Might this have something to connect it with the Midland Blue Pullman I wonder.

Network Rail has stockpiled a year’s worth of rails in case of British Steel disruption

Reserves would give six months to find alternative supply if Scunthorpe blast furnaces are switched off

Network Rail has built up a stockpile of rails to last as long as a year in case of disruption in the supply from British Steel’s Scunthorpe works.

The company, which manages Britain’s railway tracks, has been stockpiling rails over the past 12 months as British Steel started to contemplate the closure of its two blast furnaces. The rails are stored at depots around the country.

British Steel’s Chinese owner, Jingye, last month announced plans to close the blast furnaces, putting 2,700 jobs at risk and threatening the UK supply of long products such as rails and construction beams.

The UK government on Saturday stepped in to take control of the Scunthorpe factory with emergency legislation. It made the move, just short of nationalisation, because it was concerned that the UK would lose the ability to produce steel from iron ore in its last blast furnaces. Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, has directed British Steel to buy the raw materials needed to keep running, after Jingye decided to end production.

Many of the products made at Scunthorpe are readily available from other European suppliers. However, more than 80% of Britain’s rails come from the Lincolnshire plant. The stockpile would give Network Rail about six months to seek an alternative seller if the Scunthorpe blast furnaces are switched off, because of lead times in receiving orders from other sources.

Network Rail started considering the stockpile after Jingye announced in late 2023 that it was looking at replacing the blast furnaces with much cleaner electric arc furnaces. British Steel opened a new facility in November in Scunthorpe that will be able to store 25,000 tonnes of rails.

Network Rail already has flexible contracts with Austria’s Voestalpine and Germany’s Saarstahl that could fill the gap in supply if British Steel were to shut its blast furnaces before electric versions are up and running. Installing new electric arc furnaces, which do not rely on polluting coal, could take several years.

British Steel has said electric arc furnaces are suitable to make rails and other long products produced in Scunthorpe, although the conditions in the furnace need to be tightly controlled to avoid impurities. Network Rail has previously tested rails made in an electric arc furnace by Saarstahl.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We do not expect the announcement to have any impact on the continued delivery of reliable rail services for passengers and freight users.

“We are continuing to work with government and our suppliers, and we have comprehensive contingency plans in place to ensure the continued supply of rail needed to fulfil our operational needs.”

Londoners living with disabilities and chronic health conditions say they have struggled to use a Transport for London (TfL) scheme while travelling, with one even threatened by another passenger.

The "Please Offer Me A Seat" badge and card scheme, which marks its eighth anniversary this month, is designed to help those with disabilities and health conditions by signalling, external to other passengers they should give up their seat if needed.

But Eliza Rain, 28, who has a chronic pain condition, said when using the badge they were often challenged and one passenger "threatened to push me off the train because I'd asked for their seat".

A TfL spokesperson encouraged passengers to give up their seat to someone who asks where possible, even if the person asking isn't wearing a badge.

Swindon, the other week, the guy on the barrier didn't know whether the buses had moved to their new locations. In one way there was no reason he should have known, mind. (The new location being arguably better, but also, arguably less functional as an interchange and also further from the station.)

07:45 Westbury to Swindon due 08:34
08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26

08:45 Swindon to Westbury due 09:26 will be cancelled.
This is due to a broken down train.

The research for the Department for Transport found that 54 per cent of respondents travelled for leisure, while 30 per cent commuted for work or education, and 15 per cent travelled for business.

The railway is described as "the backbone of our economy" by rail minister Lord Peter Hendy, who highlighted how the network connects people nationwide.

He said: "This research shows thousands of passengers choose the train for their leisure travel.

20:38 Westbury to Swindon due 21:23
20:38 Westbury to Swindon due 21:23 will be cancelled.

This is due to trespassers on the railway.

21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:16
21:34 Swindon to Westbury due 22:16 will be cancelled.

This is due to trespassers on the railway.

God's own City!

Hope you enjoyed Plymouth!

A Northern Ireland tourist attraction which has received millions of pounds for repairs and maintenance has been closed nearly as many days as it has open in the past decade.

The Gobbins Cliff Path in Islandmagee, County Antrim reopened to the public in 2015.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has spent about £4.3m since 2017 on repairs to the path, which has faced prolonged closures due to rockfalls, storm damage, planned works and inspections.

A Scottish based company that offers tours of Northern Ireland said while they promote the Gobbins on their website, they haven't included it on tours due to its "unreliable" opening.

Heather Rennie-McGill, director of marketing and sales at Rabbie's, said the Gobbins has "real potential" as a "unique attraction".

"If we're selling tours six to 12 months out for customers, and something like this would be a key highlight because the tour lasts two-and-a-half to three hours which is a big chunk of a day, we'd need reliability," she said.

"We can't include things in our itineraries where it would be taken out at the last minute."

Now if you want decent catering...

https://jidelnivozy.cz/menu/index.html

There is a slightly different menu for the conventional loco hauled trains which has an excellent roasted ham with 3 or 4 fried eggs on top and some bread to soak up the yolk with, 119 kč or a tad over £4.

I try not to eat out too often.

Recommended 2 course dinner is the guláš polévka with the veal, gorgeous! To drink there's a craft beer from Chroust brewery, proper Bud or draught Pilsner Urquell. And if in first class, all done from your seat, the first class host regularly walks through the coach.

And perhaps as a consequence.....what a pleasant experience this will be......

12:02 London Paddington to Penzance due 17:05
Facilities on the 12:02 London Paddington to Penzance due 17:05.

Service full and standing from London Paddington.

I can - the same reason that you'd expect to retain your job after admitting that law breaking....

One delivery had been made to a customs secured site, awaiting payment - which I guess has now been made since legislation has completed

Doubts have been raised as to the availability of suitable and sufficient coke to run the blast furnaces.
Whilst HMG have guaranteed payment for the fuel, that does not ensure physical availability.
I doubt that coke already in transit in russian or chinese ships will be available, expect mechanical breakdowns, delays, diversion to other ports or non compliant paperwork.
Air freight might even have to be used.

19:43 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25

19:43 Swindon to Westbury due 20:25 will be cancelled.
This is due to a shortage of train crew.
Further Information

If you arrive at your destination 15 or more minutes late because your GWR train was delayed or cancelled, you can claim Delay Repay compensation. Please keep your ticket and visit GWR.com/DelayRepay
Last Updated:13/04/2025 17:45

That is not grahame: I know, because the front shirt tails are tucked into the waistband.  Graham never does that.