Would you pay the builder/plumber or whatever, in full, in advance, for an uncompleted extension, conservatory, bathroom if he told you he was in financial difficulties ? But there - CalMac is owned by the Scottish Government, so it is only the tax payers' money they are throwing away - and when it comes to ship building contracts they are THE experts. 

Having wasted huge sums of money lengthening platforms to take the rarely seen 5 car trains, how long before they start work on 6 car platforms ??

It will be interesting to see how they cope with Rannoch and Corrour. Russian 6x6s perhaps?

Steam trains to return to heritage line after rain

A heritage railway which suspended steam-hauled services due to the fire risk during the hot, dry weather has said they will resume this week.

The Severn Valley Railway (SVR) said steam locomotives would return from Wednesday and meant its Autumn Steam Gala can go ahead from 17 to 20 September.

Bosses said the phased return to steam followed the "significant rainfall it has been waiting for" across Worcestershire and Shropshire.

The SVR switched to diesel engines at the start of August due to the weather and following a blaze on an embankment on its line north of Bewdley.  "At long last, the SVR has received the significant rainfall it has been waiting for, with plenty of much-needed rain falling over the past week," it said.

The return to steam will be phased, with the railway continuing to monitor conditions.

Additional measures will be introduced during the four-day steam gala to mitigate the risk of lineside fires, including water-spraying trains and volunteer fire marshals monitoring the line, bosses added.

(BBC article continues)

Buses will replace trains between Crianlarich and Fort William/Mallaig from 9 to 17 November.

Meanwhile realtime trains is suggesting 1F11 10:25 Cardiff - Portsmouth ................... is a 6car, along with its return 1F24 14:09 Portsmouth - Cardiff

CMAL announced in June that it had paid in full for the uncompleted ships to help the Turkish shipyard, which was facing financial challenges.

Posting this here somewhat lightheartedly:

Of those 3.9 million US residents who visited the UK, I reckon about 3 million of them have Bath as their destination.  Some of them are a pain in the proverbial, milling about in huge groups and generally getting in the way.

Key Visitor Numbers
Total Annual Visitors: More than 6 million people visit the city center and heritage sites every year.
The Roman Baths: This historic site is the city's top draw, pulling in over 1 million visitors annually.
Bath Christmas Market: This popular winter event attracts more than 440,000 visitors during the festive season

Delays and £20m cost rise for new Turkish-built CalMac ferries


MV Loch Indaal, the second of the four ships being built at the Cemre shipyard, is now due to be handed over on October - Image © CMAL

Project costs for the construction of new CalMac ferries being built in Turkey have risen by £20m as new delays are confirmed.

State-owned ferries agency CMAL said MV Loch Indaal, the second of the four ships being built by the Cemre shipyard, is now expected to be delivered in October, about 20 months later than originally planned.

The third and fourth ships, MV Lochmor and MV Claymore, earmarked to serve the Western Isles, are now both due to be delivered in the first half of 2027.

CMAL announced in June that it had paid in full for the uncompleted ships to help the Turkish shipyard, which was facing financial challenges.

So far, only one of the four ships ordered from Cemre in 2022 and 2023 - MV Isle of Islay - has been delivered.

The ship entered service on the Islay route in March, more than a year later than expected when the contract was signed, after a series of delays.

(BBC article continues)

Wherever the list came from, the compiler had his MAGA blinkers on.   

West Highland railway line to close in November for £13m upgrade


The work will make the route more resilient in periods of severe weather - Image © Network Rail

The West Highland Line is due to close for nine days in November for a £13m upgrade.

The scenic railway line, linking Glasgow to destinations including Oban and Mallaig, features the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct seen in the Harry Potter films.

Network Rail will carry out work at locations between Helensburgh, Fort William and Mallaig.  It said the work would tackle wear and tear, make the route more resilient in periods of severe weather and reduce the risk of delays and restrictions.

Buses will replace trains between Crianlarich and Fort William/Mallaig from 9 to 17 November.

Network Rail and train operators said they were working together to support local communities and passengers.

Gerry McQuade, capital delivery director at Network Rail Scotland, said: "This work is about making sure the route continues to provide a dependable service for the communities and visitors who use it every day.  We know closing the line isn't ideal at any time, but it gives us the opportunity to carry out a large amount of work in one go, rather than causing repeated disruption over a longer period."

Swan on railway line causing train delays


Network Rail staff had to move the swan from the line - Image © Supplied

Rail services have been delayed due to a swan on the tracks.

Great Northern said the swan was on the line in the Peterborough area and as a result some lines were blocked.  No trains were able to run from Peterborough towards Hitchin in Hertfordshire for more than an hour.  Residual disruption is expected until 10:30 BST, Network Rail has said.

A statement on the Great Northern website read: "Network Rail's response staff are attending as quickly as possible to make sure the swan is removed and the railway is as secure as possible."

Yes ridiculous chaos for the Weymouth services yesterday. On Journey Check there were a number of bus/taxi replacements shown (and in some detail). It will be interesting to know what actually operated (ie train or bus) each service in the end.

However, as per many previous comments these late changes are of no use to the average customer trying to plan their day.

I shall be there, in my electric powerchair....