Faced with a growing trade deficit, a government deficit that is increasing again, a weak pound and lamentable productivity the Tory government has had to start cutting infrastructure projects.
Actually not. There's a well developed second-hand trade in refurbished or adapted locomotives and occasionally multiple unit sets. For example, in 1966 six 4-car sets and six 3-car sets of London Underground stock built in 1923 were converted for use on the Isle of Wight Line and again in 1989 nine 2-car sets of 1938 London Underground vintage stock was modified, refurbished and also put to use on the Isle of Wight.
Britain is on its way out of Europe - but as the Eurozone and other countries in EU27 continue make quiet progress, investment programmes are afoot right across the continent.
Yesterday, 10th August, 2017, it was announced that the West Midlands Rail Franchise was awarded to Abellio JVRail, a joint venture between Abellio, East Japan Railway Company and Mitsui & Co Ltd. The consortium will trade as West Midlands Trains Ltd. The franchise will start in December 2017 and will finish in March 2026.
It is now 10 years ago - on 1st July, 2007 - that it became illegal to smoke in any pub, restaurant, night club, most work places and most work vehicles in England. This followed earlier bans - on 1st April, 2007 - in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. And in the Republic of Ireland, a similar ban had been brought in three years earlier than that - on 29th March, 2004.
Chargemaster plc, which installs and maintains the Polar network of electric vehicle charging points, supplies electricity and administers a billing system, opened the UK's first multi-brand electric vehicle showroom to the public on Saturday 22 July.