sunday 2 August, services from London Paddington to South Wales will use an alternative route, extending journey times by around 25 minutes.

The frequency of services between London and South Wales will be reduced to hourly due to the longer journey times diverting trains via Chippenham instead. Additional services will also be provided between London Paddington and Swindon by extending some trains between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway.

For more information please visit the GWR website.

We would appreciate any support in cascading this information locally and please do get in touch if you have any questions

Red Arrows to get new jets replacing ageing Hawk

The Red Arrows will get new jets as part of a £15bn increase in military spending, the government has announced.

According to the UK's defence investment plan (DIP), the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has committed to investing £360m in developing a new "British Jet Trainer System", which will include "new jets for the Red Arrows to replace the ageing Hawk aircraft".

Last month, the team said it would fly with fewer aircraft at most displays in a bid to extend the lifespan of the Hawk, which entered service in the 1980s.

Welcoming the announcement, former Red Arrows pilot Andy Wyatt said: "It provides much-needed certainty that the process of replacing the Hawk aircraft is finally moving forward."

He said: "The aircraft chosen must meet the RAF's operational requirements, but I hope equal weight will be given to supporting British engineering, protecting highly skilled jobs and preserving sovereign aerospace capability.

"The aircraft carrying the famous red, white and blue smoke for decades to come should be a symbol of the very best that Britain can design, build and support."

(BBC article continues)

Andy Burnham plans to work some days in Manchester as PM

Andy Burnham plans to spend some of his working week in Manchester if he becomes prime minister, the BBC has been told.

It is not clear whether he will spend a set number of days there, or whether there will be a more informal arrangement. But he plans to split his time between Downing Street and the North West, it is understood.

In his first speech since launching his Labour leadership bid, Burnham announced on Monday he would create a new "No 10 North" unit in Manchester if he replaces outgoing PM Sir Keir Starmer.

Burnham's allies hope his presence in the city would be a strong symbol of his commitment to devolve power away from Westminster.

The former mayor of Greater Manchester announced his intention to stand to replace Sir Keir last Monday, shortly after being elected as the MP for Makerfield.

So far, he is the only Labour MP to announce a leadership bid. If he remains the sole candidate, he could become the next prime minister as early as 20 July.

Past prime ministers, including Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, have spent some time away from London in their constituencies, but those around Burnham say his arrangements would be different to the norm.

If Burnham chose to not to make Downing Street his main home, he would become the first prime minister since Labour premier Harold Wilson not to reside primarily in the famous London building.

Wilson lived in No 10 during his first term in office between 1964 and 1970, but opted to live at Lord North Street, a short walk from Parliament, during his second premiership between 1974 and 1976.

(BBC article continues)

Scrutinise all they like on the facts as given by RAIB - otherwise it is speculation of the worst kind

Major transformation is afoot at London Transport Museum.

Ahead of celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2030, the Covent Garden museum — which opened inside the Victorian flower market building in March 1980 — has revealed plans for a "once in a generation" glow-up.

These include a 'new' entrance on Covent Garden Piazza (technically the current entrance is already on the Piazza, via the gift shop, but the mock-up above suggests use will be made of an existing adjacent doorway.)

An extra 500 square metres will also be freed up inside the museum "for improved galleries and learning experiences", to include LTM50, an area "celebrating London's journey from Victorian innovation to the capital of tomorrow." What that means in terms of brand new exhibits, we're not yet sure.

The museum will remain open throughout the revamp, which will also include "major environmental upgrades" and "upgraded visitor facilities". It's not yet clear when works will commence.

OK - better connectivity here and I had cleared a problem.  No obvious pattern with the quick look I have had, so this may of may not have fixed it.  Server load dropping again as I write, so promising.

And if GWR had persevered with the 769s the turbos would have come west.

It's mud racking, "scrutiny"  by jurno's comes after the real scrutiny by the professional investigators, RAIB and BTP

Two months short of two years this thread - feels a very long time