Close the railways

[locojoe]

I saw this and wondered if anybody would be interested.
Alan Locojoe

Completely off the rails? The man who would turn railway lines into a coach network

Paul Withrington`s argument that we should shut down the railways and turn the lines into a bus-coach network has been laughed off-stage by the railway industry but who is he and why does he hate trains so much?
Transport Watch notes - the railway industry may have laughed but its points of substanance are invisible.

The latest self-appointed transport 'expert' on the scene is Paul Withrington, who runs a one-man organisation called Transport Watch UK from what looks like his home address in Northampton. Withrington sprang dramatically into the public domain in December with a series of paid-for adverts, reportedly eight in all, in the New Statesman, Private Eye and The Week, making the case for closing down the railways and turning the lines into dedicated runs for express coach services instead.

[Trev]

Never heard of him, but he's obviously not very well informed (in other words, bloody thick).

Where would the freight go? Can you imagine (for instance) nose to tail lorries carrying coal from the Humber ports to Drax?

Personally, I'd ban all private motorised transport. There is a good case to be made for doing so. I wonder how Mr Withrington would react to that? Does he have a website Alan? I fancy a good argument!

[Arthur Maunsell]

I think the time will come when something like that will have to happen....private transport is very wasteful of resources and will have to be priced out of the market eventually. As for turning railways into Bus Ways....well, it would cost Gazillions which isnt there and most lines would be too narrow for roads anyway....Sad dreamer making full use of the Silly Season to self-publicise himself....

[locojoe]

Hi Trev this is all I could dig up about Paul Withrington. His organisation is called Transport Watch UK.
http://www.transport-watch.co.uk/tra...eye-advert.pdf

[swisstrains]

This man really dislikes railways doesn't he?
I see from his website http://www.transport-watch.co.uk that he is a former project manager in Transport Planning for Northamptonshire County Council.
I have noticed a lot of people in other forums praising coach travel recently and claiming that there is evidence to show that they are more environmently friendly than trains.

[Ringoosmeg]

Ive just spent some considerable time on the mans web site, well, what can I say.

The Tosh that is being written is tantermount to madness, I cannot believe that he believes his own ramblings!

The section on how the railway is big enough to be converted into roads suitable for full sized lorries and coaches...mmmmm, he even states that tunnels and bridges are OK and will not need changing, I realy dont think that he realises that the majority of railway tunnels etc are single bore! and are curved at the top! so the actual height at the centre is ok, but deviate either side of that centre line and cruch...what roof on the lorriy/coach...

I could go on...I urge you to read it all...its fiction of the highest order! Those who read it and believe it, need to get out more, go to the pub, make friends......

[Trev]

Thanks Alan.

I've just had a look at the rubbish that this blokes group spouts, and I can't honestly say I'm that surprised.

It's all very centered on the transport needs of the South East isn't it? No mention anywhere (as far as I could see) about the social aspect of public transport provision in the rest of the country.

[swisstrains]

I hate to think how old some of Paul Withrington's information is.
In the section on accidents he complains that the railways don't include statistics for passengers falling over parcels and being hit by barrows.

[Arthur Maunsell]

what parcels? what barrows? those days are long gone arent they?

I remember Reading General at Xmas in the 70's platform 9 used to be a sea of parcels from one end to the other....and more arriving by the train load.....Platfroms 3 and 10 were used solely for parcels vans in those days plus the centre line between the up and down relief....

[swisstrains]

And don't forget the pigeon-baskets Arthur. Or was that just a northern thing?