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If you ever talk to a British person, it seems like the subject of how bad their rail system is will come up. You probably have heard about a series of awful crashes there in recent years. But what hasn't made the international news was a story I saw on the BBC website earlier this year, about a wave of petty vandalism of the British rail system lately. On a number of occasions people have been leaving metal beams on the rails (in one case causing a train to derail) or throwing rocks at passing trains. This past summer a van filled with recent migrant workers was hit by a train at an unguarded rural grade crossing. Listening to some people, and reading about it on the news, you might think Britain's rail system is falling to pieces (their complaints seem similar to American complaints about our airlines; delays, poor service, uncomfortable seats, dirty toilets). <br />And yet when I went to England a few years ago (just a few months before Sep. 11), I didn't see much wrong with their trains. We rode sort of a commuter train from London Paddington Station to Windsor Castle down a very busy commuter route, and it didn't seem that crowded or poorly maintained (of course this may be because we left in the morning, in the opposite direction of the rush hour); in fact I was quite impressed, as many American tourists in Europe seem to be, of how fast the train went (probably up to about 80-90 mph) and how smooth the ride was (since welded rail is not in place everywhere in the States). <br />Then we went on an express from London to York which traveled very fast (120 mph, I've read), which while not as fast as France's TGV, is very impressive by American standards. They had an occasional snack cart going by, and the train was clean and comfy (though I didn't get up to explore; but rather sat and watched the view and read a book I had brought). So all in all I was pretty impressed by Briti***rains, but maybe that's just because I obviously don't live there and hence don't have to deal with them everyday. I've read some horror stories similar to those of American air travel, including how some regions still use equipment built in the '60s. And truth be told, the London tube was very crowded indeed, though not completely unbearable. <br />So what do other board members have to say? Has anyone else ever been to Britain and have a less pleasant story to tell? Are there any British members who can add to my report? What would you say the comparison is with the American passenger rail system?
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