Is Royal Mail quitting rail after 194 years? Royal Mail announces that it will scrap its trains, but tells us it will continue to use rail services. The question is… how much?
Louise Haigh becomes Transport Secretary and Lord Peter Hendy is appointed a Minister at the Department for Transport. We examine their in-trays and key priorities.
Richard gets to go underground in the Severn Tunnel on a very special trip to find out about major track renewals through this monster of a tunnel.
And the brand-new Northumberland Line fares are announced – with some brilliant offers!
Credits:
Pictures and footage used in this episode were provided by Creative Commons License (The Basingstoker), Northern, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and by Open Government License.
In this episode:
00:00 Intro
03:07 Royal Mail quits rail?
12:21 Railway news round-up
12:39 LNER bonus payments to managers
14:15 Liverpool Baltic Station
15:49 Railway vandalism in Sileby
16:41 Tyne & Wear Metro completes first daytime run of new rolling stock
17:31 Severn Tunnel visit
33:19 General Election result
41:20 Louise Haigh and Peter Hendy’s in-trays and priorities
59:47 The Quiz
01:02:35 Northumberland Line fares
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Credits:
Presenters – Nigel Harris (@railnigel on X) & Richard Bowker CBE (@SRichardBowker). General Manager: Stef Foster (@stefatrail)
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Thank you for another very interesting and insightful episode!
Another enlightening and fascinating episode, really interesting to see the Severn Tunnel close up, and on the more important topic of Labour's approach, let's hope they can translate their words into actions pretty quickly. They could do far worse than listening to you two! Cheers, Rob
This channel came up in my feed for the first time and I have subscribed. Y Rhath (Cardiff).
I am half way through and have ticked the like and I am typing a comment: Fascinating and $%^&^ ludicrous. I am referring to the sections on the Severn Tunnel and the Mail Trains.
[Rant begin] We have just scrapped a fleet of 365 units on which the Mail fleet was derived, surely enough spares for years to come. EV's are not used on the long runs that the trains currently do so this is more diesel trucks on the road, the mention of EV's by the mail is just a red herring. And while I am ranting, which "Royal" family will actually own it, a middle eastern one!!! [Rant End]
Great really enjoyed the show once again. I was however surprised that you didn't mention in your news item that Scotrail have cut 600 services from their timetable. Has change of leadership in Scotland exacerbated this situation with the drivers?
knots or nots?
Been listening to the audio version since day one. This was my first video viewing, what a great one to be greeted with! The Seven tunnel footage was fascinating. Great episode as always.
why don't royal mail give VARIMIS a call im sure hr could manage another 3% in his half empty 321s i know he has 4 sets
im sure he would love the extra work he already delivers parcels from Mossend to birmingham on a daily basis
just a thought lads . thamks for all the info , great show take care a t b syd👍
man im late again. looking forward to hearing what you guys have to say
First time I've come across this channel – impressed. For a future feature why not ask Transport Scotland what rolling stock they are going to use come next year to operate services on the newly electrified East Kilbride to Glasgow route. Transport Scotland haven't ordered any new rolling stock (too late now anyway) and there ain't any spare EMU's in Scotland right now.
Hang on, the 325s were parked once in the past!
Point of information: Daresbury is pronounced 'DARS' not 'DARES' – bury.
Great podcast I am one of the metro future specialists that are do the testing on the new 555s when do you think you will be coming up I will try and get you on the train for a look around
Cheers Doug
Royal Mail boast on the side of their HGVs they deliver 16 BILLION items every year. 3% of 16 Billion is one heck of a lot of items. It’s a scandal that RM are doing this again, like they didn’t about 25 years ago.
Thanks!
Royal Mail is a grubby road services company now owned by International Distribution Services
Royal Mail is not a public service it is now a commercial company in competition with other grubby postal services, e.g., UPS
here in South Australia boys…
Liverpool Baltic – "A historic industrial area, it has numerous maritime connections, getting its name from the many companies based in the area which trade with the Baltic countries."
Still loving the podcast, the time, effort and dedication which goes into these each week and not forgetting the specials which all makes for great listening, the kids at home are fed up of me putting Green signals on so that must be a sign your are doing a great job!
The modal shift of postal service will remain a political issue.
Hi Green Signals folks! Tuning in (so to speak) from Perth in Western Australia. Will be heading back to the UK shortly to partake in the first visit of a Class 40 to Skegness in 40 years! Maybe see you on the train Richard, given your avid Whistler enthusiasm?
Is there something wrong with trying to maintain a railway in a river?
If a coal mine comes up against an impossible geographical fault, the mine is abandoned and another one is opened somewhere else!
Love your comments about the election results. The political situation is the root cause of the chaos with the management of transport and the modal shift.
Fascinating article on the Severn Tunnel. Bravo 👏🏻
Thanks
Thanks!
Great discussion. Gone are the days when inter-city trains had brake coaches where mail sacks could be stowed. That enabled the obvious practice of carrying passengers and mail at the same time. Maybe one day that simple concept will be reinvented??
The incumbent Labour Government needs a long term energy plan that includes the utilites, roads and railways. Ernie Marples had one that is now not fit for purpose, so a new plan is required to reduce energy and congestion.
I don't think it's valid to say what would have been the result had this election been under PR instead of FPTP. Many (including me) were forced to vote tactically under FPTP to try to oust safe-seat conservatives.
I voted Labour whereas my sympathies are with Lib Dem, so under PR I'd have voted for them, not Labour.
Power lines and overhead line equipment are common in beautiful Swiss countryside. Similarly, they should not be an issue in the UK. Just make them as light and attractive as possible. Making unearned income out of owning land are often the main opponents, similar to those trying to jack up the income for siting windfarms and the old aristo landowners against railways.
Thanks! I've been actively spreading the good word to my rail friends
Is it me! but when the Post Office finished with TPO, the service to the customer became less reliable. For example, today was 8 days for a letter to travel 8 miles after posting originally in London then road to Stamford Bridge.
Thanks from us all at The Independent Brigg Line Rail Group.
Sir Peter Hendy needs to spend as much time out of the office and visiting the railway network and communities, don't get into the comfort zone, visit places on forgotten lines and communities.
Fabulous inside look to the Severn Tunnel works! However, as somebody living in Newport, we lose 3 trains an hour between Bristol and Cardiff during these closures as the Cardiff-Taunton's, Cardiff-Portsmouth's and weekday daytime Cardiff-London's all get cancelled this side of the bridge with no capacity replacement, and with the lack of road provision the XC Cardiff-Nottingham services and TfW Cardiff-Cheltenham's are suggested as alternative services to get people to Bristol (change at Gloucester), increasing how busy these services are. The Gloucester route has had trouble this week with axle counter failures and there's been numerous earthwork issues over the past few years, the route isn't really a reliable diversion as it stands. Many trains have been severely delayed. I feel the TOCs need to come up with a better plan to manage demand during these periods, especially when it goes on for over 2 weeks (and it's shut again over the weekend of 27/28 July!).
So the bar that supplies the power vice wires does the bar zig and zag like the wires or is it mitigated by a low carbon abrasion on the pantograph? As the wire drifts over the whole Pan head, whereas does the bar do the same or not needed is my question. Many thanks if you know the answer?
I can't believe these videos are over an hour long – the time just flies by.
Excellent editing on the Severn tunnel item. You captured everything perfectly on this once in a decade event.
Could you do a similar item on the Royal Albert Bridge over the Tamar.
Great show and the quiz is a bit of a tricky one this week
Royal Mail will deliver mail using drones that look like helly-copters.
Thank you so much for your weekly bulletins. So full of informative content and rail news that I would otherwise not be aware of. Embarking on a Saturday,14 hour day time rail journey from Royston to Thurso with 4 changes of train, hoping all connections will go smoothly.
There are so many arguments that rail, rail freight and mail transportation should be nationalised and run on a not for profit basis.
Royal mail Transportation need discussion with the new Labour government,
We need more bus rail coach ferry integration lord peter Hendy the right man for this in England
I listen from Sunny Southern Ontario, and I really enjoy catching up on railway chat. Frankly, I thought they had already stopped using rail for mail.