Road or Rail?

Every day as a populous of a country we need to go somewhere. Be it to work, to see family or friends or to go to the shops, we need a mode of transport. The choices we have are to walk, to drive, to use buses, trains or planes…or maybe to hop skip and jump.

Here in the UK we have an extensive rail and road network, supplemented by buses, trams and the odd airport. In our nation’s capital we have Ken’s Kattle Kontraption - otherwise known as the London Underground. In the rush hour it is crowded, and subject to failures which cause chaos. Another option for the commuter is the overland rail network - but it is expensive, late, overcrowded and full of darned kids.

But is it really? And even if it is…is it really all that bad? Should we all say ‘knackers’ to using public transport and get in our cars? To quote a colleague of mine “it’s much nicer sitting in your own car, with your own music…who cares if you’re not moving as long as you’re not standing in someone’s armpit”.

Around the world, the notion is to build and augment rail networks supported by buses. Road expansion comes as a secondary option as a train path can transport more people in a shorter space of time than a road of equal length. Not only that but if the railway is electrified it is more environmentally friendly than the combined effects of numerous internal combustion engines (although there is the trade off from generating the electricity).

So is this right…or is the real answer to congestion more roads? Well, we can decide for ourselves thanks to an excellently constructed case study of Perth (Western Australia) and Auckland (North New Zealand)…

Auckland, City of Cars Episode 1

Auckland, City of Cars Episode 2

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