Rail 483: Why Britain's railway just isn't worth £4bn a year

Rail 483: Why Britain’s railway just isn’t worth £4bn a year

The amount of subsidy that taxpayers pump into the railway is shocking when compared with what they get out of ...
Can Prescott conjure up cash for transport?

Can Prescott conjure up cash for transport?

A year ago, John Prescott announced a major plan for new communities in four areas of the South East which, ...
Finger points to both the Tories and Labour

Finger points to both the Tories and Labour

The twin crises of the railways were cruelly exposed yesterday. Not only is the number of delays at a record ...
Rail 482: SRA must ensure CTRL can blossom in Garden of England

Rail 482: SRA must ensure CTRL can blossom in Garden of England

As Eurotunnel continues to totter under punishing debt, CHRISTIAN WOLMAR warns that the new £1.9bn CTRL must not repeat the ...
What a Start to 2004!

What a Start to 2004!

Welcome to my new website and this column which will be a regular monthly feature on it. The website is ...
Rail 481: Planning: a policy that dare not speak its name at SRA

Rail 481: Planning: a policy that dare not speak its name at SRA

The railways' fear of central planning distorting market forces is to blame for the National Audit Office's trenchant criticism of ...
Rail 480: Vague, restricted review falls flat after big build-up

Rail 480: Vague, restricted review falls flat after big build-up

The Government's latest rail review is Treasury-inspired, and vague in both scope and aims. CHRISTIAN WOLMAR gives the Transport Secretary ...
Now charge £10 for congestion

Now charge £10 for congestion

Remember all that fuss last year about the Congestion charge? London was going to grind to a halt, children would ...
Transport Direct leaves a lot to be improved

Transport Direct leaves a lot to be improved

It seems like such a simple idea: provide all public transport users with information encompassing all the possible modes of ...
Rail 479: 'Two Brains' and Howells unite on need for change

Rail 479: ‘Two Brains’ and Howells unite on need for change

The Great Debate on the future structure of the railway is already taking place at the highest levels in Whitehall ...
Labour should just renationalise the railways

Labour should just renationalise the railways

Yesterday’s announcement of a rail review marks the first step in the long march towards common sense on the railways ...
Blood on the tracks

Blood on the tracks

2004 will go down as the year when the government was longer able to ignore the crisis on the railways ...
Rail 478: Cash crisis jeopardises rail's regional regeneration role

Rail 478: Cash crisis jeopardises rail’s regional regeneration role

Regional rail routes are a key driving force for economic regeneration, but Christian Wolmar warns that soaring costs and the ...
On the wrong track; Labour's worst failure

On the wrong track; Labour’s worst failure

Transport ministers are on the warpath over the railways. Suddenly, the scale of the money pouring into what seems like ...
Rail 477: End this crazy game that makes rail so complex

Rail 477: End this crazy game that makes rail so complex

The soon to depart rail regulator has performed an incisive dissection of Network Rail's costs, but the whole access charge ...
Rail 476: Railways up for grabs as politicians struggle with debt

Rail 476: Railways up for grabs as politicians struggle with debt

Network Rail's debts are far in excess of BR's. Christian Wolmar says there will come a point when government says ...
Is a local income tax on the cards?

Is a local income tax on the cards?

Suddenly local taxation is in the news and protestors are on the streets. The doddery old couples from Devon lining ...
Rail 475: SRA should keep a TOC or two in house for costs

Rail 475: SRA should keep a TOC or two in house for costs

The SRA says it will refranchise SE Trains , the former Connex operation, at the earliest opportunity. But, argues Christian ...
Striking is not the answer

Striking is not the answer

As a Labour voter who thinks that the PPP was a crazy way to try to improve the condition of ...
Are we on the right lines?

Are we on the right lines?

There is a paradox about the railways. On the one hand, they are in crisis. Every week, there are stories ...
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