Rail

I was hoping to be fitter this week and make a slow dash for the train.  I have no idea where to go, but I did want to get outside somewhere different.  Then I looked at the Twitter notices re rail.  So many times this week the local railways have been halted by challenging situations that it kind of put me off.  If the signals fail, or a train is derailed by a fault, or someone throwing themselves in front of a fast moving freight, or a broken down train blocks the line, then railway life would be easy.  As it is where there are two tracks if one is blocked the whole line suffers delays.  This has happened a lot in recent days, delays can last for hours.

Two trains did derail, one seriously, leaving three coaches on their side, luckily no-one died.  The other was much less serious, though the driver may disagree.  Such things occur on railways, though I am glad to say the UK railways remain pretty safe all things considered.  There again, the publicity for a derailed train is greater than that for a car accident.  We are used to drugged up drivers killing themselves and others, so we ignore the story.  A train carries more people and gets more attention from our grubby media.  In this county around 5 people die on the roads each month, that's around 60 a year.  If a few people die on the railways it gets much more attention, how absurd!  I read that around 70% of accidents are caused by drugs and drink, mostly drugs these days, while 90% of the dead are the drugged up drivers.  A clear warning.  

Accidents will always occur on the railways, but when fit and with a wallet full of dust I will get out soon and visit somewhere.  Of course, now the intense heat has dropped, a mere 25% C in here, that's 80%F, much less than it has been, and sadly cloud covers us blocking the light, this makes me less keen to hobble out.

Use the railways, be not afraid.

 

Steiglitz