What is your controversial railway opinion/idea?

[Wilts Wanderer]

First Class should be reservation mandatory, and all Standard reservations should cost £5 except for OAPs and disabled pax who get free reservations by default.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Trapdoor?

Kind of defeats the object! Ejector seat would be far better.

 

[underbank]

Refurbish all 143s and 144s and keep them going beyond 2020 and use them doubled up as preferred stock for a programme of newly opened/re-opened branch lines.

I thought we wanted people to use any newly opened/reopened branch lines!

 

[Malcolmffc]

The McNulty Report reccomendations should be implemented in full

 

[backontrack]

If you need to mention "diversionary resilience" as part of your justification for reopening an old line then you are desperately scrambling around for reasons because you know that your case for reopening the line is pretty tenuous.

As we saw earlier this month on the Brighton Main Line, even when there's a parallel route not far away run by the same TOC operating the same trains, it's easier just to put on replacement bus services.

The idea that we are going to divert long distance services via Okahampton/ Bakewell/ Colne etc is fanciful. If you want to re-open abandoned routes, find a good business case for it on its own merits, good luck with that. But don't pretend that the diversionary usefulness is part of that case - we'll just get a twenty first century equivalent of Fraser Eagle to shuttle passengers by coach if anything goes wrong on the main line.

But nobody's even suggested that here.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

I propose routes should be reopened for Diversionary Resilience.

 

[backontrack]

I propose routes should be reopened for Diversionary Resilience.

I set 'em up, you knock 'em down

#BringBackTheHullAndBarnsley

 

[Darandio]

Steam trains are a waste of valuable metals.

 

[transmanche]

If you need to mention "diversionary resilience" as part of your justification [...]

Now, now. remember the OP said:

No debates allowed, just a straightforward statement of what you think about something railway-related, that is probably not widely shared by others.

 

[backontrack]

You say 'controversial', so let's really put the cat among the pigeons...anyone who writes off a practical and sensible rail reopening suggestion as 'wibble' without civilly explaining why they disagree with it ought to spend their weekend being followed around by a person with a megaphone who shouts 'WIBBLE!' through it every time that that RailUK member utters a sentence. The same applies for straw man arguments and Ad Hominem responses. And then, perhaps, members will start to realise that they can't just shut down people disparagingly while avoiding addressing their arguments.

Too controversial? Not railway-related enough? All right then...HS3 (or HS-TP) is more important than HS2.

 

[bussnapperwm]

HS2 is a waste of taxpayers money. Double deck trains on Chiltern is a better idea

 

[185]

All TOCs & their directors be done for benefit fraud.

*runs for cover*

 

[The Box Photter]

The NRM is the worst museum in the UK. All locos contained therein should be distributed amongst appropriate preserved railways and restored to full working order.
If NRM is to be retained there should be no "interactive" or "child-friendly" exhibits. Perhaps children and families could be banned on specific weekends or weeks so that real enthusiasts might be allowed to appreciate the exhibits free from hindrance.

 

[backontrack]

The NRM is the worst museum in the UK. All locos contained therein should be distributed amongst appropriate preserved railways and restored to full working order.
If NRM is to be retained there should be no "interactive" or "child-friendly" exhibits. Perhaps children and families could be banned on specific weekends or weeks so that real enthusiasts might be allowed to appreciate the exhibits free from hindrance.

What of child enthusiasts visiting with their parents?

 

[dcsprior]

Decriminalise fare evasion, but make the fine for ticketless travel so high (relative to the cost of a ticket) that no-one would chance it.

Split train services into 3 or 4 broad types:
* Local/commuter trains, with zonal fares and touch-in/touch-up charging to contactless
* Intercity, with 2 competing companies per franchise, providing competition to the consumer. Possibly compulsory reservations, but available right up to the point of departure.
* Everything in-between (maybe split into 2 categories)

 

[adrock1976]

Advance fares to be scrapped on local all station stopping services (I would retain the "+ Connections" part to and from Intercity journeys, but with no counted places if that makes sense).

First Class to be only for traditional Intercity, with a national minimum standard for complementary refreshments. I would be willing to have First Class on limited stop services south of the mighty Thames such as London Waterloo - Exeter/Portsmouth/Weymouth, Charing Cross/Victoria/St Pancras to Kent, Victoria/London Bridge to Brighton/Eastbourne/Bognor Regis, again with a national minimum standard for complementary refreshments.

I would also be willing for First Class to be on the limited stop Regional services, again with a national minimum standard of complementary refreshments.

 

[tbtc]

If you need to mention "diversionary resilience" as part of your justification for reopening an old line then you are desperately scrambling around for reasons because you know that your case for reopening the line is pretty tenuous.

As we saw earlier this month on the Brighton Main Line, even when there's a parallel route not far away run by the same TOC operating the same trains, it's easier just to put on replacement bus services.

The idea that we are going to divert long distance services via Okahampton/ Bakewell/ Colne etc is fanciful. If you want to re-open abandoned routes, find a good business case for it on its own merits, good luck with that. But don't pretend that the diversionary usefulness is part of that case - we'll just get a twenty first century equivalent of Fraser Eagle to shuttle passengers by coach if anything goes wrong on the main line.

But nobody's even suggested that here.

I know!

Check back to the start of the thread... the OP said "ust a straightforward statement of what you think about something railway-related, that is probably not widely shared by others" - I gave an example of something railway-related that I think that isn't widely shared by others on the Forum... apologies if this is difficult

Now, now. remember the OP said:

Yes - see above!

(hence the fact that I wasn't quoting anyone else, I was just giving an example of something I think that might be thought of as "controversial" on here)

 

[Bevan Price]

Totally impossible, many will claim it to be unaffordable, but:

National transport policy designed to discourage use of cars and actively encourage use of public transport. So:

Close all car parks in town & city centres; replace them with large park & ride sites at nearest suitable "out of town" station.

All rail & bus travel to be paid completely from national income tax levy.

First class to be abolished; all new stock to have 2+2 comfortable seating. No reservations. Free toilets at all but the smallest stations.

Yes, it would be initially expensive, but there would be a big saving in removing the need for ticket selling / checking equipent / personnel, and a massive reduction in paperwork and the need for accountants, etc. And a need to ensure that DfT was allowed nowhere near it....

 

[Lucan]

Convert main lines (at least) to a 2 metre track gauge and Channel Tunnel loading gauge.

 

[transmanche]

Yes - see above!

(hence the fact that I wasn't quoting anyone else, I was just giving an example of something I think that might be thought of as "controversial" on here)

Apologies, I was reading the thread out of sequence and thought you were responding to someone else...

 

[tbtc]

Apologies, I was reading the thread out of sequence and thought you were responding to someone else...

Fair enough - I was just shooting my mouth off, rather than replying to anyone else's suggestions (in line with the OP's idea for this interesting thread).

To get back on topic, another suggestion of mine - the Railway Heritage Designation people are barking up the wrong tree if they want to preserve the vinyls from 91111 - we can't preserve everything, I can see the argument for preserving some things but if you are going to preserve vinyls that were on one locomotive for a few months then there are probably some British Rail sandwiches that lasted longer that that (and had a similar impact upon railway history!)... it does nothing for me, sorry!

 

[Berneylegs]

Bring back Motorail

 

[yorksrob]

[*]All trains not included in 1 should have a bar serving real ale.
.

But that's not controversial - that's just common sense !

I would add:

Slam door trains are far more comfortable than modern tat.

All stations, barring halts should have free toilet facilities.

All fares except advance purchase, should be regulated.

A major national railway reopening fund should be set up.

If one clearly designated carriage on a train complies with up to date accessibility legislation, the whole train should be considered to.

All stations to have at least five trains a day in each direction.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

At least one carriage per train should be reserved for zombies

 

[fowler9]

Summary execution for anyone who tries to get on while I am still getting off. Firing squad is fine, making them kneel down and setting fire to them preferred.

Pressing the door open button in rapid succession should produce electric shocks (People would still do it and it would be hilarious).

 

[xotGD]

HSTs are merely glorified DMUs and hold no interest whatsoever for any self-respecting enthusiast.

Shack scratching is a totally boring and pointless activity.

Yellow-penning to the level of individual cross-overs and sets of points is plain weird.

If you have a locomotive for haulage or cover a route on a railtour you can't really count it as it was fixed - only proper passenger services count.

Electrification is a pointless waste of money.

'London Terminals' should mean what it says.

 

[backontrack]

*insert post here*

I see, my mistake - assumed you were replying to someone else. In fairness, I only slept two hours last night - blasted summer heat - so my brain's not working at 100% today.

apologies if this is difficult

See my point?

If there's one thing I'm not, chuck, it's stupid.

 

[fowler9]

Talking about "Thrash" off EMUs or most modern DMUs. It's like calling Bon Jovi a Death Metal band.

 

[Harbornite]

The recommendations of Serpell's report should have been implemented.

 

[Busaholic]

Thameslink= abandon all thought of connecting London Bridge with Blackfriars in normal operations (and Kings Cross with Farringdon for that matter) and get back to concentrating on the core through St Pancras and Elephant with a reliable service. Admit it was all a big mistake, but keep the tracks for a time when someone is capable of providing the service that was promised (this may be a long wait.)