Christian Wolmar

Yesterday’s meeting between the train operators and transport ministers was the first in what is set to be an elaborate game of cat and mouse played out against the backdrop of the recession.  Railways always do badly at times of economic downturns because they have fixed assets and costs while passenger numbers normally fall sharply as people cut ...

The strength of the vote against the congestion charge plan in Manchester effectively kills off the government’s strategy of trying to bribe local votes into accepting such schemes.  This one had everything going for it: a bribe of billions of pounds of transport improvements, a strong campaign and a relatively cheap charge, amounting to less than the extra motorists ...

Despite delays, weekend closures and overcrowding, Britons love affair with the railways seems to grow stronger every year. Passenger numbers have risen by 50 per cent since the mid 1990s and, so far,  the rate of increase shows no sign of abating. The reasons for the boom are fairly straightforward. Railways have always done well at times of economic growth and the big driver is commuting as passengers with season tickets ...

Christian Wolmar is becoming something of a national treasure these days. Just like Peter Snow at election time or Patrick Moore when there’s an eclipse due, Wolmar pops up on the TV and radio bulletins with an instant analysis every time there’s a train crash, a fares rise or a Tube strike. But he is more than just a pundit. ...

Railways in the 19th century had the transformative effect that the automobile would have in the 20th, and Christian Wolmar is a sure-footed guide to the oft-told tale of British railway history. The author has an unerring eye for relevant detail. His scholarship is everywhere evident and he gives us full measure on the three great accidents in rail ...

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 ...