Christian Wolmar

A new study reveals that the broader benefits of rail travel, potentially worth billions of pounds, have been consistently downplayed. In the light of this knowledge, urges CHRISTIAN WOLMAR, the industry must fight its corner for its fair share of the available cash. Despite the fact that there were no goodies in the public spending review, the railways are absorbing more public money - and incidentally public attention - than at ...

There are two interesting things about the story that the departing director of Shelter, Chris Holmes, is giving £25,000 to a charity helping the homeless. First, the very fact of the donation is a heatening piece of news, in keeping with the character of one of the most honourable and dedicated people I have met. Secondly, and actually more noteworthy, is the fact that the donation has been made public. We ...

With the taxpayer effectively bankrolling and bearing the risk for the new Network Rail, why try to play semantic name games by claiming it is anything other than a nationalisation, asks CHRISTIAN WOLMAR. So farewell Railtrack and hello Network Rail. The transition has been about as smooth as a ride on a branch line in a Pacer. Last-minute constipation meant the announcement, scheduled for June 22/23, did not actually emerge until ...

Transport is probably the policy area least suited to Parliamentary democracy. The pain is all short term, the gain long term. That is probably why it is the department that has seen the greatest throughput of ministers in recent decades. In and out they shuffle, having barely scratched the surface of an area that is both highly complex and replete with controversy. Moreover, over the years the department has grown, amoeba-like, ...