To rescue London from this short-termism, Byford has put forward a deal that would fill the current gap of £500m annually, explaining: If we can fill that gap, we can get back to being self-sufficient by 2023.

"Beyond Hawick to Carlisle, it's going to depend a lot more on the cross-border traffic. Possibly it would be a useful diversionary route if anything happened either on the West Coast route or the East Coast route, but then I suppose it's more difficult to quantify the benefit from that.

But yet his hardnesse savde him not against the piercing dart. For hitting right betweene the scales that yeelded in that part Whereas the joynts doe knit the backe, it thirled through the skin, And pierced to his filthy mawe and greedy guts within.

When it arrived, the train was headed by a K class 4-6-0 wood-burning locomotive, and a water-tank wagon next to the tender was immediately besieged by women and girls, clad in their picturesque national costume, all with empty kerosene tins for water, a scene which was re-enacted at each stop down the line.