What is your controversial railway opinion/idea?

[EM2]

No debates allowed, just a straightforward statement of what you think about something railway-related, that is probably not widely shared by others.
Here's mine:

The HST prototype is better looking than the production version.

 

[WelshBluebird]

That the railways should be run in the public interest rather than for profit or as a trainset for the franchise or DfT that ignores how much some people rely on their train service.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That all British cities (anywhere that is big enough to have more than one mode, so including towns like MK with railways that are seriously underused for local travel) should have a regulated, fully-integrated transport system on the German model with planned connections and an outright ban on fare-based competition, i.e. one set of fares covering a journey on all modes as required.

 

[LOL The Irony]

We should adopt a tresspass system where if you get injured or killed, your fault, you were breaking the law, good day.

 

[Moonshot]

Metrolink should further expand and take over as much of heavy rail as possible

 

[sw1ller]

Railway staff need bigger pay rises

 

[Bletchleyite]

One more from me.

DOO is a blip. Guard-only operation on the DLR model is the long-term future. Get people doing things people are good at - customer services and emergency response. People are bad at repetitive tasks, so if a computer can do them with no mistakes at all have a computer do them.

 

[deltic]

Close all lightly used lines and stations and concentrate what rail does best moving large numbers of people into city/town centres or moving smaller numbers rapidly from centre to centre

 

[Mintona]

Train drivers are underpaid.

 

[4-SUB 4732]

That the railways should be run in the public interest rather than for profit or as a trainset for the franchise or DfT that ignores how much some people rely on their train service.

DFT TRIGGERED.

 

[deltic]

Create a women only rail company employing only women in all roles

 

[NorthKent1989]

Have a proper first class and compartments, also more seats.

 

[XCTurbostar]

First Class shouldn't exist on any trains less than 4 coaches

 

[BeHereNow]

They should be paved over and replaced by buses.

 

[deltic]

Introduce a new ticketing system where the price you pay is based on distance and weight (of yourself and all your worldly goods you wish to transport)

 

[deltic]

All trains should be first class only

 

[deltic]

All stations should be staffed from first to last train (in conjunction with closing lightly used stations) but all ticket offices closed.

 

[Y Ddraig Coch]

The majority of trains should be loco hauled.

 

[6Gman]

Close all lightly used lines and stations and concentrate what rail does best moving large numbers of people into city/town centres or moving smaller numbers rapidly from centre to centre

This.

(Mostly.)

 

[Whattraintoday]

A lot of problems blamed on privatisation (too few drivers, old trains, forcing DOO etc) can be more accurately laid at the door of the DfT and their micromanagement and thus not enough privatisation.
Perfect example - OAO's not being allowed to 'abstract' fares from franchised operators. This is totally anti-competitive. Make the OAO's pay their way properly, but then let them compete on a level playing field

 

[6Gman]

Many of these suggestions are scarcely controversial, so:

Close a significant number of stations which contribute little or nothing bar performance risk ( cough ... Ardwick)

Pacers are not all bad

Voyagers are not at all bad

 

[deltic]

privatise and completely deregulate the whole rail industry

 

[fowler9]

Replace all the trains with loco hauled stock and a mixture of 37's, 59's and 56's.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

1. Overhaul and simplify the entire ticketing system and reduce fares.

2. TOCs who regularly have cancellation rates of 30%+ should give its season ticket holders free travel for the remaining life of their franchise (or 1 year if the franchise ends sooner) as compensation

 

[Merseysider]

Seat reservations shouldn’t be free - 50p per through journey (not segment) ought to get rid of the ridiculous number of unused reservations filling up Pendos etc.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Stop marking seat reservations and instead have reserved and unreserved coaches.

 

[Controller1701]

All services through the Medway corridor should be all stations (and lets build a station per house which these services will call at) and be priced at the same price as HS1 there by removing the premium required for this service.

 

[RichJF]

Thameslink should always be a class 319 railway!

 

[317666]

The busiest/most overcrowded routes should be re-gauged to allow double-decker trains to operate. I don't care how much it costs!

Anyone who even suggests ordering stock from Bombardier Derby should be hung, drawn and quartered!

 

[underbank]

All branch lines/small terminus stations should have a shuttle service only to the nearest main line station. Main lines should be the preserve of "inter city" services travelling only between major city terminuses and only stopping at larger main line "connection" hubs. Get the shorter/slower trains off the main line network as much as possible and make their journey times/distances generally a lot shorter so there's less risk of knock on effects of delays etc. Also means no need to electrify short branch lines or to use diesel trains over long distances under wires on the main lines just so they can travel a short distance over non electrified branch lines.