And today's bumper bundle...
All of these are 2 coaches instead of 5.

The personal story of someone who was on the train ...

https://transitsleuth.com/2017/12/21/the-story-on-amtrak-cascades-train-501-derailment/amp/

Long piece - but worth taking the time to read to learn how things panned out ...

Bit sad to be looking at OTT^▸ (Open Train Times website) when I probably should be peeling potatoes or generally doing something useful. 

Fixed that for ya. 

http://www.visitlittlehampton.co.uk/things-to-do/the-long-bench/

Train stations in Scotland’s biggest cities are to provide free sanitary products for female passengers after a plea from a campaigning MSP^▸ (Member of Scottish Parliament).

Labour’s Monica Lennon said she was “delighted” station managers for Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley had agreed to take the step.

Ms Lennon has recently consulted on a proposed member’s bill that would place a legal duty on Scottish ministers to ensure there is free access to sanitary products in Scotland, including in schools, colleges and universities.

She wrote to Alex Hynes, the managing director of the ScotRail Alliance, which includes Network Rail, urging action to provide free sanitary products.

It emerged earlier this month that machines at Edinburgh Waverley charge £3 for a packet of four tampons while toilets at Glasgow Central do not provide any access to sanitary products.

In correspondence Network Rail said it was “delighted to confirm” it could support Ms Lennon’s request and was looking into how soon free provision could be rolled out.

The MSP said: “This is an excellent victory for the campaign to end period poverty.

“Access to sanitary products in everyday settings is vital, especially as the onset of periods can be unpredictable.

“Keeping safe and healthy during menstruation is as much an issue of public health as it is about ensuring the rights and dignity of individuals. Sanitary protection should be no less available than toilet roll in public bathrooms.

“I’m delighted that Network Rail are now committed to implementing this and congratulate them for taking this step.”

A Network Rail spokesman said: “We are currently reviewing the provision of sanitary products at both Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central and plan to introduce machines offering free products at the stations in the near future.”

Prominent businessman guilty in sexual offences trial

Wonder how long it is since an unfitted train ran on BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) tracks.

While the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) railway system persisted until post-nationalisation in 1948 with "unfitted" (discontinuously braked) trains and loose couplings (the final unfitted trains ran in the 1990s) ...

The Friday before Christmas is one of the busiest days of the year for traffic, with drivers being warned to expect long delays. On a normal day, the average person in this country spends an hour a day travelling, with most of their journeys made by car. These charts tell the story of Britain's roads.

1. The vast majority of our journeys are by car

Back in 1952, less than 30% of distance travelled in Britain was by car, van or taxi. 42% was by bus or coach, and 17% by train. As people got richer and cars got cheaper, the picture changed rapidly.

By 1970, three-quarters of all passenger kilometres were by private vehicle. The proportion reached 85% in the late 1980s and has stayed roughly constant since then - as has the total distance driven each year. Travel by bus and coach is in long-term decline, accounting for just 4% of total distance travelled in 2016, a tenth of the figure of the early 1950s. Away from the roads, rail fell to a low of 5% in the mid-1990s but has steadily increased - it's 10% now.

The average amount of time each person spends travelling each day is about one hour, and surprisingly this has been fairly constant since the 1960s. But average speeds have increased, especially for rail, so people can go further in the same amount of time. This means people are commuting greater distances, especially in the crowded south-east of England.

T'aint Yeovil Pen Mill.

Scarborough the excursion platform ?.

If GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) had to pull these trains now the timetable would be in serious trouble with HST^▸ (High Speed Train)’s and 180’s leaving the fleet.

Indeed it is.....Fenny Stratford unless I'm very much mistaken.

I wonder what will replace the 150s used on this route next year, assuming they move on to Northern Rail? Some of Vivarail's finest maybe?