New train service to London!

I wondered why there weren't many services running these days. Now I know the answer:
hehe, merry Gregorian new year everyone

Simple changes to improve road safety

Working in the home counties recently, I see lots of little villages and winding roads. What surprises me is that nearly all these roads are set at the national speed limit and there aren't any double-white lines in the middle stopping people from overtaking. So every day I am doing 40 mph around a sharp bend and find someone else overtaking and almost careering into my car!

So some simple steps to cut down road traffic accidents:

• Double-white lines on all roads where there is not a perfect overtaking opportunity, cutting out about 50% of the current overtaking death spots.
• Widen roads by 1 Meter, and use that space to separate the two opposing traffic lanes with a white dash painted area.
• Repaint the white fluorescent markings down the centre of the road regularly, and in particular at junctions (a common location of accidents)
• Fix or replace all broken cats-eyes, too many roads have worn markings and missing cats-eyes.

Easy stuff, and not that costly to save lives, so why isn't it done!?

The French will be pleased not to arrive in Waterloo!

With the opening of St Pancras to the Eurostar High Speed 1 route which travels through the chunnel from France, some must be very pleased about not having to arrive in a station named after the defeat which ended the Napoleonic wars!

Victory against Napoleon was on 18 June 1815 at Waterloo (Belgium), secured by the Duke of Wellington and the Prussian army against the might of Napoleon. Waterloo bridge was named after the battle, and then Waterloo station was named after the bridge.

I'm happy to have a high-speed route in to London from the channel, but wonder just how long we'll have to wait until the rest of the UK has high-speed routes..?

The real reason and benefit of the 2012 London Olympics

We would all think the Olympics was about sports and building bridges between different countries and peoples. That's still officially the goal, but the reality is that it costs too much to bid successfully and develop the facilities that now it's about more than just the eight week Olympic period.

It's about the legacy, what facilities and regeneration the Olympic works will bring in. It's a great excuse to spend a lot of tax payers money, re-developing depressed areas. Like the Stratford in North London.

As well as all the fantastic sports facilities, we are also getting part of the rail network the capital is desparate for. The new Crossrail route from east to west, and the eurostar line (High Speed 1) down to the chunnel from St Pancras, Stratford and Ebbsfleet International stations.

I'm looking forward to making the most of these new transport facilities ;)

Commercial Maglev comes to Europe

The BBC reports that Europe is getting it's first commercial Maglev train, in the form of a service from Munich aeroport into the city centre. We could do with a Maglev in London. Now we only have the Heathrow express which costs £15.50, about 8 times more than other airport shuttle services, and still takes over 20 mins to get to Heathrow!