Great Western Failway

Fri 9 Feb 2018, 14:08 (last edited on Fri 9 Feb 2018, 15:16)

Well neither Mr Courts nor Ms Pickup have reported back to us about last night " in spite of all those email addresses they went to such trouble to get hold of. Nor has GWR " though they might be along shortly.

Liz will kill me for doing this. But she's off on constituency work right now, and she hasn't got a government-funded assistant (never mind one here and one in London) to do these things on her behalf. This Forum's Editor is preparing for a short break-one he really deserves after his stunning work for the Deli.

Which leaves me in the embarrassing position of doing Courts' job for him.

Problem: I didn't actually go, because I assumed Liz would cover it all and Liz had to go off to Churchill Parish Council halfway through, so I might be missing a few bits. But no doubt our MP will fill the gaps in eventually. Though he's just about to move house so he might not have much time to spare

GWR said the underlying problem is their decision to put Britain's newest trains (the ones that can run on electrified and non-electrified lines) onto our line. Since they took that decision, they've sold the old trains, but Network Rail's behindhand with electrifying the lines, and therefore hasn't got a spare stretch of track for training drivers for the new trains.

So there really is a shortage of drivers.

Why's Network Rail behindhand with the electrification? Because the government's cut the budget. Why's that? Mr Courts didn't get round to explaining. Do you understand all that? Well, neither did I, quite. But I'm sure GWR will explain. Some time

PS. I hear people are complaining there's too much on this post from Liz supporters.

I take great offence at that: no-one's ever accused me of supporting her. Least of all, Liz. But the solution's in your hands anyway.

If you can't get your elected representative to tell us what he's up to, can't at least one of you have a go?

I've got a living to earn after all ?" and it's not that comfortable looking like the only Courts supporter in the village. Sorry: "in the town"