<p>Several of you have sprung to the rescue of the trains - just think about it a bit more and cool down! I’m not anti train - I want them to be better, safer, and to take more people.</p>
<p>The main reason railways are safer than roads is the draconian regulation of trains.</p>
<p>1. No-one is allowed to walk or bicycle by a railway line, though they are on non motorway roads</p>
<p>2. They enforce large distances between each train on the same track - usually two miles - to make collisions difficult, whereas we allow bumper to bumper running on busy roads</p>
<p>3. Trains travelling in different directions have segregated track - like motorways, and unlike all single carriageway roads.</p>
<p>4. They have signals which set lights at red if there is any train too near to another on the system. Traffic lights do not perform a similar function on the roads, usually being timed but not traffic sensitive.</p>
<p>We accept much lighter regulation of the roads to avoid complete gridlock - we could not possibly segregate and slow up all the cars to conform to rail standards of safety. We also acknowledge that cars are better able to cope with more congestion than trains, because they have rubber wheels allowing faster braking, and they can be steered, giving chances of avoiding obstacles.</p>
<p>My two modest proposals for trains are the bare minimum to give people a better chance in a crash. I cannot understand why the government does not immediately order the restraint of luggage, which is done on all airplanes, cars, lorries and long distance coaches. It would not be very costly to put nets in across luggage racks. Of course high speed trains should make sure everyone has a seat with a belt, just as all cars and all planes have to provide seats with belts for all passengers.</p>
<p>I agree we need to have higher standards of track maintenance - and train driving as there have been?? too many cases of passing signals at danger. There will still, unfortunately be the occasional crash. Passengers who have no control of the vehicle would like the reassurance that every sensible precaution has been taken.</p>
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