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High speed - we can do it, too
Posted 1 May 2007 09:00 | From Railnews print edition, May 2007
It would be churlish not to congratulate French railwaymen and women on their world speed record for rail.
No doubt, however, it will start the moaners about Britain's railway complaining "why can't we do it".
But the high-speed speed runs that have been achieved in the UK are arguably more valid and realistic. The French train was shortened, souped-up, and running with a power supply boosted by 20 per cent. It was running on a brand new - but specially fettled - and empty railway.
A contrast indeed with Virgin's record-breaking Glasgow-London Pendolino run last September. That was a standard, fully-loaded, train, running within standard parameters - including speed restrictions - on a busy railway (albeit, no doubt, with a few exceptional control decisions).
So three cheers to the French.
And three cheers, too, for the Brits who run a fast and frequent service everyday on what is still Europe's busiest mixed traffic railway.
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