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#train

70 posts57 participants7 posts today

New research from the Department for #Transport (DfT) shows that leisure travel is now the most common reason people travel by #train. It also highlights midweek commuting, with Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays being the busiest days. The #railway is vital for connecting people for work, education, healthcare, and leisure, supporting economic growth.

The report found 54% of passengers travel for leisure, 30% for work or education, and 15% for business. The government is investing in a major overhaul of the rail network, moving towards public ownership and the creation of Great British Railways (GBR).

Despite challenges like delays and cancellations, the government is working to improve service reliability and has introduced new performance measures at 1,700 stations. Rail revenue has seen growth, with over one million tickets sold during the latest rail sale, indicating strong demand for train travel.
gov.uk/government/news/leisure

GOV.UK · Leisure travel tops charts for reasons people choose railBy Department for Transport

Spotted the new Mark V type Skytrain being tested at Commercial-Broadway Station! It appears to be shown on the schedule as normal, the doors open, but the inside is fenced off so no one is permitted to board.

Replied in thread

@rhelune

In #Europe, I always travel by #train. In the past, that has involved e.g. two #nighttrains (with beds) per direction and a total travel time of ≈ 50 hours each way.

I vote "50 hours"!

However, I also travelled to America and Asia. To America there is no train. To Asia it's very complicated and expensive. Travelling by container ship is even more expensive and takes weeks. To both destinations, I took the plane 😞

Italian rail operator reveals a €1bn investment to tackle Eurostar's monopoly.

Italian railway group Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) has revealed plans to launch a high-speed rail service between Paris and London.

Set to be launched by 2029, the service will challenge Eurostar’s long-running monopoly on the route.

The project would be carried out in partnership with Spanish firm Evolyn.

mediafaro.org/article/20250408

An information board is displayed at Gare du Nord train station in Paris, France. 21 December 2020. | Copyright AP/Lewis Joly
Euronews · Italian rail operator reveals a €1bn investment to tackle Eurostar's monopoly.By Eleanor Butler

Today's historic photo of the day: 37 years ago today, British Rail Diesel railcar P126 (which I believe is 55026, a BR class 121 AEC engined unit dating from 1960/61) runs the 16:38 St Erth to St Ives #train at Carbis Bay, Cornwall, UK, April 8 1988.

The St Ives line is a 7km branch line in west Cornwall connecting the coastal town of St Ives to the main London to Penzance railway at St Erth. Carbis Bay is one of three intermediate stations on the branch.

Le défi #20jours20souvenirs !

Pendant 20 jours, un souvenir fort, plaisant, mémorable, marquant, que vous souhaitez partager.

Jour 12 : mon premier train.

Oui, ça paraît futile. Mais je n'étais déjà plus si jeune quand j'ai pris le train pour la première fois (peut-être 16 ans ?), et je m'en souviens.

Pas précisément, non, mais c'était la première fois que je faisais un trajet significatif seul. Qu'une cinquantaine de kilomètres, pour monter à la capitale régionale d'alors (Marseille), mais seul.

Et si je ne me souviens pas des détails de ce voyage dans un train régional (j'ai beaucoup pris le train depuis), je me souviens du sentiment que j'éprouvai alors : la liberté.

Liberté de voyager seul, sans être véhiculé par un parent. Liberté des horaires (dans une certaine limite). Voire, liberté de la destination, pour peu que j'aie assez d'argent.

Bien sûr, par nature je restait assez stressé de rater mon arrêt (pourtant, Marseille est un terminus). Et au retour, j'étais à la gare au moins une demi-heure avant l'heure de départ. Mais je me souviens de cette ouverture des perspectives, toute nouvelle pour moi.

Depuis, les choses ont bien évolué, en bien (le TGV à raccourci certaines distances) comme en mal (fermeture de nombreuses lignes secondaires, qualité des dessertes).

Mais le train reste mon ami, bien plus que le bus. Il a un côté rassurant, ses rails le guident vers une destination certaine. Plus que moi.