Rail 898: Beeching cuts are not going to be reversed

Rail 898: Beeching cuts are not going to be reversed

This is one of those rare times when the fact that this column has to be written nearly a week ...
Rail 897: My love affair with Crossrail

Rail 897: My love affair with Crossrail

Here is the news: Crossrail is happening. Yes, of course it is late and the most recent announcement, which has ...
Letter to The Times: HS2 is the wrong scheme

Letter to The Times: HS2 is the wrong scheme

I detect that, like me and indeed Boris Johnson, Danny Finkelstein instinctively wants to support HS2, but once he looked ...
Johnson's HS2 bind

Johnson’s HS2 bind

December’s election result was both good and bad news for HS2. Boris Johnson is facing a dilemma over the project, ...
Rail 896: A decade that was not all progress

Rail 896: A decade that was not all progress

The start of a new year, decade even, is obviously a time to both reflect on the past and to ...
The new battle of Jericho

The new battle of Jericho

(pic by permission, Andy Ffrench, Oxford Mail) Here’s a prediction for my second blog of the decade: the twenties are ...
January 2020 newsletter

January 2020 newsletter

I am starting the year as I mean to go on, with a new newsletter for January with the hope ...
Book review: The luxury trains

Book review: The luxury trains

Martyn Pring, Luxury Railway Travel, a social and business history, Pen & Sword, £35 There may never have been a ...
Rail 895: Brexit will be done, but what next? And Mumbai's amazing metro to be

Rail 895: Brexit will be done, but what next? And Mumbai’s amazing metro to be

So it’s over. Brexit is going to happen and the Conservatives will dominate politics for at least another four years ...
Delights of transport scored nul points

Delights of transport scored nul points

The Labour manifesto was incredible. In the true sense of the word, meaning unbelievable. It was packed with goodies such ...
Rail 894: Devolution brings new impetus to Welsh railways

Rail 894: Devolution brings new impetus to Welsh railways

Wales has often been the forgotten part of the UK, attracting little attention or media interest. That is well illustrated ...
The level of homelessness is a crisis

The level of homelessness is a crisis

The first in my new blog reflecting matters mostly other than transport - though I will occasionally lapse into rail ...
Rail 893: the unanswered questions on HS2

Rail 893: the unanswered questions on HS2

HS2 is the biggest infrastructure project ever to be built in this country. It is, too, controversial given the huge ...
Young people engaged and enraged by Brexit

Young people engaged and enraged by Brexit

I do occasional talks for Speakers for Schools, a charity set up by Robert Peston eight years ago to enable ...
Rail 892: The holy grail of technology can be a barrier to investment

Rail 892: The holy grail of technology can be a barrier to investment

There are many ways to kill off projects and the Department for Transport is proving particularly adept at finding new ...
Will HS2 now definitely go ahead?

Will HS2 now definitely go ahead?

It seems that the HS2 gravy train is impossible to stop however much its finances go off the rails. Or ...
Rail 891: It is not just big projects that are important - and the scandal of Gatwick Express

Rail 891: It is not just big projects that are important – and the scandal of Gatwick Express

The publication of the Rail Enhancement Pipeline attracted little media coverage which is generally focussed on the big projects, such ...
Rail 890: Is Williams review groundhog day? ...and a brief look at Albania

Rail 890: Is Williams review groundhog day? …and a brief look at Albania

Sorry reader, it is difficult to avoid Brexit at the moment. I’ve just spent three days at the European Transport ...
Rail 889: Renationalising the railways is a good idea, but not a panacea

Rail 889: Renationalising the railways is a good idea, but not a panacea

At one of the numerous Labour party conference fringe meetings on transport, a junior shadow transport minister said ‘Rail renationalisation ...
Rail 888: The railway journey in history, a respite from Brexit

Rail 888: The railway journey in history, a respite from Brexit

Well dear reader, you deserve a break. So do I. We’ve all been inundated with Brexit,  Leavers, Remainers, Boris Johnson ...
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