Christian Wolmar

In amongst all the news about snow chaos, high speed lines and refranchising plans, the interim report by Sir Roy McNulty, completed for the Comprehensive Spending Review  was published in early December. The McNulty review was set up by Lord Adonis that in recognition of the fact that, despite the good lord’s hyperactivity, he had failed to focus on cost reduction and, specifically, the structure of Network Rail.  McNulty has gone ...

The railways have been doing rather well recently - with the odd exception like the overhead wires coming down on the East Coast yesterday - so attention has focussed on the airports and airlines. In an email to me, Mark Rand of the Friends of the Carlisle Settle Line points out that the railways have missed a good PR opportunity: 'I have watched in frustration this weekend as the railway industry ...

  I love railways. It was only the discovery of girls that lured me away from hanging around on station platforms, notebook in hand, in my teens, and I still love the feeling of settling down to a long train journey, book on my lap. But despite that I am adamantly opposed to the idea of a new north high-speed line that is the subject of a consultation paper being published ...

  The transport industry is at the heart of economic activity but its heavy use of carbon has put the spotlight on its efforts to reduce emissions. So far they have been disappointing. The proportion of emissions in the European Union from transport have grown from a fifth to more than a quarter in the past two decades, earning it the unwanted accolade as ‘the worst performing sector under Kyoto’, according ...

Philip Hammond’s announcement on rolling stock plans which confirming new trains for Thameslink and Crossrail, together with electrification for the first section of the Great Western, marks a key point in railway history. Indeed, it is impossible to exaggerate its importance as it demonstrates that there is a remarkable and unprecedented cross party agreement on the need for rail investment.  Sure, there’s lots details that one can quibble with. Extra delays ...

There is a very long and expensive road scheme that has escaped the cuts. And, indeed, any virtually any attention which is surprising given that at 50 miles long and costing £800m, it is one of the most expensive highway projects in Europe. It goes through a beautiful unspoilt area of countryside and yet so far no Swampy-type figure has been rushing to set up a camp in the beautiful ...