Leader The UK rail network may be advancing, but it lacks the pace and glory of the good old days

摘要

Earlier this month, Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunei's remarkable Thames Tunnel was open to the public for the weekend. For a brief moment it was possible to walk 'the shining avenue of light'to Wapping, just as half of London's population had done in 1843. Visiting it is a reminder of the great elan with which transport infrastructure was once conceived in Britain. Transport infrastructure is in the news again - but this time for all the wrong reasons. Not because we're celebrating the completion of the first Crossrail station or the opening of a new high-speed rail line, but because we're still arguing about whether we need, or can afford them.