. . . . then there is. With all love and respect to Donovan Leitch, we highlight a funny and (probably to some) frustrating example of government mismanagement. Here we explore why rail is always a good choice when you travel, unless the rail company that is meant to carry you needs work of its own. To be fair, this video highlights some government (UK) shenanigans from 1976, so it – in no way – represents the state of UK rail today, which is pretty darned good. Train travel in the UK in the 1970s faced several challenges that contributed to its reputation for being unreliable and in need of improvement. It didn’t help that the railways in the UK had been nationalized in 1948, which meant that they were run by the state-owned British Rail. This centralized structure was often criticized for inefficiency and a lack of customer focus. With British Rail being the sole provider of rail services, there was little incentive for improvement or innovation. Competition is often a driving force for improving services, and this was largely absent in the state-controlled system.
But that was then, and this is now. We use it and, other than rising ticket prices (and which country isn’t seeing that now,) it’s a world-class service. Try it some time if you haven’t done so. See below for top rail choices and prices courtesy of TheTrainline.com (see below.)
We love TheTrainline. Huge selection. Great prices. Multi-country coverage. Click here to book.