Riding rail

I do miss British Rail (“In praise of British Rail”, Prospect online). Heavy trunks could be collected from your home and transported to your destination, inexpensively and without fuss. It was almost always possible to travel with a bicycle, for free. Wonderful knowledgeable staff, always someone available to help. Manned ticket offices, and clean public toilets everywhere that were actually open. Ticket pricing was straightforward. And I miss the buffet cars, especially after the introduction of the BLT sandwich. Happy days.

Yes, there was a problem sometimes with timetabling and breakdowns—but that was due to underinvestment, not the fault of the railway.

Inkspot, via the website