Hitler's dream fulfilled - MOD relies upon Deutsches Bahn for transporting - on time, every time.

Brigadier Jeff Mason, DSCOM Director, said today :

"The national railway network is a vital strategic transport asset for MoD. We will take full advantage of it under this contract to continue to move by rail a wide range of armoured vehicles and material. Moving these items by rail saves on road transport costs and exploits MoD's existing rail assets. It also meets the MoD's commitment to greener issues."

Splendid sentiments. The reason for expressing such faith in the " national railway network " ?

The MoD announced today awarding it's £28 million 4 year Strategic Rail Capability and Mainline Rail Freight Services haulage contract contract to EWS - including maintenance of the MoD's wagon fleet.

EWS is the refreshingly and patriotically named railway freight company previously known as BR Freight ( EWS is a contraction and acronym for English Welsh & Scottish Railway Ltd Registered number 2938988. Registered office 310 Goswell Road, London EC1V 7LW ) - which since June is a subsidiary of Deutsches Bahn ...the ...er .. German National Railways.

They also run the Royal Train (whose 2 Royal Class 67 locos (67005 Queen's Messenger/ 67002 Special Delivery ) now run on bio-diesel) - but then they are German ***- and they did get the trains to run on time.

*** Technically the current crop of Royal descendents, night club habitues and demi-mondes should take the name of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg through their father, born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, a line of the House of Oldenburg.