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  1. M

    HS2 update Transport Select Committee 10/1/24

    If risk is transferred to the private sector, the contractor guesses their risk exposure and prices it in, and possibly hedges some of it. In this case, I'd imagine all of tier-1 contractors would not have hedged enough for the combined effect of inflation, the Ukrainian war and Brexit and be...
  2. M

    HS2 TBM Progress

    I'm doubtful that any member of the government is going to be keen to do that photoshoot - or be particularly welcome on site if they did.
  3. M

    London's Worst Station

    FPK has seen a few improvements over the last few years, but none of these were holistic solutions to the ills of the station. There are now lifts to all platforms, and part of the original concourse has opened as a tunnel at street level. The lack of gates previously made it an attractive...
  4. M

    London's Worst Station

    It kind of is - particularly Essex Road and Old Street stations (Moorgate got retiled a few years back). Just not the type of heritage anyone is clamouring to keep.
  5. M

    RAAC Concrete - Any rail infrastructure affected?

    It seems that the standard CLASP system had timber roof and floor decks up to Mk4 of the system, and Mk5 (from late 70's onwards) used pre-cast concrete panels. The floor and roof decks bolted together and to the frame to form a diaphragm, forming an intrinsic part of the structural integrity...
  6. M

    HS2 TBM Progress

    From the Guardian Article, we note that NIMBYs are out in force. “We have been predicting that something like this would happen for the last 10 years,” Jennings said. “We have been giving a consistent message to HS2: ‘Don’t tunnel through chalk, it’s unstable.” Is chalk inherently less stable...
  7. M

    Generator vans - pros and cons

    With an Absorption chiller. These are common enough in co-generation plants (in large buildings, particularly hospitals). They can use low-grade waste heat to drive a cooling cycle. Both steam and diesel locomotives have plenty of waste heat that would otherwise get vented to the atmosphere.
  8. M

    TRIVIA: Stations (and other transport hubs) with chapels or multi-faith prayer rooms

    London's Temple of Mithras is right next to the Bank station entrance on Walbrook
  9. M

    Escalators: why not wider?

    Making the a shaft a third bigger to accommodate a fourth escalate increases the volume needing to be excavated by a little more than 1.75 times. Building another escalator shaft - at twice the volume - now looks attractive as it can hold another three escalators. 1669248461
  10. M

    HS2 construction updates

    Indeed, but there are people out there - such as Chris Packham, willing to clutch at more straws than an onanising scarecrow. They'll no doubt continue until the project is complete. It will be fascinating to see whether they make use of the new services. If the government is serious about...
  11. M

    SSP

    SSP.... Eggs and baskets spring to mind. Perhaps not the winning business model it once was.
  12. M

    TBM Cost per mile?

    it surely depends on the geology the tunnel passes though. In London is either clay or chalk, which is fairly soft. The Pennines might be a different matter.
  13. M

    C4 Dispatches: Investigation reveals number of 'ghost trains' lying idle in Britain

    Did they get the RMT union to provide the 'balancing' viewpoint as the BBC aways does?
  14. M

    C4 Dispatches: Investigation reveals number of 'ghost trains' lying idle in Britain

    "At a time of rising fares and growing passenger dissatisfaction, an investigation has revealed that thousands of unused trains are standing idle in rail sidings and depots across the country. According to industry experts, the unused “ghost trains” worth at least £3bn and containing over...
  15. M

    Quality of home broadband vs business broadband

    This speaks volumes about your employer rather than anything else.
  16. M

    Quality of home broadband vs business broadband

    Mod - split from this thread (https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/coronavirus-what-impact-might-it-have-on-the-railways.202196/). Yep. The bottom-feeding end of the consumer broadband industry is ruthlessly competitive. Customer support is one way they save costs (no doubt very busy with...
  17. M

    Coronavirus: what impact might it have on the railways?

    I'm sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong - but don't franchises usually have a bond specifically for the liability they are carrying with season tickets - to prevent the revenue from them propping them up, but leaving whoever takes over with a huge black-hole?
  18. M

    State rail operator hunts for staff to run failing routes

    One or two S-bahn or rural lines at a time, with pretty much guaranteed litigation from Deutsche Bahn when they lose one. They're more like operating concession AFAIK let by the passenger-travel organisation, subsidised by state and/or city government.
  19. M

    Class 810 for East Midlands Railway Construction/Introduction Updates

    Apologies for going OT, do you have any links for a proposed Leicester remodelling? I'm interested to know which services would be using the flyover (EMR or XC?). Try the Network Rail East Midlands Route Study, Page 61...
  20. M

    GN Class 717

    The rails, i'd imagine - which will the ground potential for any other exposed metal part of the train. Naturally, this may be some way off actual ground potential measured somewhere else - for instance, a grounding spike near the tracks - but it does't matter as a passenger is never going to...

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