"Christmas Cheer" Hits Rail Lines

I've always found it curious that the Thatcherite press that so vociferously backed the Tory's dismantling of the nationalised rail industry, (thus destroying public transport) has spent the last ten years blaming the succeeding Labour government for every subsequent failure on the Railways in this country.

I am therefore reluctant to join in the Daily Mail-ish hectoring over the current over-running of track-work following the Christmas shut-down.

However, my suspicions were aroused when the official apologist at National Rail suggested that

"the 'critical issue' was a shortage of specialist engineering staff"

Specialist Engineering Staff? What is that exactly?

Or does he mean that this year's Winter Rail Chaos was a result of "sick leave", where the staff employed to do the work have actually been out getting pissed off their faces over Christmas, and failed to turn up for work in the morning, in the traditional British fashion?

Yes, it's the euphamistic mid-winter lurgy that everyone gets around this time of year.