Dear reader, If you are of the internationally minded type, and know much about the United States of America, you will notice that Americans very rarely reference going on a train. You have probably heard of the New York subway, and you might have seen some very lucky American making some journey on a metro […]
Tag: Rail
The New East Midlands Franchise & Associated Fallout
Dear reader, as you may be aware, I frequent the East Midlands railway network. This activity brings a variety of experiences, some good, some bad, and some ugly. For example, while I have had some excellent journeys on the Midland Mainline on various fast trains, I have also witnessed the rather tragic state of affairs […]
Some Miscellaneous Myths
Dear reader… gosh it has been a while. I had intended to write more, but alas life has been quite busy recently and the inspiration isn’t quite so easy at the moment. I’m sure you understand. In any case, it is a pleasure to once again have your company, at least for the next few […]
The Hydrogen Train Space Race
Dear reader, you may not be surprised to learn that I mainly talk about the past on this blog. Not that I am uninterested in the future; it’s just that there is quite a lot of past, and many stories I think warrant bringing to your attention. However, in a change to our scheduled programming, […]
Some Reasons Why Trains Are Late
Dear reader, if you have ever travelled on Britain’s railway network, you will probably have noticed that there are sometimes delays. While many complain about these delays, the truth is that most trains arrive within a few minutes of the time promised. Not that it is not annoying when your train arrives late, especially when […]
The Peculiar Awards 2018
Dear reader, the time is now upon us for the first annual Peculiar awards, which are (or at least are intended to be) a bit of a tongue-in-cheek look back at various things I’ve done over the year, which you may or may not find amusing. Bear in mind that this is all entirely my […]
Leaves on the Line is Actually Not a Terrible Excuse
Dear reader, I am sure that, if you live in the UK, “leaves on the line” is an excuse you have heard for the late running of a train. I am also sure that, if you have any sensory capabilities at all, you will have noticed that it is autumn, and, therefore, there are leaves […]
Why “Just put another coach on the end” is Not a Good Way to Run a Railway
Dear reader, you have almost certainly heard this phrase uttered on a crowded train somewhere in the country, or, in an unthinking moment, uttered it yourself. In this article, with hopefully a little less waffling than usual, I hope to explain to you why this is very difficult and is rarely done, and hopefully in […]
A Defence of The Worst Train in Britain
In Britain, we are lucky to have some excellent examples of the railway art. In particular, the truly magnificent HS1, which allows one to reach Ashford from London in a mere 38 minutes, at up to 140 mph, or, to transport one at up to 186 mph on a rather beautiful Eurostar on one’s holidays […]
Why I Think HS2 Is A Good Thing
HS2 is perhaps the most controversial railway in the UK, despite it not yet existing. While there are some legitimate arguments against the project, overall I think that Europe’s newest high speed line will be a good thing, and I hope you, dear reader, will be satisfied with my explanation of this stance, following a […]
Peculiarly Pete 