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Trains.

PostPosted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 12:09 am
by gillsfan1066
I saw some show tonight where the people took a train from London to Manchester but it wasn't a British Rail green train it was some super train with all red and yellow and Virgin written on the side. Is that just for the show or does Virgin really have something to do with trains in the UK ?

Re: Trains.

PostPosted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 11:47 am
by CadburyMan
Yes - train operation has been "privatised" throughout the UK with numerous operating companies running government issued franchises which, I believe are tendered for every 7 years. There is a government influenced organisation that maintains the infrastructure.

This has led to a great improvement in efficiency and quality of trains but there is still work to be done

Re: Trains.

PostPosted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 2:35 pm
by gillsfan1066
Wow, who would have thunked it. Train travel here is strange, people will travel 30 or 40 miles by train to work, but distances are so large few travel by train if the distance is more than say Washington to NYC, or Chicago to St. Louis, bigger distances than that people tend to fly.

Re: Trains.

PostPosted: Sat Sep 30, 2017 4:26 pm
by CadburyMan
As you know distances are not so great in the UK and with airports distant from city centres trains are a viable proposition.

There are are a number of operators, eg Virgin, who run mainline services but most are regional set-ups