Kids having to climb between parked train cars to get to school

Monday’s Friday Reads – 15 May 2023

Can nationalisation by stealth save Britain’s railways? (NewStatesman)

10 year perspective on what has been achieved with London’s cycling (OnLondon)

Modern fare dodgers leave a trail of digital breadcrumbs says Digital Fraud Squad (RailUK)

E-scooters are good, Britain should legalise them: Opinion (JamesO’Malley)

People Mover inventor John Parry dies aged 85 (RailMag)

Blocked crossings in US force kids to crawl under trains to get to school (ProPublica)

You’re about to see electric ferries everywhere: Here’s what to know (Traveler)

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8 comments

  1. You are about to see elctric ferries everywhere …
    Really?
    Even at Woolwich?
    Maybe a reality check is needed for this piece of puffery?

  2. @Greg T

    Scandinavia has numerous electric ferries in operation. Most new technologies have teething problems. The benefits to electric ferries and other vehicles are numerous, most of all, much less pollution at point of use.

  3. LBM
    The Woolwich ferries’ “teething problems” have lasted for over a year, now, with less than half of the proposed “service” operating & that is unreliable, to say the least.
    This particular electric ferry, very visible in London, is simply not fit for purpose

  4. LBM, Greg T

    Indeed LBM. I don’t think the fact that the Woolwich Ferry is electric has anything to do with the problems it has been having. Anyway it is not pure electric. It is hybrid.

    The problems are basically:
    1) An innovative docking mechanism that has caused problems
    2) A collision which means that repairs are necessary
    3) Replacing a 3 boat fleet (which often only had one in service) with a 2 boat fleet even though the timetable required 2 boats most of the time. So no contingency whatsoever

    I have travelled on the new Woolwich Ferry and it is a joy to travel on – especially if one remembers travelling on the old diesel ones. It was running on its batteries. I don’t know if it can keep that up all day.

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