PODCAST · technology
#Railnatter
by Gareth Dennis
The world's leading independent railway podcast. Join award-winning rail engineer Gareth Dennis and many guests talking about all things TRAINS and TRANSPORT. #Railnatter goes out LIVE every Wednesday at 8pm, UK time, with the audio podcast following on all common platforms.
Episodes
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Labour have CANCELLED Bradford's new station | #Railnatter 326
Tonight is an episode of two halves... First, we'll ask the question: is there anything Tracy Brabin won't let Westminster cancel and dress up as a good news story? So far the answer is no, as Bradford just had its new through station at the already agreed St James site cancelled. Second, we're...
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This Is How Leeds Gets A Metro | #Railnatter 325
Copenhagen and Leeds are basically comparable cities - except that Copenhagen has twice the GDP of Leeds. Why? Because it has a functioning, integrated transport system with a proper metro as its beating heart. Leeds has none of that, and it shows. But what should West Yorkshire's Weaver Metro...
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The GB Rolling Stock Strategy Misses The Mark | #Railnatter 324
We've a lot to get through tonight, with news and updates galore, including new seats, new services, the collapse of what3words, Brightline's bankruptcy and so much more... But at the heart of tonight's episode is a page-turn of the new GBR rolling stock and infrastructure strategy, released last...
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How Treasury Broke Britain: The History of PFI (Part 1) | #Railnatter 323
In the first of an EPIC two-parter, I'm delighted to say that Britain's best podcaster November Kelly will be joining us to tell the story of PFI, how it was thrust upon an unwilling public by about six guys, how it is completely intertwined with the story of UK transport engineering and how the...
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Why This Beautiful Main Line Is A Mess | #Railnatter 322
The East Coast Main Line between Newcastle and Edinburgh is possibly the most beautiful mainline in Britain, but from an operational perspective, it’s a mess. It might not be as slow as you think, but thanks to heavy usage by intercity services, the local stations suffer – indeed, this section of...
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Are We Headed For Another Railtrack Crisis? | #Railnatter 321
The Lewes and Wickford derailments have been confirmed as being triggered by track buckles. But what has led us to the point where two trains can derail in two days? How have we let our track condition across the country get so poor? And why is Hendy involved again? Support #Railnatter at...
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Can California's long term rail plan fix HSR? | #Railnatter 320
California High Speed Rail is stumbling onwards, and we'll be catching up with progress as best as we can. However, tonight's main feature will be a run through of the 2024 state rail plan to see if HSR is being set into its wider transportation context in a way that might avoid the worst…
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Will the Washington Metro extension work? | #Railnatter 319
Tonight, Gareth is looking over the proposed Washington extension of the Tyne and Wear Metro to see if it works, and what to look out for as the proposals develop. We'll go through a short history of the system and think about the wider integrated transport context. Also: there's news to catch up...
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CrossCountry Trains Cannot Be Saved | #Railnatter 318
By pure chance, the entirety of the CrossCountry Trains service fell over the weekend just gone, cancelling countless services and exporting disruption across the network. But this failure is just the tip of the iceberg. Tonight, we look at what is broken at CrossCountry and how a new fleet of...
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York to Hull: Yorkshire's crucial missing rail link? | #Railnatter 317
This is it! We are building a new railway from York to Hull, looking at route options, stations, services and costs, and most importantly setting the railway into its local, regional and national context. We're LIVE so bring your thoughts, opinions and proposals! Watch the first episode of the...
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Why GBR's AI plan is a SHAMBLES | #Railnatter 316
A year after being created, GBRX has done one thing: write a rail industry AI action plan. And it is absolutely shambolic. It is also insightful about the direction Britain's railways are being taken in, and who is taking them there. Featuring: Amazon, Google, NVIDIA, OpenAI and... Palantir. It's...
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How Britain lost THOUSANDS of train services in 2026 | #Railnatter 315
Since 2020, Britain's railways have seen drastic cuts in timetabled services across much of the country. But what have these cuts done for overcrowding? How have they impacted on growth? And which cities and operators are now chronically overcrowded? Thanks to MUCH DATA, we'll fling at high speed...
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What Great British Railways should ACTUALLY be | #Railnatter 314
We've had a change in leadership for the country, but not for transport, and that means that the creation of GBR continues unaltered. In an episode of two halves, we'll first look at what the IDEAL railway organisation looks like, and how it fits into the wider transport picture. In the second...
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Rebuilding Yorkshire's Broken Railway Network | #Railnatter 313
It's a corker tonight - the long-awaited network development episode for Yorkshire and the North East (outside of WY, SY and Tyne/Wear). Where are the gaps? What are the new bits of railway we need to maximise the railways' ability to get people and goods off the road? Join us for the first of a...
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The Titfield Thunderbolt Predicted Today's Transport Crisis | #Railnatter 312
Tonight, we’re talking about the Titfield Thunderbolt! To celebrate its re-release in 4K we’ll be speaking to the team behind its loving restoration, talking about its impact and where its predictions hit the mark (and where they perhaps didn’t) and we’ll be taking a deeper look at the railway…
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Labour’s rail promises versus reality | #Railnatter 311
We have a packed show for you tonight! We start at the new Cambridge South station, taking stock of what major station budgets can buy you. Then we review Starmer's Labour legacy for railways, and how much of Louise Haigh's original vision remains intact. Then we blast our way through two months…
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Why Safety Systems Failed At Talerddig | #Railnatter 310
On 21 October 2024, two Welsh regional trains collided with each other at Talerddig on the line between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury, resulting in the death of a passenger and serious injuries to three others. A week ago, the RAIB released their final report into this terrible crash.Given extra...
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The hidden history of Adelaide's weird transport | #Railnatter 309
He's back! Chris Brownbill grips the reverser for this week's episode with another trip to an Australian city: this time we are in ADELAIDE, or rather TARNDANYA. We cover all manner of transport systems, but we hone in on the O-BAHN for its pure ridiculousness, and I bring a long a bit of a...
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The post-election reality for Britain’s transport system | #Railnatter 308
Well, they did it. Labour got a drubbing and are in the process of collapsing. The Tories are nowhere. Reform are ascendant and the Greens are hot on their tails. But what does it mean for transport in Britain? What does it mean for GBR? We'll get stuck in, alongside a bit of news too.Support...
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The truth about local elections and public transport | #Railnatter 307
Westminster has always infantilised local elections, but local authorities are the most persistent interface between our lives and the functioning state, and this is absolutely true when it comes to transport.In this "local" election special, we'll dig into this relationship, talking with Nathan...
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Britain's Suburbs Are Broken, Here's The Solution | #Railnatter 306
This month, the Foundation for Integrated Transport released its paper on decarbonising suburban transport in Britain. Led by Jonathan Bray, it looks at the key challenges with providing adequate transport options to Britain's suburban communities, it picks out the main lessons we can learn from...
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The Secret to Fixing Britain's Railways | #Railnatter 305
What if we've been getting railway upgrades wrong for decades? What if big, grand, finite projects were about the worst way to deliver the change to transport Britain so desperately needs? By looking at what the Transpennine Route Upgrade is delivering in detail, including the latest look at some...
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This cheap fix will SOLVE rural travel | #Railnatter 304
Can the adoption of a Swiss taktfahrplan provide a blueprint for rural and regional transport in Britain?This is the question we'll be asking tonight, as we dig into the plans for the Hope Valley transport integration demonstrator, what £6M is paying for, and whether it can work. We'll also ask:...
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The BILLION POUND flaw on the Elizabeth Line | #Railnatter 303
Last week, the Campaign for Level Boarding published its letter to the Old Oak Common project endorsing a non-standard platform height. But what's that about? And how does it link to Crossrail's most expensive and damaging design flaw? Read the full Campaign for Level Boarding letter here:...
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This train TRANSFORMED Britain’s railways | #Railnatter 302
This week we are talking about Network Rail's PLPR train - the incredible and now pretty experienced train that put machine learning into practice in a way that makes today's AI boosters look more like hucksters than they already are. Alex Cusdin joins us to talk through the train and its tech…
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Talking GBR, cost of living and Iran with TSSA’s Maryam Eslamdoust | #Railnatter 301
In the first of a series of chats with political leaders who are shaping the mobility landscape in the UK, I was delighted to spend a long lunch with Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the TSSA. We talked about a range of subjects including union saturation into the consultancy world, the…
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Transport in Leeds isn't working | #Railnatter 300
10 hours, 22 locations and about 100 miles (probably) of travel later, and we've got a real feast of an episode to mark our 300th... Tonight, we rate ALL OF LEEDS for mobility using our patented science-based system: the PROCIV system. In doing so, we will consider the West Yorkshire mass transit...
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Can we end Britain's boom and bust problem? | #Railnatter 299
Back at the start of February, the UK's Transport Select Committee published its report into rail investment pipelines and how to end the boom and bust cycle that double prices and delays improvements... But is the report any good? Does it propose any useful solutions? Will government have any...
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What links Speed, Warriors and Roger Rabbit? | #Railnatter 298
Are there three movies that better define US transit culture better than Speed (1994), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and The Warriors (1979)? Probably not, if our guest this week is to be believed! Because who could be better to guide us on this silver screen odyssey than Josh Boerman, co-host…
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Justin Roczniak fixes Britain's railways | #Railnatter 297
It's a delight to say we welcome back Justin Roczniak of @wtyppod fame as we sift through some local, national and international news and try to work out: WHAT IS GOING ON? Support #Railnatter at https://patreon.com/garethdennis. Merch at https://merch.railnatter.uk. Join in the discussion at...
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Can the Greens win the Gorton & Denton by-election? | #Railnatter 296
This one's important. If the Greens win, it will end Starmer's short stint as PM and - as importantly - show that Reform are NOT the default winners at the next general election. But can they do it? Transport is a key local issue in this byelection, and given its importance for communities and...
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Why the British rail industry is SO complicated | #Railnatter 295
I'm joined by not one, not two but THREE guests tonight, as fellow rail industry employees Georgia Haslam, Kostas Kuklys and Katie Williams help demystify the immensely complicated British railway industry... Find out more about this year's Rail Week here: https://www.railweek.com/ Support...
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Here's how HS2 gives Birmingham a metro system | #Railnatter 294
I've been teasing this one for ages, but we are finally looking at how HS2 gives Birmingham and the West Midlands a metro system, and what its wider suburban railway network COULD look like... Plus there's a bit of news. Support #Railnatter at https://patreon.com/garethdennis. Merch at...
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The trans woman who gave us model railways | #Railnatter 293
Have you heard of Lillian "Curly" Lawrence? Get comfy for a story of genius, wit, charm and tragedy - and of a transgender woman who shaped the model railway scene perhaps more than any other individual. We'll also touch on LGBTQIA+ history more broadly, dipping into the Railway Museum's oral...
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Here's how the Spanish rail crash unfolded | #Railnatter 292
On Sunday, two trains collided near Adamuz in Spain in an appalling, extremely unlikely and hugely tragic crash, which so far has claimed the lives of 40 people. Enough detail has been released that we can plot out how the two trains derailed with reasonable confidence - and that's what we'll do,...
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What is the actual Northern Powerhouse Rail plan? | #Railnatter 291
Northern Powerhouse Rail has been announced by government, again, and this time what's being proposed is even more nebulous than last time... If we ignore Network North, that is. We dig into the details to understand what is being promised, what is new (if anything) and what we've been left since...
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The Audenshaw rail crash | #Railnatter 290
On 6 September 2024, a freight train derailed over a bridge in Audenshaw in Greater Manchester. At the end of 2025, the RAIB published their report into the crash, looking in detail at the sequence of failures that let to this event. It lays out a series of mistakes and engineering limitations…
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Structural collapse, and what to do about it | #Railnatter 289
We've reached the end of 2025! It's been an extremely difficult year across the board, with some points of light dotted around for nourishment, but I wanted to end with some hope. Also with a bridge collapsing on my head. Support #Railnatter at https://patreon.com/garethdennis. Merch at...
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What bits of railway are being built over Christmas? | #Railnatter 288
Merry Christmas! Raise a glass to all the folk out there this holiday season prodding, building and generally messing about with railways in the freezing cold. It's a brief, last minute news filler episode really - and we'll cover a few things including West Yorkshire mass transit delays, two...
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Why diversity and inclusion policies aren't enough | #Railnatter 287
This week I'm delighted to say that we are joined by Poggy Murray Whitham joining us to talk about moving from the technical to the human side of engineering, abuse, threats, hate - and how to overcome them by thinking about psychological safety as rigorously as we think about physical safety.…
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The definitive verdict on Great British Railways’ new look - with JenOnTheMove | #Railnatter 286
They did it! Or rather, they did... something! The "new" identity of Great British Railways was released yesterday to noises resembling moisture purped through polyester. Alas, it wasn't the wondrous fanfare this ailing government were expecting, but it also isn't a total disaster. Plus it's a...
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The Secret To Fixing York's Traffic Problems | #Railnatter 285
York is broken - traffic is knackered and the city, with its wonderful medieval core and rivers, barely reaches a fraction of its potential as a result. It turns out there's a fix though - and it involves LEARNING FROM OTHER PLACES! Shock/horror/etc. Support #Railnatter at...
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Melbourne’s trains - with Chris Brownbill | #Railnatter 284
Chris Brownbill (https://railmaps.com.au/) has taken over! With Melbourne's Metro Tunnel - their Crossrail - opening this weekend, it is as good a time as any to get to know Melbourne's public transport that bit better... Support #Railnatter at https://patreon.com/garethdennis. Merch at...
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The PWI has to change its name | #Railnatter 283
It's time for the PWI (the Permanent Way Institution) - my beloved professional institution, the best of the lot, and one I'm immensely proud of - to change its name. And you can make it happen. Find out more at: https://www.thepwi.org/about/our-next-chapter Support #Railnatter at...
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The man who destroyed Britain's buses | #Railnatter 282
We need a laugh (?) so this week we are going through a report written by Professor John Hibbs for the IEA (the bad one) nearly twenty years ago, and twenty years after Britain's buses were deregulated outside of London and proceeded to be completely decimated, where they weren't engaging in...
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Everything you need to know about the Railways Bill | #Railnatter 281
Yesterday, the UK Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander deposited the Railways Bill in the House of Commons. Does this actually mean anything? Not yet, not least as quite a lot of important stuff about the future of Britain's railways isn't in this document at all, but it does help...
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The real reason HS2 died | #Railnatter 280
Back in June the Stewart Review suggested a series of reasons why Britain's embryonic domestic high speed railway line was tripping over its shoelaces. Today, we dig into that report, with the usual useful context on its author and its subject matter. Support #Railnatter at...
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British airports that have got to go | #Railnatter 279
You've been asking for this one for a long time - YES, the airports episode is finally here! Which of the UK's 32 mainland airports (including on the island of Ireland) deserve to survive into the 2040s, and which must CLOSE? Tune in to find out! Support #Railnatter at...
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The city that’s choking itself to death | #Railnatter 278
A city I love and have travelled to many times for a decade now - Belgrade is a melting pot of culture, art and architecture, food and fun. And yet it is being poisoned by corruption, greed and car dominance. The result is a dying city - and a warning to the UK, given our cities are taking…
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How British Rail gave us the USA’s newest high speed train | #Railnatter 277
Following a wee hiatus from host knackeredness syndrome, we're back! And we're returning to our roots by talking all about British Rail's Advanced Passenger Train, and the corporate nonsense that took APT's tilting technology via about a dozen legal entities to slap it straight into the…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The world's leading independent railway podcast. Join award-winning rail engineer Gareth Dennis and many guests talking about all things TRAINS and TRANSPORT. #Railnatter goes out LIVE every Wednesday at 8pm, UK time, with the audio podcast following on all common platforms.
HOSTED BY
Gareth Dennis
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does #Railnatter have?
#Railnatter currently has 307 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is #Railnatter about?
The world's leading independent railway podcast. Join award-winning rail engineer Gareth Dennis and many guests talking about all things TRAINS and TRANSPORT. #Railnatter goes out LIVE every Wednesday at 8pm, UK time, with the audio podcast following on all common platforms.
How often does #Railnatter release new episodes?
#Railnatter publishes regularly with 307 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to #Railnatter?
You can listen to #Railnatter on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts #Railnatter?
#Railnatter is created and hosted by Gareth Dennis.
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