It is deplorable in this country: the complete lack of any foresight, planning and insight into the need for a modern co-ordinated, integrated, transport system. Politicians cannot run a raffle, let alone a cheap, efficient, reliable, public transport system.
In the 6th richest economy in the world, we have the most aged, inadequate, slow, over-priced, publically subsidised, creaking, railway infrastructure in Europe. We pay the highest fares per passenger mile in Europe, with passengers experiencing cancelled trains - daily- and the constant failure of an under-invested system ["signalling problems" / broken down trains / "fault on the line", etc].
Why have we accepted the joke of Avanti West Coast and all its predicessors, dirty diesel multiple units and carriage stock built over 30 years ago and "stations" converted into nothing more than bus-shelters. The only alternative is the unsustainable use of the private car. We pour billions into tarmacking vast tracts of arable farmland and building by-passes to speed up congestion to the next roundabout. We have no joined up thinking on transport. Some Cities have reasonably modern trams, whilst others are in the dark ages. Whats wasteful is having empty heads in the Cabinet who have no idea and dont care.
Its easy to be dragged into the media-fueled ignorance and hysteria when HS2 is mentioned - but the big picture is: where do we want to be in transport terms, next week, next month, next year and in 10 years time? Its beyond a joke for those of us who use public transport. As for being "carbon neutral" and meeting Climate Change targets - its a pzz take.(n)