Christian Wolmar

Why is it that the railways attract so much criticism? There was an extraordinary article in the Mail on Sunday on May 13 which revealed that prison labour had been used to help relay tracks on part of the West Coast Main Line. The MoS was incensed about the risk to passengers because of what [...]

Now that Big Gordon is assured of the Premiership, unless he falls under that proverbial bus, it is worth reflecting on one of his biggest mistakes as Chancellor, the creation of the Private Public Partnership for the London Underground.
Having talked to both top and middle managers on both sides of the contract, nothing has changed [...]

It may seem unbelievable to many commuters in the south east but it was transport that won the Olympics for London. The capital’s transport system may seem to be overcrowded and underfunded to regular users, but to the International Olympic Committee London edged it over Paris and the other competitors thanks to the extent of [...]

The imminent opening of France’s latest TGV route underlines the importance of making maximum use of our own ‘High Speed 1’, maintains CHRISTIAN WOLMAR.
A ride on the new TGV Est, which is due to open on June 10, shows just how far we behind we are in exploiting the potential of rail and how our [...]

The failure of the rolling stock market is largely down to the franchising structure and not the ROSCOs’ behaviour, argues CHRISTIAN WOLMAR.
The battle between the rolling stock companies and the government has escalated into an all out war which could threaten the industry’s ability to meet the demand for extra trains as passenger numbers continue [...]

The Train à Grande Vitesse has revolutionised train travel in France. The high speed train service has destroyed much of the domestic aviation market and stimulated the economic development of those regions lucky enough to be served by these elegant trains which have become a symbol of modern France, far more potent than Gauloises or [...]