Leaves on the line machine

One of Network Rail's rail cleaning machines trundled through Faversham station this morning. It obviously doesn't have self-cleaning capabilities and the declaration on the cabside - "clearing Britain's railways" - is suprisingly difficult to read.

Fortunately our train to Ramsgate was clean and on time. Railways are wonderful when they work aren't they?

By the way, tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of John Major's Government breaking up the rail network into 'franchises'. A desperately expensive decision for all of us both in cash terms and lives lost in the early days of Railtrack.