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They were lucky to even have local bus options! That isn't normally the case. Leaving rail replacement buses as the only option no matter how long it takes to arrange. But for trackwork replacement buses. This is normally arranged weeks or months in advance. In Australia they are suffering...

If your using a hybrid car it stops the engine automatically in anycase. As for normal petrol car unless its a long wait eg slow container or coal train etc where it could take more than 5 minutes to pass. The engine stays on especially in the summer when you need air-conditioning.

They even have a fully automatic battery electric railway in Western Australia. Known as the "infinity train" it relies on using gravity potential energy to charge the train which is loaded with Iron Ore one way and then uses that stored energy to return empty to the mines. This has been...

If steam had lasted to the 1980s I suspect mass electrification of most lines would have been the result as in the 1980s 25kv AC overhead electrification was the norm for newly electrified systems. As it would have been far more economical to go with 25kv AC electrification and electric...

I really hope this kind of system never makes it to Australia. It sounds very complex and expensive for everyday people. It also has no consideration for people require special vehicles for work reasons either.

Flix bus seems to be more like a bus coordination service as they essentially contract out each route to random private bus companies. Rather than own and operate there own fleet of buses. Given its a contract out operation they really needed water tight contracts that outline the standard of...

Single track High Speed Rail! That sounds like a delay filled disaster in the making. If its not double track why even bother building it in the first place! To be honest I have never really understood the need for HS2 as the existing routes to the areas its meant to service are quad track...

An interesting note is Queensland Rail had low level platforms at most stations before the 1970s and they have all been raised to either full level boarding or a single step up into the train. The single step stations where a 1980s thing from the late 1990s onwards new stations and any upgrades...

There are no land or sea connections to Australia from any other country its all by aircraft. Although occasionally people enter Australia via cruise ships or private yachts. But there are no ferries to Papua New Guinea, Indonesia or New Zealand. Generally a visa is required to enter as is...

Wouldn't any passengers with incorrect paperwork simply be turned around and sent back to Europe on next available train? So they essentially wasted there time and money by not having correct visa etc for the UK. Within the EU the trains would operate as normal trains. So no special requirements...

Here is something controversial. What about returning it to a single operator nationwide eg British Rail. With fares that are simple and cheap regardless of when you travel? Also moving to 100% reservations required on long distance regional services eg London to Glasgow etc. No more risk of...

The lack of checked baggage is really strange given how helpful it is for multiple types of people. As for border checks wouldn't it be easier to have an immigration stop on the French side and again on British side. This is how land borders are dealt with in Asia you make 2 stops in most...

My worst train journey was in 2002. It was a trip between KL Malaysia and Hat Yai Thailand. It started off well as it was a sleeper train with nice cool cabins. However it arrived about 30 late at KL and to my surprise it had a brand new sleeper carriage on it with its own private bathroom too...

Those class 158 railcars well known for aircon failures. Above each window there are hopper windows that can be opened and on the unit I was on had oscillating fans on the ceiling above the aisle. It made a difference but still felt like a sauna inside as it was in the high 30 degrees C outside...

Another thing you could do is hire some of the cars you like to try them out for a weekend before committing to buying one. Gives you a good idea of what they are like on longer trips. This is something that I am considering myself as just like you I haven't driven for almost 10 years. But...

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/italy-to-uk-next-week.254252/#post-6400494# The issue of train and station accessibility in Europe is a concern. Comming from Australia all long distance trains have level boarding and are single deck so no steps or only a single...

Wow. That highway is impressive must have cost tens of billions $ to build. I assume it would be a toll way. I have only ever experienced horrible narrow single lane highways in mountainous areas. The kind that often requires trucks to stop and reverse back and try multiple times to just get...

I would love to go EV but being based in Brisbane in an area that has zero public chargers within 20km of my home. Also much of my travels are to western and central Queensland with one way trips of upto 1600km. Once west of Toowoomba about 160km west of Brisbane there is zero public fast...

They are so lucky to still have maintained the old line! Otherwise it would have been extremely slow bus replacement for passengers easily could have added 12 hours to passenger journeys and very inconvenient unloading of freight to "road trains" to bypass the tunnel. I would expect the...

Routes with overhead electrification must have been very difficult for the giraffes! Routes that allow for double stack containers not a problem for the Giraffes though.