2017 Predictions

[cactustwirly]

Apologies and thanks in advance to those mentioned.

Fishquinn, having read my fantastic series of Welsh trip reports (which I will finish), will decide to go to North Wales himself - only without using any Voyagers. He will go missing for several months, but will eventually be found in August crying himself to sleep at the Costa in Conwy High Street. He will reveal that he accidentally boarded a Super Voyager in Crewe and became locked in the toilet.

A new account is created by someone who asks 'what is this railside plaque with the switch on it'? Railsigns will have a nervous breakdown, and will be forced to wander the streets, screaming at random objects the words "IT'S A DATUM PLATE!!!!"

Aston Villa won't get relegated, but won't be promoted either. Nobody will mind, as long as they're doing better than Birmingham. However, both 96tommy and I will be forced to cry in a corner when Gary Mills, having loaned away every single player who was on the books when McNamara was manager, realises too late in May that Jon Parkin alone isn't enough to stave off relegation, even when Guiseley are involved.

Brexit will happen, though a few posters will be 'surprised' when they discover that negotiations didn't go quite go to plan. (The General Discussion Forum will be reduced to just Steveman and ArcticTroll shouting at each other.) Anyway, the results of the vote will be disastrous for the UK - though they won't be the worst thing of the year by far because: Trump.

Oh, and Nigel Farage will move to California, Boris Johnson will resign, David Davis will be sacked, Star Wars VIII will be great (though there'll be protests that it's anti-Trump in some corners), more famous people will die, the Greens will poll at a record high, and, oh, Labour will be reduced to fourth in the country overall. It'll be a strange year.

That is all.

Haha! Brilliant prediction about fishquinn!

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[backontrack]

Haha! Brilliant prediction about fishquinn!

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Thanks! Here are some more assorted ones;

The introduction of loco-hauled trains between Newcastle and Liverpool will mean that all activity on this forum will stop for a fortnight.

DasLunatic will start a national campaign for all rail stations to have multilingual signage in English, Welsh, Polish, Czech and Danish.

Low Moor will not be opened until late in the year.

Birmingham's tram extension to Centenary Square will still not be finished by the end of the year.

A series of letters to yorkie will be discovered, from an address somewhere in North Wales.

 

[Class 66's]

Another year will pass, and my local photting spots still won't be unencumbered by wire. My end of the Midland Mainline will be as quiet, or quieter than ever, and Sharnbrook Tunnel won't have gone back to double track formation.

I will still have DOO arguments with my mother at the dinner table.

 

[Kite159]

There will be several threads about a certain TOC operating from Brighton again, plus Nottingham to Glasgow via the S&C

 

[43021HST]

I reckon this forum will have a rash of threads talking about such inane details like pacer door buttons, voyager septic tanks and top 10 seat moquettes of the last 15 years.

On a serious note I reckon Chiltern trains will announce plans to withdraw their Class 121s.

 

[43074]

- Electrification of the MML North of Kettering will be quietly dropped, as will electrification to Windermere and the rest of NR's Northern Project
- A new fleet of 707s will replace the 455s & 456s on South Western inners in the new franchise
- 315s will end up on the GOBLIN as an interim measure until the 710s arrive
- Months of industrial action on Northern over the very same issue as the current Southern dispute, with the unions losing the Southern battle but coming off better on Northern
- At least one, if not more, of the more recently awarded franchises will end up in financial trouble.
- The Wales and Borders franchise will be barmy as a result of the Welsh Government's incompetence with regards to 2020 compliance, meaning 67s & 442s everywhere and D-trains invading the valleys

- Incompetant politicians and civil servants will continue to try to run the railway instead of actual railwaymen (ditto the education system and teachers, and healthcare and doctors etc etc) and will continue to wonder why this country is in the state it's in
- 2017 will be 2016 on steroids in terms of politics, conflict and international relations

 

[Busaholic]

Sir Peter Hendy made a lord and becomes a Transport Minister in that house. He quickly supersedes the lamentable Grayling when journalists, politicians etc want answers on public transport matters, particularly railways, and takes charge of the renewed talks between Southern and the rail unions, making clear a solution WILL be reached within a reasonable time period, and there will be serious financial and other consequences for either party should they be seen as the one impeding a solution.

 

[route:oxford]

My predictions for the two parts of the country I know well...

Scotland

Abellio to terminate their contract late-March citing irreconcilable differences with the Scottish Goverment. Subsequent, much contested FOI requests, identify that compensation was paid to Abellio.

Early celebrations by the pro-nationalisation lobby turn sour quickly. Nature abhors a vacuum, and so does a blame culture. With the Scottish Goverment unable to blame Abellio and unwilling to take self-responsibility, they focus on the rail unions with understandable consequences for employee relations and inevitable industrial action just as the May local elections are taking place.

Oxfordshire

Not worth predicting really. Things take so long, you might as well make predictions for 2027.

 

[deltic]

Reading the 2016 prediction thread I will be looking carefully at Stow and BEstwestern's predictions!

 

[yorksrob]

I reckon this forum will have a rash of threads talking about such inane details like pacer door buttons, voyager septic tanks and top 10 seat moquettes of the
last 15 years.

On a serious note I reckon Chiltern trains will announce plans to withdraw their Class 121s.

There's nothing inane about moquette.

 

[infobleep]

Govia will continue to amaze the entire world by introducing fully driverless train operation by the end of the year, having beaten expert predictions suggesting it could take 15-20 years.

Of course, pedants will argue that simply not running the trains because of the lack of a driver isn't what people actually meant when talking about driverless trains.

Like! Lol

 

[infobleep]

Sir Peter Hendy made a lord and becomes a Transport Minister in that house. He quickly supersedes the lamentable Grayling when journalists, politicians etc want answers on public transport matters, particularly railways, and takes charge of the renewed talks between Southern and the rail unions, making clear a solution WILL be reached within a reasonable time period, and there will be serious financial and other consequences for either party should they be seen as the one impeding a solution.

But its not the government's job to get involved between a private company and unions or was that just Mr Grayling. Maybe he's lazy.

On a separate more relevant point. Some tweeter users will complain about the lack of a decent morning peak service between Guildford and Epsom / Leatherhead. Eventually because of the lack of available drivers at Southern carries on for so long, the tweeter users, if they ever even knew this, will forget Southern ran services and simply blame South West Trains for not being able to provide the trains from Guildford.

 

[Bevan Price]

And one prediction for circa 2027.

Androids based on the prototype, Lieutenant Commander Data (Star Trek), are being tested as potential replacements for all human rail staff. Preliminary tests looked promising, but their tendency to eradicate terrorist suspects without trial was being heavily criticised by the sole surviving national newspaper.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Ilkeston Railway station opening delayed by up to three years after half dead newt found 500m away on approach road - European Commission Bio Protection and Diversity sub committee to launch enquiry.

 

[70014IronDuke]

I also predict a Mail on Line headline relating to a station somewhere near you

Exclusive! - 105-year old pensioner left on railway platform after he failed to board train

"Shortly before the train arrived, the announcer said: 'keep well away from the platform edge' - so what was I supposed to do?" Seth Plumpton, a retired brewery worker told the Mail, still sobbing, despite rail workers having provided tea and biscuits to calm him down.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I also predict a Mail on Line headline relating to a station somewhere near you

Exclusive! - 105-year old pensioner left on railway platform after he failed to board train

"Shortly before the train arrived, the announcer said: 'keep well away from the platform edge' - so what was I supposed to do?" Seth Plumpton, a retired brewery worker told the Mail, still sobbing, despite rail workers having provided tea and biscuits to calm him down.

I would add to this prediction that it will occur at either Reddish South or Denton.

 

[Class 319]

Tri-mode 319s
My evening peak thameslink train will turn up late at least 40 times this year
315s on the GOBLIN

 

[3141]

Frequent on-board announcements "Please keep your possessions with you at all times" will lead to the introduction of ladders so that passengers unable to sit down because someone's got their bag on every adjacent seat will be able to climb up and lie on the luggage rack instead.

 

[berwicksfinest]

Colas to swallow whats left of DBC

 

[Bishopstone]

People will continue to lament Government meddling in the affairs of the railway, except where it concerns some triviality on their local line, where the Government must step-in immediately with a bucket of cash and an instant solution.

 

[KashmireHawker]

I only have one: London Midland to lose the West Midlands Franchise! The bid by Abellio / 2 Japanese Companies will hopefully seem a lot more competent than Govia...

 

[Bletchleyite]

FLIRTs for the WCML semi fast service? Would be welcome...


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[43021HST]

There's nothing inane about moquette.

To be fair when you do 3D modelling like I do, you find you end up getting a bit anal over things like seat moquettes and correct railway fonts, anyway.

 

[dangie]

I only have one: London Midland to lose the West Midlands Franchise!

Is that a prediction or a wish....... ??

 

[The Planner]

I only have one: London Midland to lose the West Midlands Franchise! The bid by Abellio / 2 Japanese Companies will hopefully seem a lot more competent than Govia...

Unless the Dft give it back to them for not throwing the keys back for Southern.

 

[clc]

The US will annexe Scotland to prevent wind farms being built near the president's golf courses.

The good news is that Turnberry and Menie will get rail links.

 

[KashmireHawker]

Is that a prediction or a wish....... ??

Both; even though it's a battle of the best of the worst TOC's in the United Kingdom, the influence of the 2 Japanese firms I hope and believe will help Abellio's bid. Bullet trains from Birmingham - Liverpool would be a nice start!

 

[yorksrob]

To be fair when you do 3D modelling like I do, you find you end up getting a bit anal over things like seat moquettes and correct railway fonts, anyway.

I know. I hate it when I see a train on the television and it has the wrong moquette

 

[sd0733]

Both; even though it's a battle of the best of the worst TOC's in the United Kingdom, the influence of the 2 Japanese firms I hope and believe will help Abellio's bid. Bullet trains from Birmingham - Liverpool would be a nice start!

No idea if it's true, but had a Siemens staff telling us the other day that someone has been pricing up 6-car desiros to replace some/all of the 350/2s. Apparently the 350/2s cost 60p a mile in leasing charges per 4 car whereas a 6 car new generation one would cost 30p.
Not sure which bidder or if both, could be utter rubbish but does sound kind of feasible.

 

[bicbasher]

Realistic predictions:

Chris Grayling resigns or is sacked.

GTR Southern strikes will carry on throughout the year which leads to guards being maintained on other Govia TOC's for now.

London Bridge works are on schedule.


Off the wall predictions:

ELL New Cross branch services reduced to 2tph to allow LO to have 6tph to Crystal Palace, especially during Southern ASLEF driver strikes.

Southern is removed from the TSGN franchise and put into public ownership. Metro is sub-contracted to TfL with Arriva Rail London operating the concession.

McDonalds opens in the London Bridge concourse.

Huw, the Southern Twitter social media jockey finally gets a break!