Best West Midlands Trains Podcasts (2024)

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#Railnatter Episode 220: The 2024 General Election Special Edition No. 1 1:27:28

17d ago1:27:28

1:27:28

Well, with only a week left to go before the UK 2024 general election, which of the relevant* parties' manifestos is best for transport? We'll get them up side by side and have a close look at what is promised, how it compares to previous years and what it all might mean for the future. Transport is only one part of the picture, though - the most i…

1
#Railnatter Episode 219: A short word or two on early railways 28:42

24d ago28:42

28:42

It's a short one, and I'm off on wanderings for the first time in a while... I'm sharing some thoughts on early railways and the need to push back on the oversimplified narratives associated with the Stockton and Darlington Railway and 1825 as a false date of the "start" of railways. Enjoyed this? Please do consider supporting #Railnatter at https:…

1
#Railnatter Episode 218: What four years of rail reform has delivered 1:00:00

1M ago1:00:00

1:00:00

With the election approaching, we do a page-turn of the Public Accounts Committee's report into rail reform in Britain, as published back in May. Six years have passed since the DfT said the railway needed reform, and four years have passed since initiating that reform programme, via its white paper (we've been through the ill-fated Williams-Shapps…

1
#Railnatter Episode 217: Everything we can say about Haxby station 1:00:02

1M ago1:00:02

1:00:02

Okay, a cheeky local one this week, amongst some news... Haxby station is looking increasingly likely to appear in the next few years, so let's talk about if it is in the right place, what the wider railway network around York ought to look like, some of the timetable challenges of achieving that, and why it is being designed to look so awful again…

1
#Railnatter Episode 216: What to do about rail in the West Midlands 1:23:03

2M ago1:23:03

1:23:03

We're jumping back in time to October 2022, and flicking through Network Rail's strategic advice for the West Midlands and the urban area around Birmingham. Lots to learn from this one - there will be diagrams and pictures and thoughts galore! Enjoyed this? Please do consider supporting #Railnatter at https://patreon.com/garethdennis or throw loose…

1
#Railnatter Episode 215: How to tip trains over on purpose (with equations) 1:04:11

2M ago1:04:11

1:04:11

It's a proper techy one this week, and we're talking all things CANT or SUPERELEVATION. What is it? Why do we need it? Why don't we need it? All your questions, answered. Oh, and dust off your GCSE mechanics because we will be doing some MATHS with EQUATIONS. Enjoyed this? Please do consider supporting #Railnatter at https://patreon.com/garethdenni…

1
#Railnatter Episode 214: Finishing The Borders Railway (with maps and routes) 1:26:20

2M ago1:26:20

1:26:20

This one has been in the pipeline a while... Should we reopen the full Waverley Route from Tweedbank south to Carlisle? No! We shouldn't! I'll explain precisely how we shouldn't, using maps, showing the route that any new Borders Main Line should take, and explaining how and why you'd choose between the two available options. I might even tell you …

1
#Railnatter Episode 213: Labour Will* Nationalise Rail (a Getting Britain Moving page-turn) 1:21:43

2M ago1:21:43

1:21:43

Well, our original plans are out the window as Labour decided to publish their plans for Britain's railways. We have no choice but to go through them. And it might not take us a full episode. Let's see if they are worth the pixels... And whether nationalisation will mean that, and if it will deliver. Enjoyed this? Please do consider supporting #Rai…

1
#Railnatter Episode 212: How To Fix Buses In Wales (looking at the TfW plan) 1:18:18

3M ago1:18:18

1:18:18

It's a Wales episode! AND it's a bus episode! When I talk about Wales being way out ahead of the rest of the UK when it comes to integrating its transport system, hopefully this report will make the case... We're doing a classic page turn of the Welsh Government's Roadmap to Bus Reform report, covering network, timetable, and ticket integration. Le…

1
#Railnatter Episode 211: Britain's SUV problem 1:18:40

3M ago1:18:40

1:18:40

I often rant and rail about SUVs - you know, the cars designed to maximise the harm they cause to other road users - but what is the data behind the proliferation of these hugely damaging vehicles. Why are so many being sold? What are some of the consequences? Thankfully, an actual expert is joining us this week to dive into the numbers - Ralph Pal…

1
#Railnatter Episode 210: Joby Aviation Will* Save Us (and other nonsense) 1:35:01

3M ago1:35:01

1:35:01

As ever, quite a lot has happened since we last caught up with the news... Not least that vapourware VTOL grifters Joby Aviation have convinced the British government that flying taxis are the future at the expense of anything else. It's another news episode! *I lied, they won't. Enjoyed this? Please do consider supporting #Railnatter at / garethde…

1
Jess Phillips MP, Our Brand New Trains & How Timetabling Works 27:55

3M ago27:55

27:55

Embark on an electrifying journey with Liam as he dives deep into the riveting realm of railways. On today's episode, we sit down with the Labour MP of Birmingham, Yardley, Jess Phillips, who tackles the crucial issue of women's safety on the rails. Discover her involvement in a vital campaign and gain valuable insights on how to act swiftly if you…

1
#Railnatter Episode 209: How To Become A Freight Train Driver 1:12:25

3M ago1:12:25

1:12:25

This week we've the pleasure of welcoming back Bessie Matthews, train driver, author, illustrator, columnist and all-round railway industry treasure. In her career so far, she's navigated a good slice of the rail industry, and so we'll take the chance to explore her story so far and see what she's learned... Enjoyed this? Please do consider support…

1
#Railnatter Episode 208: Everything You Wanted To Know About New Trains 1:47:33

4M ago1:47:33

1:47:33

After our first pause in four years, 200+ episodes, 280 hours and countless guests, we're back again (we only skipped three weeks!)... And I'm very pleased to welcome Robin Davis onto the show to talk all things Designing New Trains. Robin has presided over the introduction of several new intercity train fleets over successive generations of rollin…

1
#Railnatter Episode 207: What is to become of Great British Railways? 1:26:53

5M ago1:26:53

1:26:53

The UK government have finally published their plans for Great British Railways, or rather, the hollow shell of the original proposals, now called the Integrated Rail Body. If it's anything like the Integrated Rail Plan, we are in for trouble. Much as these plans are intended not to be enacted, the likelihood is that Labour will pick them up and de…

1
#Railnatter Episode 206: California’s hydrogen train hell (and other news stories) 1:27:15

5M ago1:27:15

1:27:15

CalTrain are pressing ahead with their completely bizarre obsession with hydrogen as a means of powering commuter and intercity trains. It is completely baffling. And it isn't the only nonsense that's been going down over the last few weeks! Join us as we chat about ROSCO profits, devolved mayors talking big, Euston station's big horrible LED billb…

1
#Railnatter Episode 205: When British Rail Ran Boats (a brief history of Sealink et al) 1:05:27

5M ago1:05:27

1:05:27

A much requested topic - we are going to dive into the waters of when British Rail ran boats (ships) in the form of British Rail Shipping and International Services, then Sealink UK, then Sealink British Ferries, then Stena Sealink Line, then Stena Line, then... Well, you get the picture. We'll try to demystify things. If you like boats (ships), ar…

1
#Railnatter Episode 204: Apprentice Question Time 1:03:31

5M ago1:03:31

1:03:31

It's @Youngrailpro Rail Week! In the fourth (we missed one last year) of our YRP Rail Week specials, we are joined by the most guests we've ever squeezed into the format. Five mid-career panelists (most of whom are also former apprentices) are quizzed about building a career in the railway by an audience of current apprentices - because YES, it is …

1
#Railnatter Episode 203: The (long) history of the Transpennine Route Upgrade 1:12:40

6M ago1:12:40

1:12:40

Why is the railway network in the North so abysmal? Well, a lot of it comes down to a rather dismal series of bad policy decisions made through the 1990s and 2000s inflicted by - you guessed it - the over-centralised UK government. Constant cancellations of previous projects has led us to the point where the current "TRU" is only going to finish de…

1
#Railnatter Episode 202: Digging into the failure stats for the Great Western 1:14:03

6M ago1:14:03

1:14:03

There's plenty of news to catch up on, but the big question we'll be answering this episode is "are track defects a particular problem on the Great Western?" - and we'll answer this by looking at data freely available on the @office-of-rail-and-road's online data portal, accessible here: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/ Join LIVE to find out the answ…

1
#Railnatter Episode 201: Getting ready for the All Ireland Rail Review 1:17:19

6M ago1:17:19

1:17:19

This has been much requested given the number of viewers from Ireland - to warm us up in advance of the release of the All Ireland Strategic Rail Review at some point in Spring, I thought we'd flick through the consultation paper (which is really good!) as well as getting our heads around the geography of the island of Ireland. We'll use our patent…

1
#Railnatter Episode 200: Every episode of #Railnatter so far (episodes 100-199, summarised) 1:32:28

6M ago1:32:28

1:32:28

It's our official 200th episode! How have we got here?! To celebrate, I'm running back through the previous episodes since the Episode 100 round-up - but this time not in running order. We'll group episodes with common themes to see if we can remember what we learnt - and if we've learnt anything new since... Watch the Episode 100 round-up: • #Rail…

1
#Railnatter Episode 199: Hyperloop One is gone but when will this nonsense die? 1:18:10

6M ago1:18:10

1:18:10

Now I've been going at Hyperloop's jugular for years now, and suffice to say it remains total and utter nonsense unworthy of any technological debate and only marginally worth one at all. We all know it is guff intended to both delay real railway solutions and to allow car and plane people a seat at governmental and regulatory "mass transit" tables…

1
#Railnatter Episode 198: Should Britain stop closing the railway at Christmas? 1:05:57

7M ago1:05:57

1:05:57

Now this one really is festive - and it will be live, so you are very much encouraged to bring along your favourite festive tipple... We're asking the big Christmas questions: should the railway shut down around Christmas, and should we concentrate the vast majority of our engineering works over a period when so many people make the sorts of trips …

1
#Railnatter Episode 197: The Tubular Tale Of Torksey Viaduct 1:18:08

7M ago1:18:08

1:18:08

Gather round the hearth for the first of our (still live!) festive episodes... This time we are exploring the story of the Torksey Viaduct, a tale which navigates the intertwining histories of railway companies, engineers, bridge design, competency, Megawatt Valley and more besides. Grab a mince pie, pour a port, and listen in! Enjoyed this? Please…

1
#Railnatter Episode 196: A rage-turn of the UK’s ”Plan for Drivers” 1:17:24

7M ago1:17:24

1:17:24

The UK government's "Plan For Drivers" didn't end up being as popular as they thought it might be... For a festive treat, this week's episode is doing a traditional page turn of what we at Natter Towers are sure is a well thought-through piece of long-term transport policy* - join us at the usual time to take a look for yourselves! *we do not think…

1
#Railnatter Episode 195: How to draw transit maps in PowerPoint 1:04:52

8M ago1:04:52

1:04:52

Lots of people have been asking for this one! You may notice I use a lot of maps and diagrams on here, on Twitter, and elsewhere too... People act surprised when I tell them I do them all in PowerPoint, because it is the best tool for the job in most cases! To get a free, interactive tutorial via the medium of me making up a few maps on the hoof, j…

1
#Railnatter Episode 194: Digging into Britain’s passenger rail usage data 1:09:43

8M ago1:09:43

1:09:43

The Department for Transport have stopped up the datafeed that gives us the UK's full rail passenger ridership, so instead we're going to take a whizz through the ORR's latest passenger rail usage report to give us a feel for what's going on, how demand is looking across rail operators, and what this means when we think about the future. Join LIVE …

1
#Railnatter Episode 193: An illustrated history of Jersey’s tram and railways 1:14:37

8M ago1:14:37

1:14:37

This week, friend of the show Zach joins us to talk about the tramways and railways of Jersey, what they looked like at their zenith and what became of them... We'll even have a stab at reckoning if there's a good case for bringing them back! Join LIVE at 8pm on Wednesday! Enjoyed this? Please do consider supporting #Railnatter at / garethdennis or…

1
Tracks, Tunes, and Trains: Unveiling Pete Waterman's Rhythmic Railway Journey 26:52

8M ago26:52

26:52

In this captivating episode of "On the Rails" host Liam takes you on a journey through the fascinating world of the railways, exploring the profound impact of these tracks on people's lives. First up is a legendary figure in the music industry, Pete Waterman, who reveals how the railways played a pivotal role in his successful music career. Discove…

1
East Midlands Airport Flying High 21:44

8M ago21:44

21:44

Jon Bottomley, Planning Manager at East Midlands Airport discusses the growth, success and future for the Uk's largest dedicated air cargo operation.By Ciara Jagger

1
#Railnatter Episode 192: A page-turn through the Salisbury rail crash report 1:34:00

8M ago1:34:00

1:34:00

Two years ago, two Class 158 trains crashed into each other at Salisbury Tunnel Junction following an extreme storm. This week, we'll read through the recently published RAIB report to understand what happened and why - vegetation management and low adhesion will be big themes... Enjoyed this? Please do consider supporting #Railnatter at https://pa…

1
#Railnatter Episode 191: It’s forty years since the UK built its first high speed line 1:10:39

9M ago1:10:39

1:10:39

On the 3rd October 1983, the UK's first modern high speed line was fully opened between Doncaster and York... Chris Valkoinen from the @NatRailwayMuseum contacted us to say he'd found a pile of technical drawings relating to the Selby Diversion and suggested we take a look - so that's precisely what this #Railnatter shall do in celebration of this …

1
#Railnatter Episode 190: Thirty years of privatisation and what should happen next 1:28:14

9M ago1:28:14

1:28:14

On the 5th November 1993 (remember, remember, etc) the Railways Act 1993 received royal assent, and the wheels were truly set in motion for the atomisation of British Rail... An event that would lead us right into the mess we have today. To "celebrate" its 30th anniversary, I thought we'd have split tonight's show into two parts. The first will be …

1
#Railnatter Episode 189: What the heck else has been happening?! (it’s a news ep!) 1:52:42

9M ago1:52:42

1:52:42

It's been ages since we've properly caught up with the news, so here's a massive run through of everything that has caught my eye since before I disappeared off on parental leave... We'll be talking HS2 (again), Headbolt Lane, the Plan For Drivers, digging up the M8 in Glasgow, electric Class 08 shunters, Superloop, HS2, Station Hall, Harper's Tin …

1
#RailNatter Episode 188: Why is UK infrastructure so slow and costly to build? 1:26:35

9M ago1:26:35

1:26:35

In what will certainly not be the only episode we do on the title subject, I wanted to chew through the research done by Sam Dumitriu and Ben Hopkinson not too long ago... They looked at project costs, trying (and failing, in my view) to get to the bottom of why things cost so much more to deliver in the UK. I'll pick through their report and expla…

1
#RailNatter Episode 187: HS2 has been cancelled, so what happens next? (a Q&A) 1:11:17

9M ago1:11:17

1:11:17

Well, as predicted by me in 2018, and then essentially confirmed as inevitable two years ago on release of the Integrated Rail Plan, this Conservative government of Hunt, Sunak and Harper have cancelled HS2, leaving the most expensive section between London and Birmingham as a rump to be picked at by Treasury vampires until it is impossible to deli…

1
#RailNatter Episode 186: Putting geofencing to good use to improve track safety 58:38

10M ago58:38

58:38

We are joined by the founder and CEO of Tended, Leo Scott Smith, to talk about how you turn an idea into a solution that can save lives... And we'll talk a bit about how the railway forms the perfect filter to sort pointless from purposeful tech. Geofencing is used pretty widely these days, but protecting staff on track is a particularly tricky and…

1
#RailNatter Episode 185: Why the UK aviation industry is in steep decline 1:28:17

10M ago1:28:17

1:28:17

In what might prove to be another cornerstone episode of #RailNatter, Dr Alex Chapman from @theneweconomics discusses his research into the economic benefits of the aviation industry to the UK... Or rather the fact that there aren't any. Seriously - this is fascinating stuff and lays bare the ideology behind the disproportionate subsidy of the airl…

1
#RailNatter Episode 184: A Wander Around Wonderlab (the NRM’s new gallery) 1:06:22

10M ago1:06:22

1:06:22

Join @MrTimDunn and me as we dash around the @NatRailwayMuseum's new gallery - Wonderlab - in the only way we both know how... Chaotically! We have the most tremendous fun whizzing around what I think is likely to be my second favourite space in the NRM after the warehouse/North Shed, BECAUSE THIS SPACE IS SO GOOD (particularly for me as an infrast…

1
#RailNatter Episode 183: The Belgrade-Bar railway, Kolašin to Bar 1:08:32

10M ago1:08:32

1:08:32

It's the finale of our three-part odyssey through the former Yugoslavia, following one of the world's most scenic railways from Belgrade in present-day Serbia to Bar in present-day Montenegro. We've reached the highest point of the line, and only have a limited length of line to get back down to sea level... And there are a few feats of spectacular…

1
#RailNatter Episode 182: Electric vehicle chargers should be kept off pavements 1:40:19

11M ago1:40:19

1:40:19

Leo Murray has finally joined us to talk about the latest invasion of car infrastructure onto our pavements - that's right, electric vehicle charging points are the latest menace we are having to negotiate. But given we do actually need these things to be installed, how do we go about it? What's the scale of the problem? And what does "good" look l…

1
#RailNatter Episode 181: The Belgrade-Bar railway, Užice to Kolašin 1:17:13

11M ago1:17:13

1:17:13

It's the second of a three-part odyssey through the former Yugoslavia, following one of the world's most scenic railways from Belgrade in present-day Serbia to Bar in present-day Montenegro. We're truly nestled in the heart of the mountains in western Serbia at this point, and indeed we take a wee trip into Bosnia before eventually ending up in Mon…

1
#RailNatter Episode 180: Ban Private Jets, Make The World Better 1:03:00

11M ago1:03:00

1:03:00

I'm very pleased this week to have been joined by Hannah Lawrence from Stay Grounded, talking about the legitimacy of flying, the inequality of flying, and campaigning against the worst excesses of aviation. There will be infographics galore! It's a great episode! Enjoyed this? Please do consider supporting #RailNatter at https://patreon.com/gareth…

1
Changing times for the Castle Line – Improving the Nottingham to Lincoln rail line 15:52

11M ago15:52

15:52

We talk to Principal Service Strategy Manager at East Midlands Railway, James Chapman, about how improvments to the Nottingham-Lincoln line will benefit passengers. We discuss integration with HS2, long-term thinking, and the drive for net-zero transport.By Ciara Jagger

1
#RailNatter Episode 179: The Belgrade-Bar railway, Belgrade to Užice 55:25

11M ago55:25

55:25

It's the first of a three-part odyssey through the former Yugoslavia, following one of the world's most scenic railways from Belgrade in present-day Serbia to Bar in present-day Montenegro. This is the first three hours of the trip, distilled down by an enormous factor into a... one hour episode. We get from Belgrade to Užice. Enjoyed this? Please …

1
#RailNatter Episode 178: How do you build a modern train simulator game? 1:31:24

12M ago1:31:24

1:31:24

This week, we're joined by two of the Dovetail Games team to talk all things train simulation... Matt Peddlesden (executive producer) and Joseph Rogers (brand manager for Train Sim World, WSR volunteer) will take us on an odyssey of discovery on how you research, develop and expand train simulation games! Join me and the Dovetail Games crew LIVE on…

1
#RailNatter Episode 177: Are any of the ”new” HS2 eastern leg options good? 1:04:15

12M ago1:04:15

1:04:15

HS2 has, once again, been in the news, now that the Infrastructure Projects Authority (not beer related) has said the project may be unachievable, which won't be news to viewers of course. Anyway, government has responded to the Transport Select Committee's IRP report, and several Yorkshire councils have published their proposals for getting HS2 tr…

1
#RailNatter Episode 176: A Week In The Life Of A Railway Managing Director 1:35:58

12M ago1:35:58

1:35:58

This week #RailNatter is joined by the managing director of ScotRail - or rather, of Scotland's Railway, the alliance of organisations that run rail services in Scotland. That's right - Alex Hynes is joining us to talk about the direction that Scotland's railways are going in, balancing the needs of policymakers and operations, and what exactly the…

1
#RailNatter Episode 175: Dave Grohl Takes The Train (and other news stories) 1:18:50

1y ago1:18:50

1:18:50

It's a news episode, and there's so much to catch up on... more HS2 mess, bad on-demand buses, the continuing demise of Translohr, the dreadful Odisha train crash in India, diminishing pay across the GB rail industry, and so much more. Join LIVE on Wednesday at 7pm. Enjoyed this? Please do consider supporting #RailNatter at https://patreon.com/gare…

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