Archive | April, 2007

Where have all the pennies gone?

TweetApparently Britain is missing 6,500 million pennies. That’s £65 million. This, while the Royal Mint are designing a new penny to be introduced in the coming year. The portcullis does not represent ‘modern Britain’ any more [like it did in 1971?]. I wonder what we’ll get instead? A white shell-suit? A pimped-up car? A Sky [...]

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"Real benefits"

TweetFGW boss Alison Forster said in an announcement on 20 April that: Customers will see real benefits soon I dread to think of the reality of the benefits FGW will offer. Not to travel by train perhaps? She also said that last year was an “enormous challenge” for the rail company. How hard is it [...]

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Ask a silly question… about the railways

TweetHere are parliamentary written answers to questions about the 1000 extra carriages promised by the government (at some point), posed by my MP Robert Key. Published on 24 April 2007. Q: Robert Key (Salisbury, Conservative) To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the additional 1,000 new railway carriages recently announced will be allocated [...]

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Our FGW consumer champion

TweetThis is what our First Great Western ‘consumer champion’ Charles Howeson had to say about the company: The company has recognised the problems experienced by its customers and is working hard to address those within its control, however, unfortunately, many are not of its making, and in addition it has to cope with some unique [...]

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Google maps directions: swim

Google maps directions: swim

Tweet I have recently returned from the USA. While I was there I wanted to find out how many miles I had travelled. I duly went to Google Maps and found out: approximately 3,500 miles between Salisbury (home) and New Jersey (first port of call). What I didn’t expect were the precise directions: 12. Slight [...]

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Wiltshire needs to put pressure on FGW

TweetThis article discusses the problems with transport links within Wiltshire and the reduction in services (7387 fewer passengers to be served by 2008 – and this is written into the franchise). In addition there will be no future support for services linking Westbury and Salisbury and this, in addition to the already severely cut, almost [...]

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Government response to train petition

TweetI am most disappointed at the tone and essence of the response received to the petition made to 10 Downing Street regarding the drastic cuts made by First Great Western to services in the Wessex region. It was empty of even hypothetical commitment to this regional service. The response was received 30 March.

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