Why are the UK’s trains so expensive?
Fares have increased by a fifth in real terms since privatisation, along with demand for rail travel.
Transport / Rail
Rail
Is TfL proof that public transport should be run by government?
The success of London's combination of private franchises and tight public management may soon be imitated nationwide.
Resolving tensions between global development goals and local aspirations
The Sustainable Development Goals – a set of 17 globally agreed-upon targets for the year 2030 – are clearly listed and appear to be easy to subscribe to. However, development planning and the implementation of development projects are never straightforward.
Commute patterns have been upended. Transit planning should be too.
Outdated travel prediction systems are getting in the way of more efficient and equitable transportation. Urban planners Claire Fram and Richard de Cani of Arup believe there's a solution.
Biden’s transportation department could be great for cities
The new US DOT, says urban planner Steven Higashide, understands that street-level changes, repeated at scale, can add up to a country that is greener and more just.
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Why Montréal is doubling down on public transport
The region's transit agencies were already planning an ambitious expansion before Covid-19. Now infrastructure and service commitments are seen as key to a strong economic recovery.
The pandemic doesn’t have to be an existential threat to mass transit
In countries that have committed to supporting public transport, advocates express confidence that systems will continue to provide decent service and adapt to the needs of a post-pandemic world.
Trackless trams may be the best alternative to light rail
Combining the best of high-speed trains and autonomous-vehicle tech, they are emerging as a less expensive, more sustainable option.
Even with stimulus, US mass transit faces a death spiral
The fear is that service cuts today could reduce the constituency for public transportation later. In this looming disaster, the US is an outlier among the world’s wealthy nations.
Mass transit ridership didn’t snap back after the 2003 SARS outbreaks
The peak of the epidemic in Taipei and Hong Kong lasted about a month, but ridership lagged significantly for half a year.
The next challenge for Austin’s transit plan: Delivering on its equity pledge
The Texas capital wants to show that it can build light rail while protecting nearby communities at risk of displacement.
Reality will temper Biden’s grand ambitions for passenger rail
Staggering construction costs, the prioritisation of job creation and Republican obstruction may clobber the aspirations of "Amtrak Joe".
UK rail operators offer government a choice: Pay up, relax lockdown, or stop services
In normal times, the trains are funded largely via passengers, but now the passengers are staying home.
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