Not just call centres

I'm amused by this story.

Railways bosses have drafted in engineers from India to work on five Victorian signal boxes in Stockport.

Twelve men have been flown in to make sure refitting work is finished on time.

Network Rail says there are not enough British workers to do the job. And the Indians are particularly well qualified because railways there still rely heavily on Victorian signal boxes built by the British.

Perhaps we should get some WP class streamlined pacifics to pull the trains, instead of the Pendolinos?

The signal boxes in the Stockport area were an anachonism in the 70s. While much of the newly-electrified West Coast Mainline got shiny new power boxes with state-of-the-art 1960s panels, in Stockport they just connected up the new colour light signals to the old Victorian lever frames. They even retained mechanical worked points! Where else in the country is a four track main line still operated by absolute block?