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[Lizzie_Zoom]

Our railways are actualy very good and pretty well developed.

This is truely amazing when you consider they are 150+ years old and the restrictions this places on the rolling stock.

We have high speed, reliable and punctual services.

Germany, France, Japan etc effectively had to build new railways following the war and hence they are going to be better, ours was just 'patched'.

Maglev is a very ineffecient technology that uses loads of power hence why nobody else does it.

Yes, I agree with that total overall observation, with local services in at least France (I have heard third hand) being well below ours.  However, we still need to drive forward and be wellahead of those countries railways, being fast, reliable, comprehensive and catering for 21st century needs.  I am sure all those commuters I know in the South East would just love trains that give them enough seats and get them to the City as fast as possible.

You are right Mark that the age of our railways, the oldest locomotive driven one in the World, is a handicap in many ways.  There is restrictions on widening the tracks due to congested building development around the tracks in towns and cities, let alone the restriction on gauge by Victorian tunnels and bridges that would cost £trillions to replace (oh, they should have listened to Brunel!).  The one line built to a new generous guauge for future national and hoped for European traffic was of course the Great Central Main Line in 1899, but that was closed in the 1960s!

But, I would always accept that British railways HAVE still done well with what they have got, and coping with political interference and restriction that HAS resulted in your correct description Mark of being "patched..  We just must do it better, with a full High Speed system on a national basis.

[cem_devecioglu]

Our railways are actualy very good and pretty well developed.

This is truely amazing when you consider they are 150+ years old and the restrictions this places on the rolling stock.

We have high speed, reliable and punctual services.

Germany, France, Japan etc effectively had to build new railways following the war and hence they are going to be better, ours was just 'patched'.

Maglev is a very ineffecient technology that uses loads of power hence why nobody else does it.

Yes, I agree with that total overall observation, with local services in at least France (I have heard third hand) being well below ours.  However, we still need to drive forward and be wellahead of those countries railways, being fast, reliable, comprehensive and catering for 21st century needs.  I am sure all those commuters I know in the South East would just love trains that give them enough seats and get them to the City as fast as possible.

You are right Mark that the age of our railways, the oldest locomotive driven one in the World, is a handicap in many ways.  There is restrictions on widening the tracks due to congested building development around the tracks in towns and cities, let alone the restriction on gauge by Victorian tunnels and bridges that would cost £trillions to replace (oh, they should have listened to Brunel!).  The one line built to a new generous guauge for future national and hoped for European traffic was of course the Great Central Main Line in 1899, but that was closed in the 1960s!

But, I would always accept that British railways HAVE still done well with what they have got, and coping with political interference and restriction that HAS resulted in your correct description Mark of being "patched..  We just must do it better, with a full High Speed system on a national basis.

ok.. question : how can your railways be over 150+ years old ?
 
didnt Germans bomb them in second world war ?
 
 

[Marks DTM Calib]

The thing is Cem, they are pretty good, compared to the rest of the world and they are excellent!

And they are very old, yes signaling has been upgraded along with more moderntrack but clearances, routes, gradients and curves are all as per the 150 year old 'as built' and way more compromised than you would do these days.

The fact you can get from Birmingham to London in less than 1hr 30mins tells a story.

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Our railways are actualy very good and pretty well developed.

This is truely amazing when you consider they are 150+ years old and the restrictions this places on the rolling stock.

We have high speed, reliable and punctual services.

Germany, France, Japan etc effectively had to build new railways following the war and hence they are going to be better, ours was just 'patched'.

Maglev is a very ineffecient technology that uses loads of power hence why nobody else does it.

Yes, I agree with that total overall observation, with local services in at least France (I have heard third hand) being well below ours.  However, we still need to drive forward and be wellahead of those countries railways, being fast, reliable, comprehensive and catering for 21st century needs.  I am sure all those commuters I know in the South East would just love trains that give them enough seats and get them to the City as fast as possible.

You are right Mark that the age of our railways, the oldest locomotive driven one in the World, is a handicap in many ways.  There is restrictions on widening the tracks due to congested building development around the tracks in towns and cities, let alone the restriction on gauge by Victorian tunnels and bridges that would cost £trillions to replace (oh, they should have listened to Brunel!).  The one line built to a new generous guauge for future national and hoped for European traffic was of course the Great Central Main Line in 1899, but that was closed in the 1960s!

But, I would always accept that British railways HAVE still done well with what they have got, and coping with political interference and restriction that HAS resulted in your correct description Mark of being "patched..  We just must do it better, with a full High Speed system on a national basis.

ok.. question : how can your railways be over 150+ years old ?
 
didnt Germans bomb them in second world war ?

The first locomotive driven railway was the Stockton & Darlington was opened in 1825.

The first purpose built and locomotive propelled railway from the start was the Liverpool & Manchester in 1830.

The German's Cem didn't actually do much damage to the national railway system.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Our railways are actualy very good and pretty well developed.

This is truely amazing when you consider they are 150+ years old and the restrictions this places on the rolling stock.

We have high speed, reliable and punctual services.

Germany, France, Japan etc effectively had to build new railways following the war and hence they are going to be better, ours was just 'patched'.

Maglev is a very ineffecient technology that uses loads of power hence why nobody else does it.

Yes, I agree with that total overall observation, with local services in at least France (I have heard third hand) being well below ours.  However, we still need to drive forward and be wellahead of those countries railways, being fast, reliable, comprehensive and catering for 21st century needs.  I am sure all those commuters I know in the South East would just love trains that give them enough seats and get them to the City as fast as possible.

You are right Mark that the age of our railways, the oldest locomotive driven one in the World, is a handicap in many ways.  There is restrictions on widening the tracks due to congested building development around the tracks in towns and cities, let alone the restriction on gauge by Victorian tunnels and bridges that would cost £trillions to replace (oh, they should have listened to Brunel!).  The one line built to a new generous guauge for future national and hoped for European traffic was of course the Great Central Main Line in 1899, but that was closed in the 1960s!

But, I would always accept that British railways HAVE still done well with what they have got, and coping with political interference and restriction that HAS resulted in your correct description Mark of being "patched..  We just must do it better, with a full High Speed system on a national basis.

ok.. question : how can your railways be over 150+ years old ?
 
didnt Germans bomb them in second world war ?

Not hugely no, no lines were destroyed (unlike in Germany and France where we bombed the hell out of them and the Germans destroyed the French ones as they retreated....we then paid to re-build both of them!) only minor damage usualy fixed within 24 hours.....it may have been different if we had been occupied and then had to drive the germans out.

[cem_devecioglu]

if Germans did succeed in bombing, you would have brand "new" railways now
 
yep.. history matters!
 
however, old design lines are not suitable for high speed trains..  we had to build from scratch .. now the train travel is stopped between İstanbul and Ankara for 3 years   

[cem_devecioglu]

The thing is Cem, they are pretty good, compared to the rest of the world and they are excellent!

And they are very old, yes signaling has been upgraded along with more moderntrack but clearances, routes, gradients and curves are all as per the 150 year old 'as built' and way more compromised than you would do these days.

The fact you can get from Birmingham to London in less than 1hr 30mins tells a story.

160-170 km in 1 hr 30 min.. slow.

[Marks DTM Calib]

We have one high speed line which is very good.

The other challenge is that the Uk is not that big and high speed only makes sense over big distances.

As an example, the HS2 line would only knock about 35 mins off the time for the Birmingham to London journey (at best).

[cem_devecioglu]

We have one high speed line which is very good.

The other challenge is that the Uk is not that big and high speed only makes sense over big distances.

As an example, the HS2 line would only knock about 35 mins off the time for the Birmingham to London journey (at best).

yep.. there are limitations for those trains in crowded areas.. same applies here..

[Marks DTM Calib]

Thats as the crow flys Cem, you will never get a rail route that direct here (to crowded here) plus it would not pass through any population centres

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Thats as the crow flys Cem, you will never get a rail route that direct here (to crowded here) plus it would not pass through any population centres

That is the crucial point.

[omega3000]

Something for lizzie 

[Lizzie_Zoom]

Something for lizzie 

Oh yes EMD!!

That is something I really like

[cem_devecioglu]

Something for lizzie 

Oh yes EMD!!

That is something I really like

my wife cooks/prepares the best of them.. but I forbid..