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It was big news recently when the Government announced £9bn of railway investment, the largest injection into the rail infrastructure for 150 years.
With such a significant financial commitment (which includes extensive electrification), it will be interesting to see whether the planned 'world class rail network' will cause a major reduction in car travel and long-term shift to the train?
For many commuters, train travel makes a lot of sense - mainly because dead time behind the wheel becomes an opportunity to read, work and check emails on a train.
While it's of course better for the environment, congestion isn't an issue and in some cases it is a lot quicker.
So I'm fully supportive of this spend. For anyone that currently travels on the train on a regular basis, especially at peak time, it can be an ordeal. Hopefully this will make it a better experience while electrification should also reduce costs.
What I don't think this will do is generate a wave of people ditching their cars.
The Government is making some bold statements to support the announcement but to get people out of their cars on a regular basis it will take a major major change.
From a personal point of view the train only becomes preferable to the car when it is cheaper, faster more reliable and when you are guaranteed a Seat.
Without some or all of these benefits, the convenience, flexibility and comfort of driving is preferrable.
The Government promises 140,000 extra daily commutes and lower prices in the long term but we just don't see it at the moment.
If I'm travelling into London on business, I will often take the train which is extremely expensive (even compared to high fuel costs), often hard to find a seat and delays are common.
I also factor in getting to and from the station, and if I've driven, parking there - which can be difficult and comes at a price premium.
Despite all of these things, if you are travelling to a major hub like London it's often still the best option - less so for shorter commutes or trips across country where the network isn't as good.
So I would never rule out the train, but my view is that the best approach is a varied one.
Different modes of transport should all be considered on a journey by journey basis and by doing that you can select the most efficient and cost effective option with the car and the train likely to be important parts of the mix.
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