Our delayed trains
James Forsyth 2:49pm
There’s a depressing piece in The Observer today detailing the horrendous delays that anyone trying to go on holiday in August using various train lines is going to be subjected to. (Full disclosure: I’m planning to go up to the Lake District in August so am going to get caught up in all this). What makes these delays all the more galling is how expensive train travel is. According to The Observer £10 in Britain buys you 27 miles of train travel while in Ireland it gets you 38 and in France 50.
The Observer also reports that:
On many lines into London from the South East there is no prospect of adding carriages until the platforms at Waterloo and other stations are lengthened.
This does make me wonder why the Eurostar platforms at Waterloo aren’t now be used by extra-long commuter trains now that the Eurostar runs into St. Pancras. It seems crazy just to leave them sitting idle but all too typical of the way the transport system is run in this country.
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Comments
mitch
July 20th, 2008 4:33pmSo train travel equates to an Aston Martin V8 for economy outstanding!
David
July 20th, 2008 5:12pmPrivatisation for you....
Kit
July 20th, 2008 5:27pmBe thankful that "£10 in Britain buys you 27 miles". Our poor european friends have to pay for their extra miles through taxation.
The rail consumers shouldn't be subsidised by the tax payer.
TGF UKIP
July 20th, 2008 7:46pmJames,why depend on anyone else? You're going on holiday and will have lots of luggage so why not just drive it. Get some good CDs lined up and drive at night when the roads are quiet - piece of wee.
Kentish Observer
July 21st, 2008 2:32pmSurely one answer would be to reinstate Eurostar services ex Waterloo or perhaps offer it to a potential competitor such as Deutsche Bahn. That would avoid an awful lot of passengers having to use the London transport system to get to St.Pancras as well as providing a backup in case of problems on the St Pancras line