The Railways 2018. One.

Improvements?

Every nation in the world this year will be making or trying to make improvements to its railways infrastructure, wither it is new stock, new expanded or changed railway track layouts, signalling or ticket operations and security?

We can only go forward with technology and with comfort, many countries will not focus to much on safety but will rather make some changes somewhere within their remit? Others may do little or nothing to what they already have or they will cut back in place of buses and coach travel for one reason or another!

The battery train looks promising over the demise of Diesel and electric over that of the same and steam, this is the future for modern railways! But it is not the end for some countries who as yet cannot afford this or are stuck and have to make do with their existing parameters?

The Mini Bus.

People movers.

Humanity has taken full advantage of the Automobile concept and has developed it in many ways. The 'Chara bang has lead to the coach for touring and long distant driving, while the bus is more of a suburban beast. Enabled to stop and start at short distant stops, wither single or double deckers.

It was in the 1960' and 70's that the concept of the mini-bus was introduced into the U.K by a van conversion with seating, but it was to be the Ford Transit van that epitomised this form of travel until the Japanese entered the market with even smaller van alternatives.

Today the people carrier and SUV has attempted to replace the mini van by offering seven seats in to the realm of the family car, but the small bus seating between 12-22 remains a very viable form of moving people in the back streets of your towns and the country side.

Speed here is not an essential factor, but rather the turning circle of the size and ability to manoeuvre in small spaces.

Hiace, Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, Ford, Volks Wagen and many others form the mains suppliers world-wide.

Mobile homes.

Also known as camper vans. 

There are two roads to how these vehicles came about.

1. Travelling communities across the world, Circus's, Showmen, (Fun Fairs/Fairground attractions), moved from their horse drawn waggon's and houses to the steam engines and then on to the motorised versions.

2. The 1920's saw the rise in Caravaning craze in the UK and after World-War-II (1939-45), the Camper van came in to an easy tourer. 

In the 1960's the German Volks Wagen VW camper was associated with the 'Hippie movement and Woodstock'.

It became the iconic vehicle of young people travelling around and it remains so to this day in Europe anyway.

 

Today there are quite a varied selection of vehicles on the market. In the U.S. the Winnebago is probably the largest mobile home. Many people have over the years converted trucks and buses, coaches to live in.

Trams.

Are they worth their claims of improving metro systems or would buses just be good at doing the same job? 

Nearly every city and major town in the UK has a tram network of some kind. The question, should we have more of them or less? Is there the possibility of London having them again in the city center and what about trolley-buses and other forms of super metro/rail?