Want to create an interactive transcript for this episode?
Podcast: Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast
Episode: September 28th - Why our railways need support
Description: Today I have been covering two big railway stories: the roll-out of a new £1bn fleet of trains, known as Arterio, at London Waterloo; and, the remarkable news that the taxpayer is currently subsidising the railways to the tune of £12.5bn a year. That is a difficult figure to conceive, so I have calculated a less-cumbersome figure: £400 of public money per second. To his credit, Stuart Meek – interim managing director of South Western Railway – explains why the railways deserve support. He also believes his new suburban trains are as good as any in Europe, and will delight tourists heading for attract...