Slow Train - Big Society?
14 December 2010
This week I've finalised the manuscript of my new book On the Slow Train Again with my publishers, reflecting an utterly delightful year travelling around some of the most beautiful branch lines in Britain. It will be out next April. However, it concides with a government announcement two days ago about a much reduced spending level for local councils over the coming year. What do councils have to do with railways? Well, not too much if you are are a mainline outfit like Virgin Trains. But at a local level, the community rail officers in councils do an enormous amount of work in publicising vulnerable branch lines and helping keep them afloat with grants to support local user groups and other vital things. At least one of the best of these community officers I know has lost his job because of the cuts. I wonder how many others will follow...
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