Strange fact: More trains means more cars

摘要

High fuel prices are said to be encouraging more motorists to park at stations and catch the train, putting more pressure on car parks which in many cases were already short of space. Rhodri Clark examines the challenges for the rail industry and local authorities seeking to expand car parking at stations. Building or extending station car parks used to be simple. You cleared the rusty rails or vegetation from the disused goods yard and laid the tarmac. Static demand for rail travel, or modest growth, meant your new spaces would suffice for years to come. Not any more. Demand for rail travel is soaring, especially on local trains serving cities where motorists are deterred by traffic congestion and the perceived high cost of city centre parking.