Friday, July 30, 2010

Christian Wolmar

Britain’s leading transport commentator

Rail 646: Franchising and Network Rail in the spotlight

Posted under Rail Magazine

My oft-repeated question of ‘what is franchising for?’ will need to be answered by the new government as it faces a tricky situation in relation to train operators. On the one hand, both parties in the coalition support the notion of longer franchises, with more investment coming from operators, but, on the other, the financial constraints caused by the budget deficit mean that there will be pressure from the Treasury to maximise premium payments.  Therefore the question will resonate. Is franchising ...

Open letter to the new transport secretary

Posted under Transport Times

  Dear new transport secretary,   You poor sap. I wonder why on earth you have taken this job and I am sure you will soon, too once you are faced by hordes of angry rail passengers. You are in for nothing but trouble and then worse. Its bad enough on the roads and in the air but I will confine myself to the issues you face on the railways.  Superficially, all is hunky dory on the tracks. Usage is at an all time ...

Financial Times

High speed boosts rail

 The iron road is a 19th century invention that is set to flourish in the 21st. After being threatened by extinction in the face of ...

Rail Magazine

Rail 646: Franchising and Network Rail in the spotlight

My oft-repeated question of ‘what is franchising for?’ will need to be answered by the new government as it faces a tricky situation in relation ...

Rail Magazine

Rail 645: Can Libdems leaven Tory cuts?

Who would ever have guessed that we are where we are with a ConLib coalition that includes a Libdem junior transport minister and a mishmash ...

Wall Street Journal

No replacement for internal combustion engine on horizon

The hallmark of a good design is longevity and the internal combustion engine has survived decades with only relatively minor modifications. But the threat of ...

Wall Street Journal

High speed rail spreads around the world

Building a high-speed rail line between London and the North of England was one of the few policy areas on which all three of the ...

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