Christian Wolmar's November Newsletter

[Christian Wolmar]

Dear subscriber

 

In another hectic month, tragically cycle deaths have proved to be the dominant theme. The massive increase in cycling over recent years in the capital has, up to now, not led to a significant rise in cycling deaths. However, there has been a spate recently, and significantly this has led to heightened media interest, whereas in the past this was ignored.

 I have written about this on my blog, but also for the next issue of Surveyor magazine, where I have new monthly column which will allow me to address wider themes, rather like the one I used to do for Transport Times (which, incidentally, seemed to have become something of a cheerleader for Philip Hammond until he was despatched to Defence).

 While on the subject of Mr Hammond, his transfer suggests yet again that this government, like so many of its predecessors, does not take transport seriously, despite the high profile of the issue, made higher incidentally by the plan for HS2.  I have written an open letter to the so-far silent – sensibly – Ms Greening in Rail here and it will be fascinating to see if her arrival marks a change in tone, if not policy, from her ‘end the war on the motorist’ predecessor.

 October and the beginning of November have been particularly busy on the journalism front – as well as getting 10 out of 11 chapters of my new book off to the publishers – and so there are a few extra entries on the website.  The other issue which dominated transport was the suggestion of increasing the speed limit to 80 mph made by Philip Hammond to the adoring crowds at Conservative Party Conference. The basis for this was very shaky and after I blogged about it, and wrote about it for Rail and in my new column for Surveyor, the issue was picked up by The Times following the M5 disaster in Somerset, which resulted in this column.

  On the railways, the Commons Transport Committee has issue a fairly equivocal report on HS2 which I will be analysing in the next issue of Rail. It offers, as expected, something to both sides in the debate.  The other two new Rail columns on the site are an open letter to Justine Greening and an assessment of the impact of Philip Hammond’s remark about the railway being a ‘rich man’s toy’ which unfortunately in the way of these things was out of date before the magazine hit the newsstands.

 I continue tweeting like a canary, and indeed my tweets and responses have often stimulated considerable debate. Follow me @christianwolmar.

 It’s coming up to Xmas, so if anyone wants a bundle of signed copies of my four rail history books – Subterranean Railway, Fire & Steam, Blood, Iron & Gold and Engines of War - three hardback, one (Subterranean Railway) paperback – for just £30, plus £5 postage and packing – as a present, please pay by PayPal or email me for the address.

 I am speaking at Cambridge University Railway Society this Friday and at Alton, with my old friends from the Mid-Hants Railway Preservation Society on Thursday November 24 at Alton. The previous day I will be chairing the afternoon session of the Govnet conference on Smarter Cities at the QE2 centre in Westminster. And watch out for me on University Challenge, the Graduates over Xmas as I will be representing Warwick University in a mini competition being screened by BBC2, Paxman and all.

  And do get your friends and colleagues to sign up to this newsletter which is now going to nearly 2,000 people.

 

 

Christian Wolmar