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 it called ‘a chain gang’ repairing the track. The unions, for ...

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 my mind that the PPP is a complex, expensive and, ultimately, unworkable way of maintaining ...

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 its transport system. However, while the promise of efficient transport on the existing network plus ...

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 obsession with the structure of the industry over the past 15 years has detracted from ...

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 to grow. The decision of the Office of Rail Regulation to refer the rolling stock ...

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 Ricard. The first service, ran between Paris and Lyons in 1981 when France became the second ...