What is your controversial railway opinion/idea?

[Agent_Squash]

Thameslink will eventually get its act together.

 

[B&I]

Most people who want nationalisation of the railway do not really understand why they want it and what it will change (or not as the case may be) and only want it from a political perspective because they feel it 'should' be that way and not from thinking about a "better" railway.

Note this does not extend to people who are happy to debate the merits of nationalisation v. Privatisation in an informed manner.

Most people who support privatisation are hard-pressed to explain why, and in particular to provide some explanation which does not arise from general ideological preferences

 

[Clip]

You do realise that the Taktfahrplan hasn't existed forever?

But they do happen to have one company essentially running the show, which far simplifies implementation.

Apologies I should be used a smiley to emphasise the sarcasm

 

[xotGD]

Electrification of the ECML was a total waste of time and money.

- Half of the East Coast services are still HSTs
- Cross country switched to an all-diesel operation and run diesel under the wires from Doncaster to Edinburgh
- Other than Leeds - Doncaster, local services have not switched to electric traction
- Other than the occasional service, freight has remained diesel-hauled
- Problems with the overhead wires cause way more delay and disruption than problems with diesel traction
- Iconic architectural features such as The Royal Border Bridge have been marred by the installation of the masts and wires
- The infrastructure doesn't even have the capacity for a full electric service north of Newcastle

 

[BigCj34]

Electrification of the ECML was a total waste of time and money.

- Half of the East Coast services are still HSTs
- Cross country switched to an all-diesel operation and run diesel under the wires from Doncaster to Edinburgh
- Other than Leeds - Doncaster, local services have not switched to electric traction
- Other than the occasional service, freight has remained diesel-hauled
- Problems with the overhead wires cause way more delay and disruption than problems with diesel traction
- Iconic architectural features such as The Royal Border Bridge have been marred by the installation of the masts and wires
- The infrastructure doesn't even have the capacity for a full electric service north of Newcastle

Considering bi-modes did not exist in 1990 I can see your point. With the influx of bi-modes due to appear with the East Coast, and potential for more to be created with a new XC franchise ( though nothing has been said about that), the ONHL's could ultimately e justified, albeit 30 years late!

 

[The Ham]

Electrification of the ECML was a total waste of time and money.

- Half of the East Coast services are still HSTs
- Cross country switched to an all-diesel operation and run diesel under the wires from Doncaster to Edinburgh
- Other than Leeds - Doncaster, local services have not switched to electric traction
- Other than the occasional service, freight has remained diesel-hauled
- Problems with the overhead wires cause way more delay and disruption than problems with diesel traction
- Iconic architectural features such as The Royal Border Bridge have been marred by the installation of the masts and wires
- The infrastructure doesn't even have the capacity for a full electric service north of Newcastle

Linked to the above, there's a need for some projects which do half a job so that the next step can be taken which then completes (or at least works towards completing) a larger goal.

It's why a longer term strategy for the railways (like a road map for what's likely to be a good order in which projects generally happen, with scope to add in New projects if circumstances change) should exist.

It could allow other funding to be used to move a project up the list.

 

[DarloRich]

What is your controversial railway opinion?

That not all train spotters are wibbling super virgin voyagers. Some of them are OK actually.

 

[Rail Blues]

What is your controversial railway opinion?

That not all train spotters are wibbling super virgin voyagers. Some of them are OK actually.

I agree. I am no stranger to a platform 5 guide and have a girlfriend. I just can't remember where I put the footpump.

 

[DarloRich]

I agree. I am no stranger to a platform 5 guide and have a girlfriend. I just can't remember where I put the footpump.

It isn't the foot pump that is the problem. The puncture repair kit is more important. Apparently.

 

[swt_passenger]

There are too many new threads being started about Thameslink... Nothing new ever gets added.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

BR should have been privatised in the same manner DRS is run. A single entity privately run but government owned company

 

[Rail Blues]

BR should have been privatised in the same manner DRS is run. A single entity privately run but government owned company

DRS was a special case as they were set up to deal with the nuclear flasks and the inherent risks involved in handling such material.

So if the government owns the company, subsidises its operations etc. how is that different in operational terms to BR? and what advantages would it bring?

 

[B&I]

Every single thread on this forum in which any question is raised about the quality of long-distance services to and from Liverpool will be rapidly closed down, and those participating in it will be accused of being argumentative, repeating themselves, bickering etc, almost as if the persons responsible had formed their entire view about the character of the people of Liverpool from the oeuvre of Harry Enfield. In addition, Liverpool will be the only place in Britain to which this approach is taken

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

passengers should be allowed to sit on the roof like they do in 3rd world countries to alleviate overcrowding!

 

[BigCj34]

Cross-country should add a Thurso/Wick - Penzance service, via the WCML for speed, and a service going from Glasgow to Southampton via the Settle and Carlisle line via Leeds, Nottingham and Oxford.

 

[JordyWM]

That Virgin should retain the West Coast franchise and take over Cross Country again.

 

[BurtonM]

^ That's actually a good idea, the way it's going.

Stagecoach are the best of a bad bunch IMO.

 

[Taunton]

What is your controversial railway opinion?

That Beeching and his reports (multiple) were accurate and needed, and he and his principal assistants (Stewart Joy and Gerry Fiennes) all understood the basic principles of how to change the system for the better.

 

[Warwick]

What is your controversial railway opinion?

That Beeching and his reports (multiple) were accurate and needed, and he and his principal assistants (Stewart Joy and Gerry Fiennes) all understood the basic principles of how to change the system for the better.

Agreed!

 

[Table 52]

Advance fares should be scrapped and all off-peak travel should be charged per mile and simply be based on distance travelled, (at about half the price it is now).

 

[B&I]

What is your controversial railway opinion?

That Beeching and his reports (multiple) were accurate and needed, and he and his principal assistants (Stewart Joy and Gerry Fiennes) all understood the basic principles of how to change the system for the better.

That Gerry Fiennes' ideas were in direct contrast to Beeching's, in that he tried to economise and keep lines open, rather than taking an axe to everything

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

how about scrapping all railways and converting them to guided busways {I'll now retire to my nuclear bunker}

 

[The Ham]

how about scrapping all railways and converting them to guided busways {I'll now retire to my nuclear bunker}

I think the only way that will keep you safe would be if it was on the dark side of the moon (or further away).

 

[B&I]

how about scrapping all railways and converting them to guided busways {I'll now retire to my nuclear bunker}

Let's hope your nuclear bunker is close at hand, if you're relying on bus travel to reach it before the fallout hits you

 

[Strat-tastic]

Birmingham New Street is, in its own way, a beautiful station and full of character.

 

[tbtc]

Liverpool to London probably gets about the right level of service – an hourly nine/eleven coach 390 (with half hourly service at peak times), given the lengths of trains involved, the lack of significant intermediate stops and the fact that parts of Merseyside are served by regular services from Chester/ Warrington/ Wigan to London.

(other cities get more frequent London services but these are generally on lines where multiple large places are served by the one train or where trains are shorter than the ones that Liverpool gets or the terminus acts as a railhead for a much larger area than just one city… for example, Sheffield gets a half hourly service but most trains are single Meridians and Sheffield passengers have to share them with Leicester/ Derby passengers, whereas Lime Street trains don’t serve anywhere huge between Euston and Merseyside)

::hides in increasingly large bunker::

 

[The Ham]

Anyone who likes driving should be willing to pay to have more people travel by train (and bus) so as to be able to carry on driving on the roads.

As the more people use public transport the more road space there is for those left using the road.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Instead of offering free wi fi, train companies should block all Internet and mobile signals for the duration of the journey. If you want on train entertainment, try this activity called "looking our of the window". Desperate to have a conversation? Put your mobile phone away and talk to your fellow passengers.

 

[Clip]

Instead of offering free wi fi, train companies should block all Internet and mobile signals for the duration of the journey. If you want on train entertainment, try this activity called "looking our of the window". Desperate to have a conversation? Put your mobile phone away and talk to your fellow passengers.

i generally dont like other people nor real random strangers i also like to do some work if im on a train or listen to music online whilst looking out the window too. but if you do the same trip often it can get boring.

 

[Adsy125]

Instead of demonising everyone who uses a phone to entertain themselves silently, all trains (4+ carriages long) should have a quiet carriage with anti mobile signal film. This means everyone is happy, no-one on the phone annoying others but people are free to use phones as they wish.

Also, anyone making a phone call in a carriage instead of going to the vestibule should be forced to listen to half of someone else's conversation for a whole day!