The end of RAIL MAGAZINE?

[fandroid]

I suspect that Modern Railways doesn't cover HS2 quite so much because (a) there isn't a huge amount of news coming out on it (b) Rail covers it almost obsessively and in a very partisan campaigning way. C Wolmar does cast doubt every now and then, but never more than in passing.

I agree that Modern Railways is probably staffed by too many oldies, with the disadvantages that naturally brings. I did say earlier that Alan Williams should get less exposure! I still appreciate Ian Walmsley's deep scepticism, but I'm not sure that he won't begin to repeat himself too much soon. He is one of the few columnists who really understands coach specification and looks at the issues 100% from the passenger experience point of view.

The defence of BR is quite understandable, as both government and the industry relentlessly tell us how wonderful the current franchise set-up is. (Do I detect vested interests?) It needs someone in the media to point out where the emperor's new clothes are absent.

Having said all that, it could do with some new and young contributors to balance the oldie bias.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

As far as I'm aware none of the main commentators ever worked for BR except Ian Walmsley.

Not quite - there has been a resurgence of "old retired BR" with Chris Stokes (Deputy Director NSE amongst other jobs) and Theo Steel - again very solid and experienced as Regional Railways and Great Eastern......

I have to say , I find myself seriously bored with Mr Williams and the never ending Esk Valley , Scarborough and the odd excursion on the ECML. BAck in the day - when he travelled around for the Post Office - there was at least some variety - along with the latest news from the South West Division of BR.

MR needs some new input - but Roger Ford continues to excel.

Personal views of course...

 

[Busaholic]

As far as I'm aware none of the main commentators ever worked for BR except Ian Walmsley.



I have to say , I find myself seriously bored with Mr Williams and the never ending Esk Valley , Scarborough and the odd excursion on the ECML. BAck in the day - when he travelled around for the Post Office - there was at least some variety - along with the latest news from the South West Division of BR.

MR needs some new input - but Roger Ford continues to excel.

Personal views of course...

Alan Williams certainly put Effingham Junction on the map - it seems to have disappeared since he left. It would be better if he was given a quarterly column - he certainly doesn't have enough new to offer every month, also his stuff needs editing and leavening with a little humour, though he may not be capable of it.

I used to buy RAIL regularly, often after a cursory look in Smith's, but found I only read a couple of pages or that articles that appeared interesting at first glance were less so on closer inspection. If it was monthly, with 50% more pages than currently, I might well buy it again, but not at much more than the current cover price.

 

[Greenback]

I don't think Alan Williams is relevant any more. Not that I read MR much these days. He used to have plenty of good stuff to report and say, from his days on BR's design panel, and, as has been mentioned, from his regular travels around the network on Post Office business.

Now that he has retired and relocated, though, he has become increasingly irrelevant and it's time he had a rest.

As far as RAIL magazine goes, I think the same goes for the current managing editor and the entire editorial board!