This week on the podcast we are talking about trains. You might think that we talked about trains a mere two episodes back. To which I respond – trains! Trains are great! Woohoo, trains!
Okay, so one big reason why we’re back on public transport again is because it’s what this week’s guest really wanted to talk about. As well as being the political editor of Buzzfeed UK, Jim Waterson is a massive railway nerd, and is the only person ever to – I don’t use this word lightly – beg to appear on this podcast.
He tells me the delightfully screwy story of regional Eurostars: how the British government spent hundreds of millions of pounds commissioning trains and building infrastructure so that you could get sleeper trains from Manchester, Wolverhampton or Swansea to the continent – yet never managed to run a single train.
Before recording, he also provided us with these delightful historic maps showing how British Rail intended those trains to get between London and the Channel Tunnel:
In the end, of course, we got an entirely different route the cross the Thames into Essex and approaches north London from the East.
Before we hear from Jim, though, I bore Stephanie to tears by enthusiastically recounting everything I’ve learnt about the history of the British railways from a book he’s just finished reading, Matthew Engel’s Eleven Minutes Late.
Afterwards we read out some tweets in which people recount their biggest transport horror stories. And we attempt to answer a question for the ages: what the hell is it with men masturbating at women on public transport?
The episode itself is below. You can subscribe to the podcast on Acast, iTunes, or RSS. Enjoy.
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