A return to Portishead
When I was small, my grandparents lived in Bristol. My dad would drive us down at autumn half-terms to wander the Downs looking for conkers and to visit the zoo.…
News and views from Britain's railways
When I was small, my grandparents lived in Bristol. My dad would drive us down at autumn half-terms to wander the Downs looking for conkers and to visit the zoo.…
It’s 20 years since Railtrack rebuilt Leeds station and its approach tracks to increase capacity into West Yorkshire. Dubbed Leeds 1st, it swept away the old dingy station roof and…
Delve into the Scottish Government’s updated climate change plan and there’s a picture of an electrified railway on the title page of the chapter about transport. Look past the profusion…
Franchising is dead; long live, er, franchising. That’s because the law says the passenger operations taken over from British Rail must be franchises unless ministers produce secondary legislation exempting operators…
Britain needs more electric railways. They are cleaner and greener. They provide lower operating costs but need heavy investment in masts and wires. Electric railways bring decarbonisation. It’s this heavy…
Great Western Railway’s withdrawal of diesel High Speed Trains from Paddington leaves Brunel’s terminus almost wholly in the hands of electric trains. King’s Cross is about to see a similar…
Glasgow has the best suburban rail network outside London but a report now calls for more. The report comes from the city’s connectivity committee, headed by David Begg, who has…
Crossrail is in a mess. Maundy Thursday 2019 came with headlines claiming that Crossrail might not open until 2021. Stories citing senior but anonymous sources within the company. On the…
Whether or not you believe that Keith Williams’ railway review will achieve lasting improvements, it gives chance to look at why steel wheels on steel rails help this small and…
Crossrail's opening deadline was always arbitrary. Let it finish the job.