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Coming soon to the UK?

The British government are to unveil new plans for a UK high-speed network that will showcase trains capable of 250mph.

The plan will see a new line between London and Birmingham with a possible extension to northern England and Scotland. However work is not expected to commence until 2017 at the earliest, due to permission being needed for the proposed route.

The idea has been floated for several years now, and both opposition parties are committed to the scheme in principle however a final decision on the route should cause political divisions ahead of the general election.

Low-carbon economy

Speaking to the BBC, Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), said “The commitment that all three parties have shown to high-speed rail is a vote of confidence in the industry, and will help place train travel at the heart of a successful low-carbon economy.

“The plans must be affordable at a time of real constraint in the public finances and must show how high-speed rail will be paid for while continuing to invest in the existing network on which passengers make more than a billion journeys a year.”

Affordability is definitely the key when it comes to high-speed rail. currently, the train service in the UK is plagued by delays, expensive tickets and extensive journey times.

If the route is approved, it would cut journey times from Birmingham to London to just over 45 minutes. if the route was extended further north, passengers would be able to get from Glasgow to London in just two hours and 16 minutes, while also serving Manchester and Birmingham.

It was estimated that by 2020, three times as many passengers will be travelling around the country by train.

Whether such a project can be approved and sufficiently budgeted is another matter though.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis’ report, which is set to go public, will confirm the scheme’s specific details, such as whether it would go via London’s Heathrow airport.

Last year, Lord Adonis previewed a series of Japanese-built Class 395 Javelin trains, that can reach speeds of up to 140mph, on the line between Kent and London St Pancreas to showcase the benefits of high-speed rail.

Relevant articles:

UK high-speed rail | High-speed trains in the UK?! | the need for speed

Timon Singh

Timon Singh is a graduate of Liverpool University where he received a degree in Social and Economic History. He has previously worked for BBC Magazines on BBC who Do you Think you are? Magazine, the publication for the popular genealogy show.

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UK high-speed plans to be unveiled | GDS Publishing

The most practical way to travel throughout much of Ukraine and Russia is by train. I live in Sevastopol, and the train — while slow — is reliable, cheap and for the most part very comfortable. the only barbaric part of train travel is the bathrooms which would flunk even the most lenient bathroom inspection in the west.

When I say the trains are slow, I suspect they’re top speeds are probably 40 MPH or so. Add to that frequent stops, some of them for 30 minutes in the biggest cities, and it ends up taking a full 24 hours to cross Ukraine. but for $25 or so one way, you can get your own bed in a four-person sleeper car. so bring a book or your laptop, and make use of the downtime. If you’re really trying to save, you can do the dorm-style “plasskart”. Plasskart is an entire car unto itself, with room for a hundred or more. There are only benches and seats, often not even padded. It’susually hot, stuffy and loud. In a word, spend the extra $15 and get the sleep car.

The trains also have restaurant cars which serve good Ukrainian food for a fair price. If you can speak some Russian, or are learning Russian, it’s the place to hang out and mingle, too. Even if you know only English, people will be still try to talk to you. they rarely see foreigners on their trains and will be interested to hear your story. Buy a round of beers and you’ll make friends for life.

The trains are all non-smoking, by the way, which is a relief. Smokers have to go to certain open-winder areas between the cars. Or they just wait for the next stop to shuffle off the train and get their fix. Either way, you’ll never see someone smoking on the train itself; there’s a serious fine.

Besides the unpleasant bathrooms, the only other hard part of train travel for some people is the rattling of the train itself as you’re trying to sleep. my girlfriend loves it and sleeps like a baby, but the train often shakes me awake. the trick is to go to bed earlier than normal to account for the herky-jerky sleep pattern. the beds themselves are very narrow, but sufficient. I prefer the lower bunk, but that’s just a preference. a bonus is that if you lift up the bed itself, there’s a compartment for a carry-on-sized suitcase. It’s the best spot to stash your valuables at night.

There you have it. Train travel in Russia and Ukraine. Watch this video to see it for yourself…

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Travel by Train in Ukraine | Learn Russian

My last trip to Europe was a solo four week train journey that included some dozen countries. this advantage to this was that I got to see lots of places. the downside was that I didn’t stay anywhere very long. Yet this was how I planned it, and I don’t regret it. A trip like this enables one to visit many destinations and learn where you’d like to return at a later date. in addition to this, I actually like to travel long distances by train, having gone back and forth across America that way some seven times.

Modern Europe has been made to encourage train travel. With its myriad of relatively small countries and diverse cultures (even with the increasing homogenization of the European Union and the common currency, the Euro), you can arrive in a very different place from where you started only a few hours ago.

My trip began in London (which I flew to from New York). After a Eurostar ride to Paris, I made my way to Amsterdam and then south to Italy (Milan, Rome and Florence), then still further south to Athens. Then I zigzagged back north, through Italy again, then Germany and the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Sweden and Finland, where I went as far north as the Arctic Circle (where the sun literally does not set for part of the year).

The European trains that I took were mostly comfortable and efficient. I did not opt for any amenities such as private rooms. While meals are sometimes available, I mainly tried to eat at my destinations, as dining is one of the pleasures of European travel.

Tips For using European Rail Passes

Based on my experiences, I can offer a few tips for buying and using a Eurail pass.one, look into all the different kinds they offer. there are discounts for students, for example. another important factor is to decide how many countries you want to visit. Don’t pay for more than you need. For my own trip, I wanted to go from one end of Europe to the other, so I purchased the most inclusive pass. but if you only want to visit a few countries, look for a pass that only charges you for that.

One thing you can do, which I often did, is to use a train as a hotel room. That is, you take an overnight train. this is a good way to save money on accommodations, but can get tiring after a while.

When you are traveling, be sure to check if the train you are on accepts passes. Most do, but I had one unpleasant experience aboard one train that I thought would accept my pass and didn’t. so I had to purchase a separate ticket. if you check this ahead of time, you will avoid such scenes.

Europe By Train: A Great Experience

There is no better way to see Europe than by train, especially on a budget. You can see an endless variety of landscapes in a relatively short amount of time. Europe is set up for rail travel, so you can get practically anywhere, unlike the U.S., where many people never even consider taking trains (or buses). in recent years, Eastern European countries, such as the Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania are open to travel, though they are not included in the same passes as Western Europe.

Traveling through Europe by train is something everyone should experience at least once in their lives.

Europe by Train – the best Way to See Europe on a Budget

But a $55 billion Hong Kong dollar ($7.1 billion) project to link Hong Kong to a national high-speed rail network has run into a growing protest movement analysts say stems from the lack of democracy in this wealthy former British colony of 7 million people.

Hundreds camped out in a public square next to the legislature late Friday as lawmakers grilled officials on the proposed rail link from Hong Kong to the southern Chinese city Guangzhou. when the hearing was adjourned, about 30 protesters scuffled with police as they tried but failed to storm the legislature. another 500 staged a sit-in in front of the Hong Kong leader’s mansion, shutting down traffic.

“Take back the proposal,” they chanted.

Demonstrators object to the project because it would force many residents to relocate and could cause major traffic congestion and other environmental problems. They also question the economic benefits touted by the government and say the approval process has been clouded by conflicts of interest of some lawmakers linked to industries and companies that could profit from the project.

But just as important, opponents say Hong Kong’s government is ramming through a hugely expensive project without consulting the public in detail, showing the need for political reforms.

Besides the actual railroad, the government plans to spend another HK$11.8 billion ($1.5 billion) on supporting roads and infrastructure, bringing the total tab to HK$66.8 billion ($8.6 billion).

“We are being offered an apple without realizing it’s poisonous — until we bite it. We are not ready, so we should not make such an expensive bet,” said Mirana Szeto, a spokeswoman for the protesters.

Hong Kong officials, however, say most of the public supports a project that they say will offer a big economic boost to the territory by cutting train travel time to key mainland cities.

Polls suggest the territory is torn. While 50 percent of locals back the project as it stands, 44 percent either oppose it outright or want it delayed to allow for more scrutiny and debate, according to a University of Hong Kong phone survey. The poll had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

What started out as a protest by suburban villagers who were forced to relocate has now grown into a broader coalition also involving pro-democracy activists, university students and conservationists.

Freelance layout designer Vicky Lo launched a hunger strike outside the legislature with five others Tuesday. The 23-year-old says the cost of the project, about HK$10,000 ($1,300) per citizen, means it should face extra scrutiny.

“Does this infrastructure project help us?” she asked.

Political analysts say the root of the discontent is Hong Kong’s political system.

While the territory enjoys Western-style civil liberties as part of its semiautonomous status under Chinese rule, its leader is chosen by an exclusive committee stacked with Beijing’s loyalists. The 60-member legislature is half-elected, half chosen by interest groups that tend to side with the Chinese government — an electoral design that allows pro-China politicians to dominate the body and guarantee approval of key government proposals such as the high-speed rail project.

“The government has this bureaucratic habit of expecting things to pass easily,” said Ma Ngok, a political scientist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

But this time the public is putting up a fight.

“Having the high-speed rail line approved by such an unjust legislature is something we can’t accept,” Lo said.

Once the railroad is completed, Shanghai will be an eight-hour journey and Beijing 10 hours, offering the many Hong Kongers working on the mainland a cheaper and efficient alternative to air travel.

Hong Kong’s no. 2 official said Friday there’s been enough public discussion on the project.

“We believe there is a consensus on the importance of building the high-speed rail link,” Chief Secretary for Administration Henry Tang told reporters. “Members of the public have had the chance to conduct an in-depth, passionate discussion, especially in the past few months.”

Hong Kongers protest high-speed rail link to China

America has always been in love with passenger rail. now more than ever train travel on is a viable alternative way to travel. the nation’s premier National Passenger Rail Service will get you safely to your destination. Trains have always been an exciting way to see the country. Especially in these turbulent times of high gas prices it just makes plain sense to use this mode of transportation. the train company’s sole purpose is to provide their passengers with a very safe and quite enjoyable travel experience by rail.

If you are planning to travel for an extended period of time you can bring along your laptop or your favorite best seller to pass away the time. you can simply just relax and enjoy the moment if your prefer, the decision is yours to make.

There are many additional advantages to train travel. Experienced travelers by rail will tell you that they enjoy the convenience and the hassle-free way to travel. as far as daily commuting is concerned, with rail service you will in most cases arrive at a downtown location. This virtually eliminates the hassle of having to waste more time transferring to get there like you would have to with other forms of transportation.

Moreover, riding on the train means that you can roam around the train, meet new people, and have a meal, see America as you have never seen her before, or even enjoy a nice cocktail if you choose. the bottom line is that you have many favorable options when you decide to travel by rail.

Children will also enjoy the train travel experience and will have many memorable moments to share upon their return home. And you as a parent will be able to relax knowing that your children are right there with you enjoying the trip by rail. you can keep them busy by bringing coloring books, computer games, or mp players and toys etc.

Did you know also that you can take ride on the Auto-train and bring your car with you onboard as well? there is excellent daily service from Lorton, Virginia to Sanford, Florida. When you arrive at the Florida location you will have your very own personal vehicle that eliminates the need to rent an automobile. you will be impressed with the pampering service on board the train that you will receive by the train attendants. It is one of train company’s most successful routes. take a trip and you will quickly learn why?

Whether you are a seasoned business traveler on the Acela Express riding between Boston and Washington or traveling to the west coast on the Capitol Corridor service enroute on your very first cross travel trip you will definitely enjoy the service and beautiful scenery. while you are traveling cross country you can even enjoy the dining car and experience freshly prepared meals while you are onboard.

If you are planning a vacation you can opt to book one of the train vacation plans. It doesn’t really matter whether you are planning to take a long trip or just an impulsive ride. Rail travel is the most enjoyable way to see America. you can travel to the hundreds of cities that they serve like Boston, New Orleans, Chicago or California.

Reservations are required for all First Class, Business, and sleeper services.

You owe it to yourself and your family to give rail travel a try the very next time you have a need to travel. All-Aboard!

Train Travel Can be Fun for the Entire Family | Railroad Trips