Tuesday Jul 08, 2025
3/17 Reunifying two heritage railways and creating a sustainable e-bike business
We have two great interviews in this episode. Christian visits the Great Central Railway in Leicestershire, UK, and hears from Tom Ingall about the 'Reunification' project for this leading heritage operator [01:48]. Christian then talks to Caroline Seton about London's Forest e-bike hiring and sharing company and its hopes to expand across the capital [21:07]. In his final thought from the departure lounge, Christian finds that Germany has had problems reminiscent of the UK with a major railway project [38:47].
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5 months ago
Christian’s ‘final thought from the departure lounge’ on the terrible mess that is Stuttgart’s long-drawn-out transformation from a 16-platform terminal station to an 8-platform underground through station is a good report on what’s gone wrong so far. However, in about 10 years’ time, that enormous area covered in tracks and platforms should be swept away by new housing and extensive parkland – something that Euston will lack once HS2’s finished. The trouble for the developers is that no real above-ground building (and therefore a revenue stream) can start until the underground station is operational. The cathedral-like station building will then be transformed internally. When the main line re-opens as an underground station, Stuttgart will then have three underground layers: the through trains, the U-Bahn light-rail network already buried underground for many years, and the S-Bahn suburban network with its several miles of tunnel under the city from west to east. All three rail systems will serve the airport. Not many main-line city-centre stations can boast of vineyards looking down from a nearby hill, but Stuttgart can. I’ll let the dust settle before I make my assessment and raise a glass to the future.