GENERAL ELECTION 2024: The Rail and Transport Promises

GENERAL ELECTION 2024: The Rail and Transport Promises | Ep 38

Рет қаралды 5,355

Күн бұрын

Our General Election Manifestos special! We review the rail policies of the main parties:
The Conservatives continue with their Network North plan
The Labour Party continues with their Get Britain Moving plan
And one party manifesto has Richard needing to go outside for some fresh air after reading it…
But we have some good news too! Transport for London has ordered 10 new Aventra trains from Alstom to secure the future of Derby Litchurch Lane!
Here's a link to the Ffestiniog Railway Gravity train video we chat about: • Ffestiniog Railway Gra...
In this episode:
00:00 Intro
03:59 King’s Birthday Honours
06:02 General Election Manifestos
07:36 Conservative Party Manifesto
12:25 Labour Party Manifesto
14:44 Liberal Democrats Manifesto
19:04 Reform UK Contract
24:44 Green Party Manifesto
27:32 Election Manifestos summary
32:03 Quiz
37:46 WiFi on trains interview with Mike Gray
47:55 Alstom signs contract that will save Derby from closure
Subscribe: If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. Better still, hit that subscribe button. It supports the channel and means you'll be notified whenever we publish something new.
Green Signals:
Website - www.greensignals.org
Newsletter - www.greensignals.org/#mailing-...
Follow:
X (Twitter) - / greensignallers
LinkedIn - / green-signals-producti...
Instagram - / greensignallers
Credits:
Presenters - Nigel Harris (@railnigel on X) & Richard Bowker CBE (@SRichardBowker). General Manager: Stef Foster (@stefatrail)

Пікірлер: 148

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Head over to the poll on our Community tab to vote for which manifesto you think offers the best outcome for the railway. And leave a comment here to let us know why! We'd love to know what you all think. If you haven't already - please do give the episode a thumbs up 👍 and hit that subscribe button if you want to see more from Green Signals!

@DavidChenery Ай бұрын

25:37

@DavidChenery Ай бұрын

25:37

@smoppett Ай бұрын

The Greens want to reduce the use of internal flights to places such as Manchester and Leeds, which is a pretty good idea. However, they are then opposed to an increase in rail capacity-HS2. It makes very little sense.

@joegrey9807 Ай бұрын

I'd vote Green if they were more pragmatic. "Electrify - but scrap nuclear; greater use of rail - but no HS2...

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Indeed so. Bewildering really…..

@Harrodsburg14 27 күн бұрын

A frequent listener from Denmark. Really enjoy the podcast, keep up the good work!

@GreenSignals 26 күн бұрын

Thanks. Denmark a favourite destination of mine. Love Copenhagen!

@IanHoldsworth-bn8tg Ай бұрын

A Super, super show. Don't be afraid to be political. You have aright to express your views as much as Mr Murdock!!!!!

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Thanks Ian! We do always try and be balanced though.....

@allanmorton6022 Ай бұрын

Fun review of the manifestos. Got to laugh about Reforms HS2 'plan' and the amazing savings! Suspect their polling is due to one man's personality rather than their policies. Pity you didn't do the devolved parties as Scottish greens sometimes have mega rail plans compared to the English greens. Could have compared them against the Bowker manifesto for rail but maybe not enough detail for that. Ironic that the WiFi guy was in poor quality sound as per poor WiFi on a train! He was interesting though and great to see new technology being trialed. Does it work in tunnels? Great episode as always.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

We did try and keep it a little lighthearted Allan, though it's fair to say not everyone agreed we succeeded! I also fear the sound quality on the Wifi interview was a levels issue at my end.....still learning!

@GreenJimll Ай бұрын

The WiFi on trains chap sounding like he's using a very low bit rate audio codec for his video call with Richard made me chuckle.

@mrcogginsgarage7062 Ай бұрын

Thanks both for another throughly enjoyable episode and especially for the hard work digesting the Manifestos you've done it so now I don't have too Cheers.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

You are most welcome!

@ernestbailey9194 Ай бұрын

Love your honest views and knowledge of the railways. There are so many ways the railway could improve. Hopefully Labour will actually do what they say if elected. My wife and I went for the weekend to Porthmadog for our 50th wedding anniversary just to ride to Caernarfon and to Bleanau Ffestiniog. The staff were unbelievable. They sussed it was our anniversary and presented us with a card and a wine bottle stopper. We were so shocked and surprised. As I had seen your visit to it in an earlier video. The journey was beautiful. . Keep up the lovely work you put out.

@TheDaf95xf Ай бұрын

Good afternoon guys 😊 Can’t believe another week has passed so quickly for another episode of Green signals 👍🏻 Keep the very interesting topics up please 🙏 Hope Steff will show up again soon lol 😂

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Thanks - I know, where does the week go to! Stef will be back soon......

@don1estelle Ай бұрын

A Lot of Railway Destruction has been Done with Malice they Really Hate the Railways you know! Rationalization of the railways could have been done with thought and care making it less costly reopening like tunnels and Viaducts!

@alanbuckett Ай бұрын

Listened too late this week to enter the quiz (there should have been bonus time for RailLive attendees!) BUT I'll have a guess at between Aberdeen Ferryhill and Wath depots which would translate to something like Berwick-upon-Tweed.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Thanks Alan. Listen in to find out what the correct answer - and who has won!

@IBLRG Ай бұрын

From The Independent Brigg Line Rail Group, excellent podcast as always, battle already started on our 72 mile long line, between current and potential MPs about our deplorable train service.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

How very kind of you, thanks very much for supporting us again!

@drewstravelworld6416 Ай бұрын

Watching from the outback of Western Australia in the Pilbara, as a youngster I was a Signal Lad on British Railways, and have had a love of Railways never since, love you guys, some great interviews, and covering a plethora of interesting rail related topics absolutely loved the footplate video on the Ffestiniog, well done guys ...Drew

@Adam-pk2te Ай бұрын

Great episode as always, quite liked the coverage of party manifestos (I think the SDP might've been worth looking too at, as they seem to be a mix of Lab-Con-Ref, but it's a minor party so fair enough) I think (in regards to Transport) Labour are the best option

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

I think you will find the result of the poll we did quite revealing - listen in to this week's show....!

@ML66B Ай бұрын

I’m watching on my balcony in Benidorm!. Kind Regards from JT!

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Fantastic! Hope you're having a nice time JT.

@MervynPartin Ай бұрын

Bardon Mill is between Haltwhistle and Hayden Bridge- nice anagrams, by the way.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

And who doesn’t love a cracking anagram (or should i say Armagnac Racking……!)

@vg8022 Ай бұрын

I'd rather have the unions (people that get at 3am to go to work) in charge of the railways than the Tory's bank and hedge fund ceo's (people that never even travelled on a train)

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Without wishing to seem deliberately contrary, the people I want in charge of the railway are professional, qualified and experience railway people with a passion for looking after their customers and their workforce.

@joegrey9807 Ай бұрын

So the parties who have no chance are spouting emotive, uncosted, vague fluff. Sounds about right. Anyway, excellent work as always.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Thanks Joe. Glad you enjoyed it!

@blueskiesupnorth Ай бұрын

Thanks yet again

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

You're so very kind, that's ever so much!

@djburland Ай бұрын

Quote of the day " A national policy enacted at a local level" 😂

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Quite.

@BenRattigan Ай бұрын

Starlink does work, as a Head of IT for a construction and utilities company it is a game changer.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

I went from 2mbs download at home (on a very good day) to 160mbs. For rural locations where the chance of FTTP is close to Nil, I agree Ben - it’s a game changer.

@BenRattigan Ай бұрын

@@GreenSignals we have some really remote sites they are ideal for, Shetlands being one of them. They where actually really good on the gas mains diversions we did for HS2 as they are so easy for site teams to move and install instead of waiting for IT team.

@rodreed5147 Ай бұрын

I’m listening to your podcasts from Melbourne Australia. Working on the new High Capacity Metro Train (HCMT) Fleet (7 car 1500V DC electric sets) as my day job

@robertwalsh1724 Ай бұрын

In the US it seems the only guy in Washington that knows what a train looks like is Andy Byford. At least in the UK there is some political discussion (however vapid) of rail transport.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

I think you may well enjoy a forthcoming episode Bob!!! Coming soon.......

@robertwalsh1724 Ай бұрын

@@GreenSignals Nick Zentner is a geology professor out in Washington state. He has won awards with his short subject educational videos. He runs a yearly lecture series with a different topic each season. He gets some of the top geologists in the world on the shows. So you arrive at the point where a very gifted 10 year old asks the best question of the best geo physicists in the world. And we learn that the guests are listening to many of the sessions. Catalyst for discussions of the unresolved issues in geology. Your show has grown in to a similar forum. Keep up the good work. Calling out nonsense is always a good thing. Asking the hard questions as well.

@guyb3785 Ай бұрын

Well done great pod cast

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Thanks very much Guy

@srfurley Ай бұрын

Since the AR was involved in the debate about the Euston Arch did Ian Nairn have anything to say on the subject? He did have something to say on the subject of railways in one of his Nairn Axross Britain films for the BBC in which he travels from Leeds to Carlisle on the railway, and then onwards to Edinburgh by road since the Waverley route had closed some three years earlier. He visits a signal box on the closed line, and proposes that the levers could be converted into beer pumps? I think that Ian was a better writer than he was a television presenter, but these BBC films from the ‘70s are worth watching; some of them, including the railway one, are on KZfaq. Ian is sadly missed as a writer; he died much too young.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Good question. Genuinely don't know but someone commenting on our channel almost certainly will do!

@chairmakerPete Ай бұрын

As experts, you are understandably bothered by the misuse of "Beeching railways" as a term. To average Joe, it just means a closed line, so don't sweat that one too much. You didn't mention EWR as part of the "Beeching lines" policy. It does seem to be nearing fruition for stage one, and very good it looks too. Let's see what Labour does over the next 5 - 10 years with an opposition-free run at the railways: perhaps HS2 will at least be programmed to reach next-but-one PM Andy Burnham in Manchester during their term. Great show, as always!

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Cheers Pete. Always enjoy your perspective!

@grahampearce8145 Ай бұрын

Yet again another great video. Shame no info regarding last week's reference to the ORR on the vague statement regarding WCR and CDL. Lots of people don't want to book if the service is not guaranteed, me included .

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Thanks Graham. Yes, we keep our finger's crossed for news on Jacobite etc and as soon as we have it, be assured we will be covering it in detail!

@Tonydjjokerit 24 күн бұрын

Very interesting but very disappointed about the lack of detail in Reform's rail policy. You say it is different but How different?? Is it to replace railway lines with roads and car travel?, is it to get rid of public transport altogether in certain areas? Is it the total privatization of the railways? What is it????? Pleas send me the link as I wish to look at it with great interest!

@philwoodward5069 Ай бұрын

Regarding the question of whether the ministerial decision to approve the order and keep Derby making trains is allowed to be made during Purdah, I am intimately familiar with the Purdah guidance (or 'pre-election period' guidance as the Cabinet Office insists on calling it these days) for ministers and civil servants. The principle is decisions that can be deferred should be, but not if deferral is obviously not in the public interest. If, for example, delay would lead to massive extra cost or would mean the objective (of procuring the trains at a reasonable price and saving the plant) would be less likely to be achieved, then officials could at the very least put the option of pressing the go button to the minister (probably alongside a deferral option outlining the costs/risks of doing that). The minister is still the minister and has all the same powers he had before Purdah began.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Thanks Phil. That's very helpful. Much appreciated.

@andrewrturtle7231 Ай бұрын

I'm a big fan of your channel. 👍 However, PLEASE can we have the results of your investigation as to how much Huw Merriman claimed about ASLEF and the working practices were porky pies! Especially as you mentioned the part of their manifesto that continues to have a dig at 'unaffordable working practices'. Thanks in advance! 🙂

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Hi Andrew. To be frank, we were struggling to get much info out of anyone (hardly surprising) then with the announcement of the GE and the departure of Huw Merriman, it became a bt of a moot point. Haven't forgotten it though as I suspect it will rear its head again in a different form. Everything is pretty fast moving at the moment.....

@andrewrturtle7231 Ай бұрын

@GreenSignals many thanks for taking the time to reply. 👍 You make a fair comment. I know for a fact that a lot of what he claimed, and made out to be nationwide agreements, is not the case. It would be nice for someone independent to confirm that, though, for the non-believers. Keep up your excellent channel, I really do enjoy watching it on KZfaq.

@mikelambden87 Ай бұрын

North Wales electrification Actually Crewe to Chester and North Wales. Cost is doubtful but most looks fairly straightforward othen than Conwy and Britannia bridges. But what purpose would it serve as most services go forward onto non electrified lines via Shrewsbury, Frodsham and Northwich.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

An interesting point Mike - I do think the development of Battery electric EMUs could have a big impact for infrastructure electrification.

@richardskelton5119 Ай бұрын

Where did Nigel leave his red rosette?

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Ouch!

@tomcarr1358 Ай бұрын

Elizabeth Line/Crossrail One: The success is evidenced by the gratifying intense use. Is anyone looking at the figures for the transfer of passengers from the Underground and Tube historic lines and the taking of revenue from Greater Anglia and Great Western and the Southern? Is the case for Crossrail 2 now stronger?

@neilboulton9813 Ай бұрын

Can ask a question on these heritage railways, as to me they have never been more popular and indeed the price of travelling on them is reflected in this. Also they seem to not struggle with unpaid volunteers giving up their time in a number of front and backhouse roles. So the question is as they have got more popular have started to professionalise and pay more people to be fulltime directly due to this expansion and being reliable for this new customer base? As if Hythe railway needs 30 million pound in the next decade where is this money actually being spent? If it is all on track maintenence that has maybe been deferred or loco refurbishment fair enough, but I do wonder if due to the increased popularity they are starting to spend more in these paid roles and marketing etc.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Some interesting questions. I think you will enjoy our forthcoming interview with Paul Lewin, General Manager of the Festiniog and Welsh Highland Railway.

@daviddearden6372 Ай бұрын

Assuming the starlink WiFi trial on the ECML is a success, how does it work in tunnels and deep cuttings? It needs line of sight from the train antenna to a satellite in a low equatorial orbit that's not possible.

@alanbuckett Ай бұрын

You could retransmit from a Starlink through the tunnel

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

I have literally no idea - but what a great question - will try and found out!

@paulcs2607 22 күн бұрын

Agree. It’s naive to think a technology that works well at home would work on a train at 125mph going through all kinds of geography. As was drummed in to me decades ago, “there is a right way, a wrong way, and the rail way”. I have learnt through “doing” that’s correct.

@adrianbaron4994 Ай бұрын

Watching the KZfaq videos in St.Vincent and the Grenadines, West Indies.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Excellent, welcome Adrian!

@Richardhill1978 Ай бұрын

Ten green potoles should have been the shoes title this week

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Yes, thank you Richard. Will never live that one down……

@richardhayter4143 Ай бұрын

I live in Western Canada, Kaslo, BC.Used read Nigel's Magazine, but now have Railway Herald to keep up to date in UK I am still a member of Ffr&WHR + Shareholder and member of VTrains & GWSR!! Please can you move your mics so that we can see your faces, Martin of Lumo shows how with no mic or headphones yet he was just as good.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback Richard. It's tricky with the mics. Audio quality is really the paramount requirement on a podcast and with those mics placed where they are, we optimise it. We are however considering upgrading the mics (at some cost!) which may allow us to try a different placement. Martin was brilliant wasn't he - but you wouldn't believe the amount of post production editing I had to do to get the audio cleaned up! That's why the mics are so important.

@BecsterDotCom Ай бұрын

Ah finally I’ve managed to finish your highly interesting GE episode. If I’d have managed it sooner then I would’ve changed some plans to come but you a pint at Spooners - next time! Hope you guys had fun on the gravity train and yes I’ve just remembered that I completely forgot to send my footage of Nige’s gravity train trip! It’s an experience isn’t it?! Very privileged to be able to do it. Thoughts on the election though - ugh maybe I’m getting old or maybe I’m having a midlife crisis but it’s all a load of nonsense. I have no faith whatsoever in any of them. And no, transport will never be a deciding factor - certainly not for me at any rate. I’m in Wales and transport is a devolved issue. I am finding the electrification of North Wales Coast to be interesting but will it happen - I doubt it. See, I’m getting cynical in my old age! WiFi on trains - now that one does need to be sorted. I’m glad to hear the tech is there though, sounds promising at least. And thanks to that piece I now understand why I can never hold a telephone call on a train. All i say is thank god I don’t commute via train as I’d be getting annoyed with the lack of connectivity! I’m not a very patient person when it comes to tech! (Actually I’d love to be able to get to work by train but alas that’s never going to happen - unless they reopen the Afonwen branchline… there’s a story!) Great news about Alstom and Derby 🎉

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Some great points there and yes, next time we're in North Wales, a pint at Spooners would be lovely! The Gravity Train was brilliant. Really felt privileged to be able to ride on it. As for the Afon Wen branch, no, I am afraid whether transport is a devolved matter or not, that one is not reopening.

@BecsterDotCom Ай бұрын

@@GreenSignals I really can't see how it could ever reopen. I know there's a lot of campaigning for it to reopen but I can't see it ever being feasible. I shall not go into my rant about it - already done that in a blog post! 😄

@jamesebrown2043 Ай бұрын

Hmm... 😑 I don't know for some keep going by who, (as far as VR1, well a key as so-called Victorian Railway). What I personally do know what most of people don't know my thoughts, I will do this, is new temporary so-called VR2, something belong a bit than British restrictions with guage. For example, UK Double-Decker Trains, just like as Double-Decker Buses as many as they have, but how height is enough gap's there before we need extend heights for purposes spaces as we do so.

@anthonypowell5665 Ай бұрын

Need something to be do e regarding extensions of 3rd rail probably safer than roads. 3rd rail extensions to Eigan and Wrexham on merseyrail as well as filling n diesel islands on the likes of Southern abd SWR. Batteries have their place however I do think the orr are being a..bit over the top regarding extensions of the 3rd rail network. West of England line should ateast ne electrified to Yeovil

@ayindestevens6152 Ай бұрын

I’ll play chaos agent on Flying Scotsman. I want it to look like it did during the North American Tour. Yes I said it!

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Chaos agent is not a bad description for that idea!

@ayindestevens6152 Ай бұрын

@@GreenSignals I had to have a LITTLE bit of fun. Besides I was born WAYYYY too late to see it on my side of the pond. It would’ve been awesome so see it go over the Hell Gate Bridge.

@johnwood2684 Ай бұрын

What do the politicians think about electrification between Temple Meads and Swindon, or going further Newbury to Exeter and Bristol to Taunton? Do they want Britain to have a largely electrified rail network or are these details still in the melting pot?

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

I don’t think anyone has gone into that level of detail John. Would be highly unusual in a manifesto.

@rossclark9437 Ай бұрын

Parthenon. Would this be the correct description in relation to the Euston Doric Arch.

@tridentmusic5570 Ай бұрын

Propylauem.... Nigel nearly Burgered it....Ah ! Starlink comms... I hope Elon's got the solar max Flare situation sorted.... Otherwise it's back to FFSK on !00 Meg Hz !

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Until then though, I am enjoying my 150mbps!

@trepicks Ай бұрын

Any mention of cycling infrastructure? I doubt it.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

No, cycling infrastructure, indeed cycling generally, was not a focus point for anyone really.

@mrcogginsgarage7062 Ай бұрын

Euston I allways thought was a Portico not to be confused with a certain former Tory that gets about a bit !...

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Intriguingly, it's a propylaeum or 'monumental gateway'. The one thing we can fairly certain it is not, is an arch!

@gwrydd Ай бұрын

re the quiz: its a reference to the line between watford and claham?

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

You'll have to wait and see when we reveal the answer on this week's show! Thanks for your answer though....

@jimcobb2116 Ай бұрын

Of the transport plans, Labour's is obviously the best one to improve the railways, and as they are likely to win, that is good news. Unfortunately, the Conservatives failure to take real action on the railways, and many other areas, leaves conservative voters with a big problem - vote for more failure, vote for one of the alternative socialist parties, or vote for Reform. Unfortuantely, Reform are too small and too inexperienced to replace the Conservatives at this stage and their manifesto seems like the views of a small group of people, rather than a consensus from a party - shouty politics is right. I will probably have to spoil my paper in disgust at the options available.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

In terms of railway policy (which is what we tried to focus on) I agree - Labour rail policy the best of the lot.

@RoddyJenkins Ай бұрын

How are Richard’s wyes after being subjected to all that political literature…?!

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Illuminated!

@jimsouthlondon7061 Ай бұрын

HS2 was a vanity project because David Cameron couldn’t get the 3rd Runway at Heathrow Airport built . So he went for HS2 instead. Btw it was the Tories quietly agreed by Labour who scrapped the 2 northern legs of HS2 not Nigel Farage.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

How very bizarre. We never suggested Nigel Farage scrapped anything relating to HS2. Of course it was this Government who scrapped Phase 2. We weren't talking about that. Reform have proposed scrapping Phase 1 which is what we were talking about. As for the suggestion that David Cameron supported HS2 because he didn't get the third runway.....I've heard plenty of daft notions over the years, but I accept that one's a new one!

@jimsouthlondon7061 Ай бұрын

All those protesting farmers in Belgium France and Germany in their tractors descending on the EU headquarters in Brussels complaining about Net Zero Eco Taxes on fertiliser they don't look much like Nazis to me.

@GDGRailway47712 Ай бұрын

The Reform UK Limited company work on making people scared and angry. Populism 101. You seem to have upset their fan base. I realised a long time ago that there is a big crossover between model railway and train enthusiasts and the gammon community, but also those loudest and angriest about the whole thing tend to be retired and don't travel by train all that much.

@Cartoonman154 Ай бұрын

So your counter point is using racial slurs?

@NuckerIThink Ай бұрын

Relying on Elon Musk to provide wifi to UK trains sounds slightly dodgey, considering what happend to Ukraine. Will this be mitigated before this becomes the norm on our trains?

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

In fairness to Starlink and Musk, whilst the traditional infrastructure providers in the UK were sat in endless meetings debating what to do and bemoaning how hard it was going to be, Musk put thousands of satellites into low earth orbit and then said - "Done". I make no comment on the man himself but I have been a domestic Starlink customer for 2 years now. It works and I love it.

@DavidChenery Ай бұрын

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Does that mean you enjoyed it David?! PS - 😊

@josephturner7569 Ай бұрын

After 35 years in the industry I came to the disillusioned conclusion that the British don't deserve a railway. Beeching and Marsh should have just ripped it all up.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

I think that's a rather overly dramatic reaction if you don't mind me saying.....

@anthonypowell5665 Ай бұрын

Cardiff to Swansea has a better business case for electrification than the north wales coadt. Frankly the excuse to cancel it isva joke theres more than 1tph that could use the wires. Lets hope its resurrected especially with some many perfectly good electric rolling stock being stored class 350/2's for example

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Have you seen the business case for Cardiff - Swansea? Any chance of sharing it? Would be very interested.

@anthonypowell5665 Ай бұрын

@GreenSignals there was a copy of it ongoogle from Welsh government wepage will have to go digging

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

@@anthonypowell5665 Thanks! If you find it, do let us know...

@anthonypowell5665 Ай бұрын

@@GreenSignals www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2017-10/great-western-main-line-electrification-cardiff-to-swansea-outline-business-case.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjzupGB7OyGAxV_T0EAHUgUCOEQFnoECBEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2YBT6zaRbSaBeRgOR_2Lpz

@anthonypowell5665 Ай бұрын

@@GreenSignals just sent you the link

@harri2626 Ай бұрын

Although you tried to be apolitical in your analysis, your réponse to the Reform policies was perhaps predictable and I was waiting for a Trump reference to come up. Let's not forget that Reform have had to whip up their "Contract" in a very short space of time, whereas the other main parties have been sitting on variations of their rail policies for many months if not years. Let's not also forget that many Reform voters will be elderly and holders of Senior Railcards, so not the stereotypical anti-rail "Top Gear" people who would only support the pro-car policies.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

I’m intrigued. In what way was it predictable?

@harri2626 Ай бұрын

@@GreenSignals At 6min 52sec "I had to take a short walk to convince myself what I had just read". I knew what this was leading up to, together with numerous references to "tosh" long before the manifesto segment started. I don't have a problem with your criticism of the Reform policies, but this was followed by less than subtle anti-Farage references which were not appropriate to the topic.

@GDGRailway47712 Ай бұрын

tell us you are voting for the Reform UK Limited company without saying you voting Reform UK Ltd.

@tomcarr1358 Ай бұрын

Strange that you should give so much time scrutinising the credibility of party manifestos relating to transport.Almost all manifestos are wishful thinking. Minority parties do not expect to be in power so their proposals can be fantastic. Majority parties eventually find reasons to defer or set aside their proposals once in power. HS2 is the best current example. You might as well, be reviewing works of fiction as many turn out to be just that. I think that I would place more reliance on any manifesto issued by the railway unions . As for contracts with the people they are unenforceble by the people so no contract exists. You could and generally do cover something more substantial and pressing. Passenger services will continue to be a social service used by about 13% of the population. Only confiscation or sanction of private transport will substantially increase the public's use of the railway such is the importance of cars for the living standards and lives of most. The question is how much debt should every taxpayer underwrite and is there any point in continuing to service the accumulated loss of the Railtrack/Network Rail operations.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

Not that strange. It's a topic of interest to many people, even if you are a little more cynical than most about it. And I disagree that only confiscation of private transport will substantially increase public transport use. Your other post where you observed intense use of the Elizabeth Line is a case in point. Yes, there has been some shift from other public transport modes but plenty of new to public transport journeys as well. I think Reform's point about 'contract' is trying to make a metaphorical rather than literal point. But then again, I suspect you already knew that.....!

@GDGRailway47712 Ай бұрын

Eventually we will have to start taxing road use to its full economic and environmental cost (as we will have to do with aviation too). Road transport is cross funded by general taxation way more than rail ever has been. If each mode of transport costs according to environmental impact then mass transport would be the cheapest way to get around.

@bruceknights8330 Ай бұрын

What does Vanity Projects mean? You really don't know? How about the ICE project to replace HSTs. Politically driven, huge cost, factory built in Tony Blair's constituency and trains that nobody really wanted or needed. HS2 is politically driven and is a mess. It was over specified, has run massively over budget and will be incomplete. A cheaper line, with the emphasis on capacity rather than super high speed would have served as well, for a fraction of the cost. But Lord Adonis et al wanted a showcase project, rather than a solution to capacity constraints on the lower WCML. Pretty good example of a government vanity project, following in the footsteps of the Brabazon and the R101. Your political views are showing. It's clear you don't like Reform and are quite scathing about them, which is pretty unprofessional for a railway channel. You've strayed into the BBC territory especially when you mentioned Trump with a visible sneer. It's a shame, because there is a need for a good source of rail information on KZfaq. However, you've chosen the Wolmar route. Still, at least you haven't yet descended to doing radio interviews about how you wipe your backside. Yet.

@FFY5000 Ай бұрын

Bullseye.

@91Durktheturk Ай бұрын

If you look at the leasing costs for the IET trains, you'd be shocked at how much more expensive they are. By far the most expensive trains on the network, and absolutely appalling quality.

@bruceknights8330 Ай бұрын

@@91Durktheturk And still cracking up. The great and good sneered at the idea of purchasing a fleet of electric locos to replace one HST power car, leaving the other as a DVT or auxilliary/ last mile per unit. And no wonder, because it was less than 3% of the cost of the IEP fiasco. Now, you and I pay for the IEP vanity project largesse

@joegrey9807 Ай бұрын

HSTs were fantastic trains 50 years ago (although they should've had sliding doors and retention toilets even then). But they're more expensive to maintain, unreliable and deadly for drivers in collisions.

@joegrey9807 Ай бұрын

The reason HS2 needed to be that speed was to be at least as fast between London and Leeds/York as the ECML despite a longer route. If it was slower then you couldn't move services off the ECML. The main cost has been tunnelling so much of it.

@alanrobertson9790 Ай бұрын

As a rail enthusiast I thought I would be interested in this topic but half the time the man on the left of the screen was just pouring scorn and bile. Can't you shut up so we can listen to the man on the right who at least is trying to tell us what the policies are. Pouring scorn is just worthless to the viewer. Saying tosh just isn't informative.

@GreenSignals Ай бұрын

I'll have words with the man on the left......