The clank of the semaphore signal is a rare aural hangover from the Victorian age. Yet it’s still an essential, if anachronistic, part of our mainline railway system, for a few short years or even months longer at least. Express trains from Paddington on the main line between Llanelli and Carmarthen. west of Swansea, are… Continue reading
Posts tagged railways
Could Labour’s rail plans bypass controversial Stonehenge road scheme?
The Labour party’s policy document, Getting Britain Moving – Labour’s plan to fix Britain’s railways, says much about improving the experience of today’s passengers – ‘unified and simplified governance structure that places passengers at the heart of the goal, objectives and incentives for the railway’; and its easy route to renationalisation – ‘to bring train… Continue reading →
Across Turkey by train
The first 30 years of Turkey’s tourism story has been utterly dominated by air travel, and more recently cruise ships. It’s the rare intrepid visitor who drives all the way. But now the train is becoming a realistic travel option within Turkey, and even an alternative way to get there. While we continue to fret over… Continue reading →
Could new London Marylebone link to Oxford signal railway expansion?
Lucky Oxford. It will have two fast railway connections to London from Monday, December 12 (2016). That is the day the new Marylebone to Oxford line will open. (Oxford is already served by trains from Paddington Station.) The link will be billed, correctly, as the first new connection between London and a major city in… Continue reading →
A new age of rural railways promises big benefits
As well as building better defences against floods, in response to the destructive storms of December 2015, the UK government, and the governments of Wales and Scotland, should consider building new railway lines. Some of these lines would back up routes closed by the waters. There is one obvious candidate for a new link. Rail… Continue reading →