Track gauge in Ireland.

Ireland. Cut off from Great Britain and continental Europe by the sea, it might as well be on another planet as far as railways are concerned, and that's because Ireland uses a different track gauge. Back in the 1800s when the railways were first being built, a number of different gauges were in use in Ireland. The Dublin & Kingstown Railway used the same standard gauge of 4' 8 1/2" as most of Great Britain (not counting Brunel's Great Western, but that's another story). Meanwhile the Ulster Railway used a broad gauge of 6' 2" and the as yet unbuilt Dublin & Drogheda proposed a gauge of 5' 2". This was a mess, so the, the board of trade decided in 1846 that Ireland should standardise on one gauge. Bizzarely the gauge of 5' 3" was selected as a compromise between the two gauges in use at the time. This seems wasteful, since rather than regauging the non-complying half half of the island's railways (if they had chosen one of the gauges in use), they would have to change them all!
The use of broad gauge would be fine so long as Ireland's railways remained separate from British railways. However, this might cause a problem if proposals for a bridge over the north channel came to fruition. That would mean there would be a break of gauge in Ulster, resulting in need for transshipment. Frankly, though, due to the depth of the north channel, such a bridge is probably nothing more than a fantasy. The biggest real life problem in today's globalised rolling stock market is producing rolling stock just for Ireland. If stock is transferred from Great Britain, as has been done on occasion, bogies need to be changed to suit the Irish track gauge and vice versa. This is of course an expensive undertaking. A recent rumour appeared in the Railway Magazine that ex-Transpennine Express class 185s could be transferred to Ireland. This might be cheaper than buying in new trains specially made for Ireland, but it would be so much cheaper if they didn't have to be modified. one wonders, if Ireland had used standard gauge, not only would they have had less track to reguage (only the Ulster Railway would have needed regauging; the Dublin & Kingstown would have stayed as it was and the Dublin & Drogheda would have been built to 4' 8 1/2" from new) but stock could have been bought "off the shelf" or even second hand from Great Britain, without modification. Alternately, Irish stock could be exported to Britain, opening up potential for Irish manufacturing and providing a second-hand market for Irish trains.

How eco-friendly is cruising?

I've seen quite a few posts on social media recently demonising cruise ships as being particularly harmful to the environment, but how much of this is true and how much is scaremongering?
Let's break the pollution down into categories:


Air Pollution.
Sewage
Garbage
Oil

It's a fact that ships burn a lot of fuel, and that fuel is often heavy fuel oil, which is some of the dirtiest fuel there is besides coal. MARPOL Annex VI, introduced in 1997, aims to regulate air pollution from ships. Certain special areas (a full list can be found here) ban high-sulphur fuel oil from being used, and some only allow Marine Diesel Oil (which is much more expensive) to be burned. A handful of ships are fitted with seawater scrubbers to reduce the sulphur content of exhaust emissions, but these are experimental and not in widespread use, and essentially cut out the acid rain middleman by washing sulphur directly into the sea.Nevertheless, a typical cruise ship will emit more CO2 per passenger mile than an aeroplane, and if you fly to get to the cruise ship, you are adding even more emissions to the atmosphere. While modern vessels are far more efficient than the steam ships of old, they are still a major source of air pollution. For the lowest possible emissions, you may with to consider a cruise on a sailing ship. 

Disposal of sewage at sea is regulated by MARPOL Annex IV. It's probably easiest to quote the Annex at this point: "The discharge of sewage into the sea is prohibited, except when the ship has in operation an approved sewage treatment plant or when the ship is discharging comminuted and disinfected sewage using an approved system at a distance of more than three nautical miles from the nearest land; sewage which is not comminuted or disinfected has to be discharged at a distance of more than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land." Typical cruise ships are fitted with a Marine Sanitation Device, which disinfects the sewage in a similar manner to a municipal sewage plant. Ergo, it is no worse for the environment than what your city is pumping into the sea, with the advantage that the ship is dumping sewage much further from the shore! Untreated sewage may be discharged outside 12 miles, but a modern cruise ship will not do this except in an emergency. Some cruise ships are fitted with an Advanced Wastewater Purification System (AWWPS), which produces clear water (which is harmless and can be discharged almost anywhere) and a small amount of sewage sludge (which can be discharged as per treated sewage). Solid waste is pumped ashore for disposal at landfill.

Garbage comes under MARPOL Annex V. There are a variety of types of garbage, which must be separated and disposed of in different ways.
Food waste is usually comminuted and dumped at sea, since it poses no threat to marine life.
Solid waste can either be sent ashore for recycling or (if burnable) burned in an incinerator (outside of emission control areas with reference to Annex VI). Scrap metal and glass will be sent ashore for recycling. Although legally it cold be dumped at sea there is a financial incentive to sell scrap metal in port. Throwing plastic overboard is absolutely banned and companies can and have been fined for dumping plastic at sea. 

Oil is the most harmful waste stream and it is very heavily regulated by MARPOL Annex 1. Ships must keep a record of all waste oil disposed in an oil record book. Bilge water must be treated in an oily water separator and contain less than 15ppm of contamination before it can be pumped overboard. Waste oil can either be burned in an incinerator (see above) or boiler, or be sent ashore for disposal. 

Is cruising any worse for the environment than any other holiday? Well, yes. Certainly it's more harmful than backpacking/cycling holidays or a "staycation". Is a cruise from a UK port better than flying abroad? It depends on how far you're flying. A fly cruise to the Caribbean is probably the most harmful option. If you want to visit the Med, but want to avoid the pollution, it might be worth taking the train to Spain, France or Italy.

Anxious about public transport?

I've seen several posts recently on youtube and in facebook groups about people with autism spectrum conditions and anxiety struggling with public transport, especially when there are delays and cancellations, so here are some tips I use to cope:

General
Plan ahead. Book your tickets in advance if you can. Request assistance at the time of booking if you have a disability and need help with checking in and boarding. Research the route you're taking so you know where to change if neccessary.

Bus
Buses can't usually be booked in advance. You have to buy a ticket from the bus driver. Some bus companies don't give change while others do, so it's best to take some loose change with you so you can give the exact fare. Many companies now take contactless payment. Ticketing on buses can be confusing. Some companies do return tickets, some don't and some have day rover tickets. It's a good idea to research ticket types online before you travel. Unfortunately through ticketing may not be available if you need to change buses.
Most timetables are online and many of the major companies have mobile apps so you can check bus times before you leave the house.
Google maps is a great tool for checking the locations of bus stops. One problem I find is that a lot of bus routes aren't mapped, so you have to cross-check the timetable with a map to figure out where the route goes. When taking the bus in an unfamiliar area I have been known to follow the bus on google maps on my phone so I can see if a bus stop is coming up so I know when to ring the bell to stop the bus.
Another problem is that buses often don't run exactly to time. Some bus stops now have dot matrix signs to tell you when the next bus is, but these are quite rare. A mobile app may be a good investment in this case. If you miss your bus, as the saying goes, "there will be another one along in a minute".

Train
The best thing about trains is that routes are mapped, stops are announced in advance and through ticketing is available. If there is disruption on one route, it's quite easy to find a diversionary route to get you to your destination, and if a train is unable to proceed, the company can put on a replacement bus service or allow tickets to be used on buses to get you to where you need to go. Guards and station staff are available to assist if required. If you are stuck, someone will be able to tell you how to get to where you are going. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Tickets should be bought before you board (unless you are boarding at an unstaffed halt, in which case the on-board staff will sell you a ticket). You can buy tickets in advance online or at a station, or you can just buy at the station when you travel, but often the cheapest fares will be online. If you need assistance (especially for wheelchair users) this must be booked in advance. A wide variety of ticket types are available. If you need help choosing, ask at the ticket office.
I find the Realtime Trains app incredibly helpful, as it allows you to see whether trains are delayed and what platform they are expected at for any station in the country.

Aeroplane
If you're travelling internationally, the chances are you will end up flying. This will involve the double hassles of airport security and Customs & Immigration.
First of all, checking in. When you book your ticket, the airline should tell you how soon before the flight you need to arrive for check-in. Budget airlines such as easyjet prefer you to check in online and print your boarding pass at home before you go to the airport. If you have to change flights on your trip ask if the bags are checked in for the whole journey, or if you need to re-check your bags when you change planes. When changing planes in the USA, you will probably have to re-check your bags, but if you're travelling withing the EU this may not be necessary.
Prepare for security. Metal detectors will pick up belt buckles, keys, steel toecaps and spare change. It's best to wear trainers for flying and pack work boots in your checked luggage. Likewise, avoid wearing a belt. Stick to elasticated trousers that aren't going to fall down. Put keys and wallet in your hand luggage (you won't need your keys until you get home anyway) and keep your boarding card, passport and any other travel documents in a poly pocket. Some airports require laptops to be removed from hand luggage, some ask you to keep them in the bag. Ask a member of staff which it is before you get to the front of the queue if there are no signs indicating what you should do.
Immigration needs a lot of patience, tact and diplomacy. Be polite but firm with immigration officers. You may be stressed by having to wait in a queue but don't lose your temper with law enforcement. Have any documents you need in a poly pocket (as I said) ready to give to them. Inquire before you travel what documents you will need. The USA has a myriad of different forms to fill in depending on the nature of your trip, how long you are staying in the USA or whether you are a resident. Ask a member of staff to help filling in the form before you get to the front of the queue. If it isn't filled in properly you might be sent to the back of the queue again and nobody wants that.
When you finally reach the departure lounge, don't forget to arrive at the gate in good time. Some airports announce flights, some don't, so you have to keep an eye on the dot matrix screens. Don't get too engrossed in that book and miss your flight!
Delays and cancellations are rare, but when they do happen they can be catastrophic. It helps to have the phone number of your travel agent or a family member who can help you if you get stuck. If you have to stay overnight in a hotel, save all your receipts so you can claim compensation later on.

Ferry
Ferry trips can vary from 10 minute hops across to a small island or longer international trips to the continent. These almost always have to be booked in advance, as aeroplanes do. You may travel either as a foot passenger or you can take your car with you. The check-in process for international ferries is much the same as at an airport, but without the security theatre. Loading is first come first served. If you arrive early, you may get put on an earlier ferry. Ferries are usually just an end-to-end journey without any changing or intermediate stops. Once you're there, you're there. Delays and cancellations can happen due to weather or mechanical failure, unfortunately in these events there are no alternatives, you just have to wait. Sit back, relax and enjoy your cooked breakfast.

The death of railway architecture.

Back in the day, railway stations were the height of building design. From the Victorian magnificence of St. Pancras, Glasgow Central and other major termini, to the art deco beauty of Girvan, the Edwardian elegance of Wemyss Bay, even small stations had comfortable waiting rooms in attractive buildings. By the 1970s and 1980s, railway architecture had become far more utilitarian. The attractive buildings of Stranraer and Motherwell were replaced by ugly concrete and steel carbuncles. The ambition of those older railway companies, who used their buildings as a form of advertising, was destroyed by nationalised austerity. Now in the post-privatisation era, is it time to put the ambition back into railway stations? Maybe yes, maybe no. Network Rail, who own the stations, are still a nationalised entity, with little budget for lavish ornamentation. The vast majority of re-opened stations have been unstaffed halts such as Larkhall, stations on the Airdrie-Bathgate line and on the Borders railway. However, where a substantial station has been built, such as Alloa or Edinburgh Park, the buildings tend to be relatively bland grey boxes. Not unattractive, just... dull. They don't make you go "wow". I want to see a bit more ambition in railway architecture. Even if a building is modern, it can still be attractive. Take Glasgow's Riverside museum, for instance. The wavy design is an icon in itself. Let's get creative with railway station design. A good place to start would be Largs. The original station was destroyed by a train crash in the 1990s, and was replaced with a small waiting room on the platform, while the old shop fronts around the original entrance were retained. A better idea would be to start afresh, knock the whole lot down and build something amazing.

Baffling bi-modes.

Electrification; it's good for the environment and good for train operators and passengers, but it's a very slow, expensive process. Back in the 1960s when the west coast main line was being electrified northwards from Euston, electric locomotives would haul the train as far as Crewe, and later Preston, where a class 50 diesel would take over to pull the train along the yet-to-be electrified sections onward to Glasgow. Once the wires were up all the way to Glasgow in 1974, the class 50s were reallocated to the western region. However, swapping locos is a time consuming business. What if an electric loco could carry its own diesel engine for the bits of track with no electricity supply? The southern region's solution was the class 73 electro-diesel. On the 3rd rail electrified network it worked as an electric locomotive, but where the 3rd rails ended it had a diesel engine to power it. Fast forward to the 21st century and a new breed of electro-diesel locomotive has been introduced: the class 88. It can work off the 25kv overhead wires, or use an on-board diesel generator on non-electrified railways. It could potentially be used with the Mk5 "Nova 3" loco-hauled sets being procured by Transpennine Express, although these will be hauled by conventional class 68 diesel locos initially.
A different solution is offered by the Class 800 IEP train, which is essentially a DEMU fitted with a pantograph. These are intended to replace Intercity 125 high-speed trains. However the Class 800 units are far shorter, coming in either 5 or 9-car sets. Given the inadequacy of 5-car Class 221 Voyager trains on Intercity routes, one wonders why any TOC would bother with a 5-car class 800? But I digress...
A more unconventional electro-diesel comes in the form of the Class 755  train for the Greater Anglia franchise. This is almost the opposite of the class 800, being built primarily as a conventional EMU, but with a separate power car containing four diesel generators. To convert the train from electro-diesel to straight electric, it is simply a matter of removing the power car from the train. As electrification spreads and the need for electro-diesels is reduced, this seems like a good way of keeping a train in service for longer. A class 800 would require considerable time in the workshop to remove all of its diesel engines.

It's time to give up on franchising.

Once again, the East Coast Main Line franchise has failed leading the government to take back the route and hand it to to a nationalised "operator of last resort". Last time it was National Express East Coast who couldn't afford the premium payments they had agreed to. This time it's Virgin Trains East Coast. Exactly the same problem, exactly the same result.This time, instead of branding the line "East Coast", the nationalised franchise will be called "LNER", to perhaps evoke the good old days of the pre-nationalised operator. Back then of course, LNER owned all the track, designed, built and ran all their own trains without the government specifying their services. Franchising is a different kettle of fish. Tracks are owned by public sector Network Rail, trains are leased from ROSCOs, and the new IEP trains that will replace BR-era rolling stock on the route is being specified by the Department for Transport. The franchisee is merely there to sell tickets and provide customer service. Which makes privatisation a joke. In any other business (including on the railways before 1948), a private company raises capital and invests it in making and/or selling goods/services. They have total freedom to specify the design of their product, the level of service they provide and the price they can charge. On the railways, the franchisee bids to run a service. They tell the government how much they will pay back to the treasury (or how little subsidy they want in the case of loss-making services) and the DfT picks the highest bidder. Services are tightly specified by the government, taking all decision making out of the hands of the franchisee. The flaw is, if the company overbids (as was the case on the East Coast route) they can run out of money and then have to pull out leaving the government to pick up the pieces. The trains must still run even if the franchise fails. All for the illusion of private enterprise. It's a farce. It would be far simpler to go back to British Rail. Have the whole network run by the public sector. Profits go back into the railways instead of the pockets of private shareholders. The service remains the same. The need for re-branding every few years is eliminated. The need for rewriting contracts every few years is eliminated. Money is saved by getting rid of a pointless and expensive bidding process. The taxpayer wins, railway employees win, passengers win.

Why that Scotrail Alliance soundbite is wrong on so many levels.

“We are building the best railway that Scotland has ever had”, said ScotRail Alliance Programmes and Transformation Director Ian McConnell as testing of new Class 385s on the newly electrified Edinburgh to Glasgow route last month. It's a bold claim, but is it true? Well that depends on your definition of "best". How do you define "best? And if we are to call this route "the best Scotland has ever had", how does it compare to every other railway Scotland has ever had?
Does it have the best scenery? No. The Falkirk High route isn't exactly pretty, running through the industrialised central belt, so if scenery is your thing, no it's not the best railway in Scotland. Not even close. The West Highland extension trumps it by miles. 
Does it have the best trains? No. The Buchanan Street to Aberdeen "3 hour expresses" of the 1960s ran with ex-LNER A4 pacifics. Ex-GWR High Speed Trains will be introduced on the modern equivalent service from Queen Street when displaced by IEPs down south. The Caledonian Sleeper and Virgin East Coast High Speed Trains are all more comfortable than anything currently in use by Scotrail. Virgin West Coast run Pendolinos from Glasgow to Carlisle via Motherwell and Lockerbie. Need I go on?
Does it have the best catering? Again, no. Just a tea trolley.
Does it have the fastest trains? No. The East and West Coast Main lines heading south are faster.
Does it have the most frequent trains? No. Glasgow suburban services are more frequent.
Does it have the best looking trains? No. they're hideous, but at least they aren't as ugly as class 380s.
Yes, the modernisation will mean trains are greener, faster and more frequent than ever on Scotrail's flagship route, but having seen the mock-up class 385 interior on display, they certainly won't be as comfortable as the trains they are replacing, and even they aren't as quiet or as comfortable as the push-pull Mk 3 sets that ran on this route back in the '80s. The improvements therefore make the E&G line better in some areas, but not the best.