What is your controversial railway opinion/idea?

[The Ham]

It's not as stupid as you might think. Drivers tend to obey traffic lights even when they can see it's safe -eg a pedestrian crossing after the last person has crossed, or a quiet, well lit crossing when it's clear there are no cars approaching. Even leaving the barriers, the flashing red lights should be replaced with standard red amber green. We associate flashing lights with a warning, not an instruction.

I would be minded to disagree, in that if people are stupid enough to drive around barriers then they aren't going to pay much attention to a different configuration of lights controlling the crossings.

 

[GrimShady]

Women applying nail polish remover should be banned. The stuff stinks the whole compartment out. VTWC seems to have a number of these types.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Throw in Manchester-Sheffield via Woodhead and you're on.

Woodhead should've never been closed and we should re-open it as an alternate Transpennine route ASAP!

 

[PacerTrain142]

All the Pacers should be saved! Scrap the 150’s instead!

 

[al78]

1. A lot of people on here are incresibly defensive about the current state of the railways, and will jump down the throat of anyone who suggests any change at all. Weirdly

2. Many of these people are also enthusiastic proponents of the theory that, where there are gaos in the rail network, travellers should use cars instead.

1. is possibly because some people have their identity linked to the railway, so any criticism of the railway is like a criticism of their identity, which is interpreted as an attack on the ego which must be countered.

2. is possibly due to the status quo bias, or because it is too much effort/will involve spending money to try and change things for the better, much easier to tell people to deal with it or don't use it. An attitude which suppresses progress, and will ultimatly lead to stagnation or even regression.

 

[al78]

It's not as stupid as you might think. Drivers tend to obey traffic lights even when they can see it's safe -eg a pedestrian crossing after the last person has crossed, or a quiet, well lit crossing when it's clear there are no cars approaching. Even leaving the barriers, the flashing red lights should be replaced with standard red amber green. We associate flashing lights with a warning, not an instruction.

I think it is just because people are impatient, and don't see any consequences to jumping level crossing barriers, they sit there waiting and waiting and waiting before a train comes along, so think next time they can just zig-zag round with plenty of time. With traffic lights, there is always the chance that cameras are in operation, and there is more going on at a road junction, so a driver is not guarenteed to get away with jumping a light without getting caught and fined, so they are more obediant. It is to do with a quick calculation of gain vs cost and probability, nothing to do with the colour of the lights. There are flashing red lights outside some fire stations when a fire engine has been called to an emergency, do drivers jump those as well?

 

[Lucan]

I think it is just because people are impatient, and don't see any consequences to jumping level crossing barriers

Plus the fact that most people fundamentally fail to understand railways. First of all, they consider that trains are an inferior type of transport for inferior people (ie ones who cannot drive, not helped by the emphasis on and lobbying for public transport's "accessibility" - sorry, but that is a public image that has been created); so they feel indignant at being held up for a train. They think that the train passsengers should think themselves lucky to be transported at all, without having priority over the more important people in cars. I know people who have never been on a train in their lives and would not want to be seen dead on one. Then they think that trains can stop like cars, and even if a train is coming - well it can and should stop for them if necessary, can't it? After all they know that trains are slow because they went on a heritage railway once.

 

[Railwaysceptic]

Plus the fact that most people fundamentally fail to understand railways. First of all, they consider that trains are an inferior type of transport for inferior people (ie ones who cannot drive, not helped by the emphasis on and lobbying for public transport's "accessibility" - sorry, but that is a public image that has been created); so they feel indignant at being held up for a train. They think that the train passsengers should think themselves lucky to be transported at all, without having priority over the more important people in cars. I know people who have never been on a train in their lives and would not want to be seen dead on one. Then they think that trains can stop like cars, and even if a train is coming - well it can and should stop for them if necessary, can't it? After all they know that trains are slow because they went on a heritage railway once.

I must be lucky. I've never met anyone who thought like that, and I'm a long-standing motorist and have associated with motorists all my adult life.

 

[B&I]

Level crossings should be fitted with ANPR, and anyone ignoring lights / barriers should be prosecuted for endangerment

 

[Dentonian]

Plus the fact that most people fundamentally fail to understand railways. First of all, they consider that trains are an inferior type of transport for inferior people (ie ones who cannot drive, not helped by the emphasis on and lobbying for public transport's "accessibility" - sorry, but that is a public image that has been created); so they feel indignant at being held up for a train. They think that the train passsengers should think themselves lucky to be transported at all, without having priority over the more important people in cars. I know people who have never been on a train in their lives and would not want to be seen dead on one. Then they think that trains can stop like cars, and even if a train is coming - well it can and should stop for them if necessary, can't it? After all they know that trains are slow because they went on a heritage railway once.

I also totally disagree. Railway s are a national obsession and in the majority of cases you need to be a motorist to reach Rail. Interesting you talk about accessibility (I assume in the health sense) as since I became ill I have noticed how little we be come in 200 years as outside the NHS disabled people are still considered a burden and disability is a "punishment from God" - without a trail, of course. This in turn probably comes from misleading messages like 40pc of Cancer s are avoidable. Guess what that means 60pc are Unavoidable - including ALL blood cancers.

 

[backontrack]

Woodhead should've never been closed and we should re-open it as an alternate Transpennine route ASAP!

Absolutely! This. ^^^

 

[GrimShady]

A

Absolutely! This. ^^^

Agreed!

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Once the trackbed of a former rail route has been converted into a walking/cycling path. people should accept it'll never reopen as a raiilway line.

 

[gazzaa2]

Only sell tickets with a seat number on. When seats have gone for a particular service stop selling them and don't let anyone board without valid seated ticket (or rail pass)

 

[xotGD]

Only sell tickets with a seat number on. When seats have gone for a particular service stop selling them and don't let anyone board without valid seated ticket (or rail pass)

Then we can all stand on the platform and wave at the dozens of empty seats as the train departs.

And how much more rolling stock would we need to provide seats to all of those who currently stand?

 

[The Ham]

Only sell tickets with a seat number on. When seats have gone for a particular service stop selling them and don't let anyone board without valid seated ticket (or rail pass)

How would that work with season tickets?

 

[Esker-pades]

First class should only exist on Intercity services and should be a maximum of 30% of the train. No 4:5 split on a Pendolino or the pointless first class seating areas where the only difference between that and standard class is a bib on the back.

 

[Ianno87]

First class should only exist on Intercity services and should be a maximum of 30% of the train. No 4:5 split on a Pendolino or the pointless first class seating areas where the only difference between that and standard class is a bib on the back.

Aren't 9 car Pendolinos a 3/6 split now?

 

[DanTrain]

First class should only exist on Intercity services and should be a maximum of 30% of the train. No 4:5 split on a Pendolino or the pointless first class seating areas where the only difference between that and standard class is a bib on the back.

I’d take that further myself an ban 1st on all services except a few premium ones (Flying Scotsman type services) and on special routes (WHL, HoW line etc - ironically many of these don’t currently have 1st). These services should provide a cooked meal, free tea/biscuits and a 1st class host to make it a proper experience.

 

[Esker-pades]

I’d take that further myself an ban 1st on all services except a few premium ones (Flying Scotsman type services) and on special routes (WHL, HoW line etc - ironically many of these don’t currently have 1st). These services should provide a cooked meal, free tea/biscuits and a 1st class host to make it a proper experience.

I'm so glad I've already got a first class ticket for a morning London to Edinburgh run. Breakfast .

 

[gazzaa2]

How would that work with season tickets?

Then we can all stand on the platform and wave at the dozens of empty seats as the train departs.

And how much more rolling stock would we need to provide seats to all of those who currently stand?

I know it's a non starter but i've had it after spending Saturday lunchtime (off peak) crammed in like a sardine with nowhere to move for over an hour from New Street to Euston on a hot day on a train with no air con.

I'm not putting up with it anymore. The train service north of London is not fit for purpose, is laughably over subscribed and I won't be using that train again until HS2.

 

[Railwaysceptic]

I know it's a non starter but i've had it after spending Saturday lunchtime (off peak) crammed in like a sardine with nowhere to move for over an hour from New Street to Euston on a hot day on a train with no air con.

I'm not putting up with it anymore. The train service north of London is not fit for purpose, is laughably over subscribed and I won't be using that train again until HS2.

Why don't you use the Chiltern service instead?

 

[Muenchener]

Only my opinion but I believe the Bolton - Preston corridor will finally be electrified this autumn.

Maybe that's more sarcasm that controversy...

 

[devonexpress]

• Privatize the entire railway back into the big 4.
• Scrap the Voyagerss and IET's and create a HST 2 version which uses coaches and powercars with a proper buffet, first class compartments, proper first class service, and restaurant cars on at suitable times of day.
• Bring back more express trains and don't be afraid to use the name express.

 

[RailWonderer]

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

Czech Republic has a railway ran only by children. You can see it on YouTube. Women, why not?

 

[Mordac]

• Privatize the entire railway back into the big 4.
• Scrap the Voyagerss and IET's and create a HST 2 version which uses coaches and powercars with a proper buffet, first class compartments, proper first class service, and restaurant cars on at suitable times of day.
• Bring back more express trains and don't be afraid to use the name express.

I just saw this thread and was about to post the exact same thing. Privatization into those molds would have been massively superior to what we ended up with. Yes, they'd be monopolies and would need to be regulated, but we can do that with other monopolistic industries.

 

[devonexpress]

I just saw this thread and was about to post the exact same thing. Privatization into those molds would have been massively superior to what we ended up with. Yes, they'd be monopolies and would need to be regulated, but we can do that with other monopolistic industries.

To be honest British Rail was the biggest mistake of the railways, ok most where struggling after WW2, but they would have recovered, instead nationalisation led to the rise of unions(now the biggest problem on the uk rail network), the crippling underfunding, dangerous overcrowding is all down to it. The only good thing BR ever did was the HST!

 

[Envy123]

Lincolnshire has an inter-city station with fast services to London, so I think Dorset should have one too.

 

[B&I]

People who think the Big Four would somehow have recovered without nationalisation are living in an ahistorical fantasy land, conjured out of their political biases like smoke out of a garden fire

 

[Mordac]

People who think the Big Four would somehow have recovered witjout nationalisation are living in an ahistorical fantasy land, conjured out of their political biases like smoke out of a garden fire

They could, however, have recovered it they had been given a capital grant to help them recover from war time damage and capital depreciation.

Regardless, my point was about how privatisation should have been done in the 90s, not about the 40s.