Is rail’s recent golden age over?
‘…The debate and the railways have turned inward. You have the big railway desperate to get its train set back (whilst also arguing amongst themselves about who gets to be the fat controller); the Treasury, who no longer trust the big railway to run itself, and the rest of Government that isn’t clear about what […]
Everything’s going yellow
There was something different about this normally routine journey from Liverpool Central to Kirkby. Not just that it was a new train (the first of the new generation) but the way people were reacting to it. There was genuine excitement from some of the regular passengers. And the staff looked pretty pleased too – chatting […]
I tried to stop a rail privatisation
Since the Williams-Shapps rail plan was published it seems like everybody has been telling their story of rail privatisation. So I’m going to tell mine. I was the Coordinator of the Save our Railways campaign that, in the nineties, tried to stop privatisation. We came close too. Though, as it has turned out, it was […]
What might the Williams-Shapps plan mean for urban public transport?
Here’s a first take: There are clear tensions between the urgent need to de-clutter and de-layer the railway landscape; the influence of the wider ‘save the union’ project; and the facts on the ground around existing devolution of urban and regional rail (and its clear benefits). One of those devo benefits being the pioneering of […]
Are we moving to nano management?
In the summer there were high hopes that COVID-19 would be a short war in which the worst would soon be over and victory was in sight. Having won the war, we could then go onto win the peace by making some of the wartime measures (like a big shift to cycling) part of the […]
COVID-19 funding gap filled… for now
It would make no sense for Government to cut COVID-19 funding life support for light rail systems whilst it is rightly investing millions every week on expanding and renewing them. This time, Government funding to close the gap caused by coronavirus on bus and tram had run out before a new funding deal was put […]
Comfort or ‘capitalist realism’?
There are a lot of new trains – faster and with more seats. So that’s good. Some of the nose cones are sleek and the exterior styling is impressive. But it doesn’t seem like the same amount of thought has always been put into the design of train interiors and passenger comfort. Poor ride quality, […]
Six tests for PM’s London-style vision
Boris Johnson wants transport in the rest of the UK’s metro areas to be a lot more like London and a lot less so so. So here’s six early indicators to watch out for that show whether we are on course for this… or not. 1. All the political big names love buses these days […]
Another green transport world
The weather is losing some of its British reserve. Changing from introversion to extroversion. Records are now there to be broken – and regularly. The hottest, the wettest, the most extreme. As the weather intensifies we need to expand the capabilities of transport infrastructure and its supporting built environment to cope. We have a problem […]
Six to watch on urban transport from the new Government
Early days but here’s six to watch that could be early indicators of the long term direction of the new government on urban transport. 1. All the political big names love buses these days – if they can’t claim blood relatives in the industry they are making models of them in the evening. True […]