No, the Majority of trains in the Company I work for are Diesel. I think we actually leak more fuel than we burn

Leaks - on older trains sent out rear ,about head height to persons on track( that's why on track staff turn away/duck when a train passes by). More modern ones splash it on track,(from underneath) the tell tale sign is a bit of white mulch on the sleepers.

Propulsion units are diesel /electric. Diesel engine drives alternator/generator ( depending on age of unit) .Negates the need for Aurics to be trained as bus drivers with an auto gearbox and throttle .Alternator/generator drives electric motor to power wheels .

Matt they have already took money from the NHS. I'm not saying that it is this Goverment the others would be the same. You cannot say that putting Fags up by 37pence per packet is going to make more TAX. If they do not want people to smoke BAN it. How many people buy boot leg fags NO TAX there. I guess more people will now. I foresee BOOZE CRUISES coming back, Oh no TAX there either then.

My favourite saying that the Goverment keeps spouting is (that we are all in this together) how does this work they do not pay for fuel, they are allowed to smoke in their Bar Oh drinks are discounted also.

OK, i`m not really understanding where you see the money coming from to replace the tax lost if they lower fuel in your reply? Or am I being blind?

61% have voted to strike!

Brace yourself guys - it's gonna get rocky!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17512729

Their cut? The leaders keeping their well paid jobs come elections which isn't this year election time for most of the unions boards by members?

What cut?

61% have voted to strike!

Brace yourself guys - it's gonna get rocky!

http://www.bbc.co.uk...siness-17512729

Well theres a surprise!.

Apparently £45000-00 a year is not a fair wage.

Cuffin "ell thats more than me.

Only just!!

I did not notice any 'panic buying' in Liverpool today.Might change when the strike date is announced.

The strike is over pay, conditions and safety apparently, not about the price of fuel, the only people who get hurt when there is a fuel blockade are normal people ...you know the ones who are complaining about the price now.

A blockade will do nothing to bring down the price of fuel.....everyone will still try to buy the same amount they did before, the government will still get the same amount of tax, the only way to bring the price down is to use less and that is very unlikely to happen.

next argument is for the government to lower the tax on fuel.....what would you like them to tax to make up the loss.....insurance, road fund tax, food.......

trouble is there is the same amount of fuel and each day more people want their share....up and coming countries want more .....supply and demand the more the need the higher the price, and it is going to go a LOT higher yet

Only just!!

Now Now Graham

Now Now Graham

Don't worry, I've just applied for a transfer to the ERTMS box at Machynlleth, so I'll be earning nearly as much as you!

Hopwood services seemed to have a lot of pumps out but when I asked if they were running low of fuel the attendant said "what, at these prices"!

Apparently DHL (the German Forwarder) and Suckling Transport, who has about 60 tanker ie about 3% of the tankers in the UK voted against the strike but one of the other general hauliers said it would be unlikely that those drivers would cross picket lines.

Must go fill up the motorbikes as well as the Jerry cans and learn how to do this expansion tank filling. How do you get it too allow the fuel filling nozzle to access the expansion tank and presumably one should only add an extra gallon rather than 2 just in case the fuel does expand and pushes out and gets wasted?

I went to fill up at Tesco. At the time I went it is normally empty, but today there were long queues. Some of the pumps were already dry. Car was almost empty, so I had no option but to wait.

People are nuts. A woman in a supercharged V8 range rover filled up and managed to get just 12l in. One of the guys in the kiosk said they "had to keep a lookout for customers with inappropriate containers such as BUCKETS." I thought he was joking but apparently not.

I went to fill up at Tesco. At the time I went it is normally empty, but today there were long queues. Some of the pumps were already dry. Car was almost empty, so I had no option but to wait.

People are nuts. A woman in a supercharged V8 range rover filled up and managed to get just 12l in. One of the guys in the kiosk said they "had to keep a lookout for customers with inappropriate containers such as BUCKETS." I thought he was joking but apparently not.

Last time one of the Birmingham taxi drivers had hundreds of litres stored in his home in ordinary plastic water containers, there was fire and his house was burnt to the ground.....

Striking over pay and conditions and they're on an average of £45,000? They can all get funked!

Striking over pay and conditions and they're on an average of £45,000? They can all get funked!

I think that comment will be quite common from the general public.

So many people are struggling on much less, they are not likely to feel very sympathetic.

But I guess at the end of the day they are striking for themselves, not to win public support.

The results for the 7 companies were:

• Turners 94% in favour (on 82% turnout)
  
• Norberts 75% in favour (on 71% turnout)
  
• Wincanton 68% in favour (72% turnout)
  
• BP 60% in favour (85% turnout)
  
• Hoyer 60% in favour (80% turnout)
  

DHL voted against strike action but voted in favour of action short of a strike, as did Suckling.

The firms deliver fuel for about 11 oil companies supplying forecourts across the UK. Strike action could hit the petrol pumps of household names such Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, BP, Esso and Shell, as well as airports.

The union says that employers have been cutting drivers’ terms and conditions and cutting corners on training and safety in a bid to win contracts. Unite national officer, Matt Draper, said: “The professionalism of tanker drivers is at stake. We should not accept a lowering of standards so that the oil companies can maximise their profits."

I'm surprised that is no fuel protest in conjunction with this....

Last time one of the Birmingham taxi drivers had hundreds of litres stored in his home in ordinary plastic water containers, there was fire and his house was burnt to the ground.....

Well deserved IMO! Fool, he's lucky no one was hurt!

I think that comment will be quite common from the general public.

So many people are struggling on much less, they are not likely to feel very sympathetic.

But I guess at the end of the day they are striking for themselves, not to win public support.

For sure. Perhaps like me they would prefer to try around £60 p week working tax support and the vast amount of applied application effort week in week out to either just mostly disappear into the business ether or sporadically sustain continued rejection. Think again guys!!

As far as I can tell they haven't set a date for the strike so all these people filling up will have emptied their tanks before it happens.Bloody media are trying to brew up a story by creating some panic.

Edited 27 March, 201214 yr by Aspman

As far as I can tell they haven't set a date for the strike so all these people filling up will have emptied their tanks before it happens.Bloody media are trying to brew up a story by creating some panic.

Perhaps it may just be an interwoven conspiracy to induce panic buying and in the process drive up sales even further. As in blackadder "I think I have a cunning plan my lord".

Anyway must dash to join the 1km queue developing at the local station!

My local garage had a queue yesterday morning- nearly ran into the queue on the road which formed suddenly in front of me.

Radio Derby is whipping the locals up into a frenzy by reminding people three times in ten minutes how bad it was in 2000.

Edited 27 March, 201214 yr by gregoir

Striking over pay and conditions and they're on an average of £45,000? They can all get funked!

I'd rather they got unemployed and their jobs given to other people willing to not take the p*ss.

I did not notice any 'panic buying' in Liverpool today.Might change when the strike date is announced.

Have just seen the first petrol station that has run out of fuel.Just around the corner from me is an Esso station,to be fair its only a small affair on the ultra busy ring road in Liverpool so its no surprise its one of the first to run out.