Search results

Looking at the Railways objectively in 1963 it would be hard to avoid the conclusions 1. Car ownership was increasing rapidly and reducing the potential market for passenger rail travel 2. Most freight traffic lost money (very much so in the case of the much missed pickup goods pottering along...

And that the information is CORRECT!

Yes there was! Anyone who knows railway history will be aware of the opposition to rail schemes in the early days. And the question of "money being spent on other things" didn't arise as private investors raised all the money required.

Part of the privilege of wealth is to enjoy the discomfort of those who don't have it.

Not in Great Britain

A few years ago I told the guard about someone occupying the toilet for half an hour. The guard opened up and found the passenger inside had collapsed after a heart attack. So - always worth reporting once a reasonable length of time has elapsed.

In the past, I have found people very reluctant to endorse tickets (eg after train cancellations forcing a change of route).

Two words - energy density. Assuming the electric power is stored in a battery, the weight of any such batteries is going to put a severe limit on the number of passengers that can be carried. The energy density of fossil fuels is much higher than for a battery, and yet air taxis, light planes...

Indeed - the better comparison is with a shared taxi. And the true cost of motoring should include an element for extra depreciation and wear and tear. Car leasing agreements typically charge 10p a mile for excess mileage.

I certainly do have an issue with sitting in a seat for 17 hours without any sort of break. They give cattle in transit more consideration than that!

I'm looking forward to HST running on third rail :-)

Given that Northern would NOT be running trains even if there was no strike, I fail to see how any West Coast driver would be strike breaking.

Re: endorsements - on a previous occasion I was travelling from Warrington to Swindon when there was a problem between Birmingham and Gloucester which meant I had to go via London instead. I doubt very much if I would have got past the platform staff at Paddington if the ticket hadn't been...

The whole thing would make a classic case study for a "Managing Change" course.

Controversial train opinions 1. If all lines closed other than inter city and South Eastern commuter, the UK economy would not be significantly affected. 2. Privatisation has been good for rail staff 3. Government controls railways much more strictly than in BR days 4. Self driving taxis, by...

Northern must stay! I'm making a fortune in delay repayments....

If we want a summary of what is wrong with the railway industry, this sentence is it.

Speaking for my local area - Warrington now has just 2 direct services to London (it used to be 4), and one other service (323 to Cardiff - which incidentally allows you to get to London in the afternoon by changing at Birmingham) when there were 3 or 4 cross country services to...

And, more to the point, is all the passenger is obliged to provide. I suppose the passenger could, if they wish to be helpful, provide extra information to demonstrate the address is valid (eg, show a driving licence) but can't be forced to so so.

A little strange. Until a few years ago most lines were very much 24/7 operations, and even now a lot of freight moves at night. But night passenger trains have more or less disappeared from the network, leaving the overnight travel market, limited as it is., to coach companies. I presume the...