| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Ruth Cadbury's Call to Nationalise the Railways | |
| Posted by: | Michael Robinson | |
| Date/Time: | 30/01/20 10:40:00 |
| I’d agree that greater subsidy should mean cheaper fares and that should mean increased demand. However the challenge is then, where does the capacity for increased demand come from? The London Reconnections article describes the challenges with longer trains (more power needed, signalling changes, increased stabling, lengthening platforms) and the importance of seconds to provide frequency of service (and a more frequent service would likely mean shutting urban level crossings completely) I don’t want to get into the HS2 debate but one of its claimed advantages is increased capacity as faster intercity services can be moved onto dedicated track therefore releasing capacity on existing track currently shared by fast, medium, slow and freight services. Increasing capacity into London therefore increasing how London-centric the U.K. economy is is another point of contention. |