TRAIN OF THOUGHT
Attracting back passengers
Editor ’s Comment
Plenty of empty seats on the 17.03 from King’s Cross in mid-November as it left the capital for Leeds.
PAUL BICKERDYKE
THERE was a joke going around COP26 that went something like this: scientists have invented a car that runs on parsley, now they’re working on a train that runs on thyme. Yes it’s a bit lame, but illustrates that railways have a perception problem, perhaps made worse during the coronavirus pandemic.
The above photo shows the loading on board a Thursday evening, peak-time journey from King’s Cross in mid-November, and the empty seats speak volumes. Pre-pandemic, this would have been a full-and-standing service, so it is clear many passengers are yet to return to using the railways.