A really interesting thread, cheers all.
I am very ignorant of the realities of all of this - hence this thread being so interesting
- but the queries I'd have generally which have i am sure very simple answers are in no particular order..
1) why the focus on adding runways/airports to the immediate London area? I get its the largest "portion" of population ... but adding capacity in the very SE can only lead to that capacity being filled and by as well as SE-ers everybody else from the rest of the country. ie the rest of the country is even more forced into using a London area airport rather than having an expanded more local alternative.
2) while I can really see a point in helping business do business more efficiently if travel is more efficient ... I can't help but think much of this increased capacity would end up being filled by more people using it for leisure activities (ie holidays). Not that people shouldn't go abroad on holiday (leaving economic and environmental concerns aside for now) but is it really a national economic benefit to spend billions helping people go on holiday ?
3) meanwhile... are we not approaching - well frankly we have got there! - whereby business meetings can surely be more efficient timewise etc using web meetings? I have chums who seen to spend most of their working lives travelling to and from airports, waiting in airports, flying, and then having to rest in a hotel room for meetings that must only take a very hours. How can that ever be an efficient use of resource? I know the theory is they spend all that dead time on a laptop working... but I'm not convinced its a meaningful environment to do much more than answer or send a few emails and fill in an expenses form. And sitting at home/office can do all of this still.
eg Live in Devon - its a 4 hour drive to LHR. Plus then parking, transit, check-in, wait... the best part of six to seven hours BEFORE anybody gets on the plane to start their journey. And almost the same in reverse ... so its a full waking day almost just to start and end a trip.
4) what is stopping european rail operators coming up with more competitive fares? On the few occassions we go abroad (Europe) I always consider rail versus flying mainly cos we have reached the stage of disliking the flying expereince so much... and every time we can both fly (including transit and parking etc) for the price of one of us travelling by rail. We'd love to use rail but just cannot justify a few hundred quid "extra" spent on getting there and back...
5) As for the much vaunted concept of driverless cars leading to the end of mass car ownership I'm all for it. Though I have concerns that the reality will mean there will be sufficient capacity to get thousands of peple in a rural commnity to their workplace/school/college/railhead starting at 0700-0800 every weekday morning (for those not appreciating this - current public transport is such areas is often/usually totally inadequate/non existent. Round here if you used the bus to get to the nearest railhead, you'd miss the first SIX trains heading towards Bristol or London. That is SIX in EACH direction ie twelve trains....)
didds