Intermodal
Established Member
If we couldn't complain about UK rail then most of the content on this forum wouldn't exist, and as most of us are British we love to complain. Nothing wrong with that.
However - do we not really have a pretty decent system? Sure the ticketing system is a bit messed up and there is chronic overcrowding but is the overcrowding not because it is such a good way to travel relative to cars or buses?
There are rail lines pretty much everywhere in the UK. For 90% of destinations you can say "Oh, I'll get the train" and not even have to look up if the train goes there, because you know it will at least go somewhere close and you can get the bus if required after for a short distance. This is not true in many other countries.
The train service in most locations is at a minimum of hourly, with very few exceptions. All over Europe there are services and stations that do not get even a twice daily service. Whilst individual services are delayed/cancelled with some regularity you are never too far from the next service.
Perhaps the reason we like to complain so much about the service is because it is of such a high standard that we can come to rely on it and the contrast when it doesn't work out is huge to when it does?
However - do we not really have a pretty decent system? Sure the ticketing system is a bit messed up and there is chronic overcrowding but is the overcrowding not because it is such a good way to travel relative to cars or buses?
There are rail lines pretty much everywhere in the UK. For 90% of destinations you can say "Oh, I'll get the train" and not even have to look up if the train goes there, because you know it will at least go somewhere close and you can get the bus if required after for a short distance. This is not true in many other countries.
The train service in most locations is at a minimum of hourly, with very few exceptions. All over Europe there are services and stations that do not get even a twice daily service. Whilst individual services are delayed/cancelled with some regularity you are never too far from the next service.
Perhaps the reason we like to complain so much about the service is because it is of such a high standard that we can come to rely on it and the contrast when it doesn't work out is huge to when it does?