#Railnatter

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#Railnatter Episode 213: Labour Will* Nationalise Rail (a Getting Britain Moving page-turn) May 01, 2024

Show notes

Well, our original plans are out the window as Labour decided to publish their plans for Britain's railways. We have no choice but to go through them. And it might not take us a full episode.

Let's see if they are worth the pixels... And whether nationalisation will mean that, and if it will deliver.

Enjoyed this? Please do consider supporting #Railnatter at https://patreon.com/garethdennis or throw loose change at me via https://paypal.me/garethdennis. Merch at https://garethdennis.co.uk/merch. Join in the discussion at https://garethdennis.co.uk/discord.

#Railnatter Episode 212: How To Fix Buses In Wales (looking at the TfW plan) Apr 24, 2024

Show notes

It's a Wales episode! AND it's a bus episode! When I talk about Wales being way out ahead of the rest of the UK when it comes to integrating its transport system, hopefully this report will make the case... We're doing a classic page turn of the Welsh Government's Roadmap to Bus Reform report, covering network, timetable, and ticket integration.

Let's see how good these plans are!

#Railnatter Episode 211: Britain's SUV problem Apr 17, 2024

Show notes

I often rant and rail about SUVs - you know, the cars designed to maximise the harm they cause to other road users - but what is the data behind the proliferation of these hugely damaging vehicles. Why are so many being sold? What are some of the consequences?

Thankfully, an actual expert is joining us this week to dive into the numbers - Ralph Palmer is the UK electric vehicles and fleet lead officer for Europe's leading sustainable transport NGO, Transport & Environment. I'm excited to chat to him!

#Railnatter Episode 210: Joby Aviation Will* Save Us (and other nonsense) Apr 10, 2024

Show notes

As ever, quite a lot has happened since we last caught up with the news... Not least that vapourware VTOL grifters Joby Aviation have convinced the British government that flying taxis are the future at the expense of anything else. It's another news episode!

*I lied, they won't.

Enjoyed this? Please do consider supporting #Railnatter at / garethdennis or throw loose change at me via https://paypal.me/garethdennis. Merch at https://garethdennis.co.uk/merch. Join in the discussion at https://garethdennis.co.uk/discord.

#Railnatter Episode 209: How To Become A Freight Train Driver Apr 03, 2024

Show notes

This week we've the pleasure of welcoming back Bessie Matthews, train driver, author, illustrator, columnist and all-round railway industry treasure.

In her career so far, she's navigated a good slice of the rail industry, and so we'll take the chance to explore her story so far and see what she's learned...

#Railnatter Episode 208: Everything You Wanted To Know About New Trains Mar 27, 2024

Show notes

After our first pause in four years, 200+ episodes, 280 hours and countless guests, we're back again (we only skipped three weeks!)... And I'm very pleased to welcome Robin Davis onto the show to talk all things Designing New Trains.

Robin has presided over the introduction of several new intercity train fleets over successive generations of rolling stock design, and there's not a lot about designing trains that he doesn't know - so who better to quiz with all of your questions?

See you all LIVE on the 27th!

#Railnatter Episode 207: What is to become of Great British Railways? Feb 28, 2024

Show notes

The UK government have finally published their plans for Great British Railways, or rather, the hollow shell of the original proposals, now called the Integrated Rail Body. If it's anything like the Integrated Rail Plan, we are in for trouble.

Much as these plans are intended not to be enacted, the likelihood is that Labour will pick them up and deliver them largely intact, so it actually is worth us digging into them. We can also learn what a better structure might look like by picking through everything that is broken with these proposals, too.

So all in all this should be a really useful episode... Probably not one to miss! And it will be LIVE!

#Railnatter Episode 206: California’s hydrogen train hell (and other news stories) Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

CalTrain are pressing ahead with their completely bizarre obsession with hydrogen as a means of powering commuter and intercity trains. It is completely baffling. And it isn't the only nonsense that's been going down over the last few weeks!

Join us as we chat about ROSCO profits, devolved mayors talking big, Euston station's big horrible LED billboard, London Overground's new line names, corruption on Greece's railways, progress on Levenmouth's rail link and a quick mention of the demise of Great British Railways (more next week)...

#Railnatter Episode 205: When British Rail Ran Boats (a brief history of Sealink et al) Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

A much requested topic - we are going to dive into the waters of when British Rail ran boats (ships) in the form of British Rail Shipping and International Services, then Sealink UK, then Sealink British Ferries, then Stena Sealink Line, then Stena Line, then... Well, you get the picture. We'll try to demystify things.

If you like boats (ships), arguably the trains of the sea, then this is the episode for you!

#Railnatter Episode 204: Apprentice Question Time Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

It's @Youngrailpro Rail Week! In the fourth (we missed one last year) of our YRP Rail Week specials, we are joined by the most guests we've ever squeezed into the format. Five mid-career panelists (most of whom are also former apprentices) are quizzed about building a career in the railway by an audience of current apprentices - because YES, it is also National Apprenticeship Week. And the questions are BRILLIANT.

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