200 years of the railway

Today marks 200 years since the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, the first modern railway. The impact of that line was truly world-changing for good - and also ill. It made global commerce truly possible - and also imperialism. It also allowed people greater mobility and sped up communication, making political organisation far easier.

Appropriately enough, I am writing this on a train, travelling on Brunel's Great Western Railway from Paddington to Reading.

While standing in the vestibule. With the catering not open because the train is full. A 5-car IET is no replacement for a HST in terms of capacity. 

Great British Railways is heading down the tracks; Greater Anglia transfers over on 12 October.

Whether that will actually improve services remains to be seen. One problem with public railways is that they tend to be rather dependent on the whim of government and its political interest.

This is not a full defence of privatisation; the British franchise version was far too fragmented. At least it gave variety in terms of paint jobs. Or rather vinyls.

Anyway, here's to another 200 years. Perhaps I will live to see railways on Mars. Dust on the line anyone?