Spectator

The HS2 dilemma

The HS2 dilemma

Choose your expression: ‘stuck between a rock and a hard place’; ‘I wouldn’t start from here if I were you’; ...
The tram Olympics

The tram Olympics

On a sunny weekend in August, the fortunate folk of Frankfurt were entertained by the 11th annual tram-drivers competition, with ...
'elf n safety not to blame over Jacobite train demise

‘elf n safety not to blame over Jacobite train demise

When the operators of the most popular steam train service in Britain decided to challenge the safety authorities, they were ...
Why is HS2 costing so much?

Why is HS2 costing so much?

The members of the Denham Waterski Club are among the few people in the Chilterns who are grateful for HS2 ...
Book review: Andrew Martin's love affair with the Metro

Book review: Andrew Martin’s love affair with the Metro

Andrew Martin is in love. Head over heels in love, quite unable to control himself in his appreciation of the ...
The return of the sleeper train

The return of the sleeper train

It’s a fabulous combination: travelling by train and sleeping. And the good news is that the concept of sleeper trains ...
The Queen should have gone by train

The Queen should have gone by train

The Queen loved the royal train. The Royal yacht was a luxury that was more for show than convenience but ...
Spectator letter: Faux capitalism

Spectator letter: Faux capitalism

Ross Clark's compelling critique (August 13) of the water companies comes to the wrong conclusion. He is right to say ...
How Great British Railways can learn from the old BR

How Great British Railways can learn from the old BR

British Railways lives again. Well sort of. The Queen’s Speech contains plans for a Transport Bill the centrepiece of which ...
Spectator review of Cathedrals of Steam

Spectator review of Cathedrals of Steam

By Julian Glover I began this book waiting for a diesel train to Derby, under the windy, boxy, flat-roofed bit ...
Signal box battle

Signal box battle

Petersfield signal box is in the wrong place. Or at least it is now. Actually, when it was built in ...
Book review: Monisha Rajesh, Around the world in 80 trains

Book review: Monisha Rajesh, Around the world in 80 trains

Monisha Rajesh wrote lovingly about the Indian railways in her previous book but this set her wondering whether the train ...
The great train wreck

The great train wreck

A couple of weeks ago I met David Grime and Alan Noble, members of the Lakes Line Rail User Group, ...
Doubts over driverless cars in the lion's den

Doubts over driverless cars in the lion’s den

I was worried that going to the autonomous vehicle exhibition in Stuttgart would be rather like an atheist walking into ...
The big Spectator driverless car debate

The big Spectator driverless car debate

My debate with car enthusiast and advertising man Rory Sutherland Wolmar: Let’s face it: we’re talking about a technology that will ...
Review: Britain's best 100 railway stations by Simon Jenkins

Review: Britain’s best 100 railway stations by Simon Jenkins

Stations, according to Simon Jenkins, are the forgotten part of the railway experience. People love the trains, the journey, the ...
Book review: Night Trains by Andrew Martin

Book review: Night Trains by Andrew Martin

Night Trains, the Rise and Fall of the Sleeper by Andrew Martin, Profile Books, £14 99 As a child, I ...
Review of Simon Bradley's The Railways, Nation, Network and People

Review of Simon Bradley’s The Railways, Nation, Network and People

Simon Bradley dates the demise of the on-board meal service to 1962, when Pullman services no longer offered croutons with ...
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