All the energy suppliers in the UK putting up prices.

[Bob Dalek]

Virgin's trains always stink of wee.

[TykeMerc]

Used German train a few months ago. Had to look several times to be sure I wasn't in First.

Travelled all over Italy on their train system recently, I bought tickets at the stations on the days when I decided to travel rather than buying in advance or a travel pass and the total cost of 8 tickets was less than I would pay for a single from Leeds to London.

The trains were on time, very fast, clean, comfortable, large and cheap, essentially everything that the British rail system isn't.

[HairyArsedBloke]

Natural Gas December 2008 future on NYMEX

Questions need to be asked in the House.

[AtW]

Natural Gas December 2008 future on NYMEX

Questions need to be asked in the House.

Execs of UK "energy" that just raised prices in the UK should be put in jail for 20 years as a warning to future generations

When someone [do with railways] was asked why they didn't put more carriages on trains, instead of packing people in like sardines, I think the answer was because platforms aren't long enough to cope with the extra length. FFS, I was almost ready to turn up with some cement and water myself.

It is certainly a big factor - Russian trains are much longer, probably the same in other countries as it is one of the most obvious and cheap ways to increase capacity - getting more carriages to roll is cheaper than alternatives.

But the very big issue in my in UK railways is that they were designed in such a way that on fairly major stations there are still 2 rails - so trains will block anything behind them - slow local trains for example. In Russia (with all the stupid things there) any half decent station will have multiple railway lines - in fact I remember that fairly local station to a fairly local city (not Moscow) had like 15 railways on the station, so trains could wait without blocking path of faster trains - thats like more than on New Street Station and I'd say about the same as on Euston!

I wouldn't blame just Nu Lie for that as I think all Govts in this country neglected railways - very stupid very shortsighted move. If they could not be arsed to invest into R&D of new trains then buy them from France and Germany, just lay down track ffs, not hard is it? Put unemployed to do it if necessary - fresh air and hard manual word and they will be off the dole in a week time - use savings to put into more railways

[bogeyman]

... Russian trains are much longer ...

Well, you can't say you don't learn anything from reading CUK

[AtW]

Well, you can't say you don't learn anything from reading CUK

Much thicker too - when compared to london tubes...

[bogeyman]

Much thicker too - when compared to london tubes...

We once had the thickest trains in the world.

Brunel's original Great Western Railway had a gauge of 7ft while Russia's rail gauge is a skinny Kate-Moss-like 4ft 11⅞ in.

Sadly everyone told IKB that his trains were too thick, and he should adopt the 4ft 8.5 in. gauge of a Roman chariot. And after he'd bored all the tunnels too!