French thinking for UK rail with Mike Muldoon

In today's podcast we are going to talk about “building modern railway” and discuss why we seem to find it so difficult in the UK to plan, design and construct decent, affordable rail connections. 

To discuss this issue, let’s turn to some French thinking. After all, according to many, they seem to know what they are doing when it comes to the Chemin de Fer. Perhaps?

Over the last couple of years or so we have been celebrating the opening of the late, over-budget yet ultimately delightful Elizabeth Line while simultaneously wrestling with the challenge of building HS2, a grand new north-south high speed rail line, and the Northern Powerhouse Rail project which is designed to transform east west journey across the north.

It is fair to say that with first, delays, then cancellations, then a rake of cost increases and now a rethink and rerelease of a batch of new / old projects under the Network North banner, we are in something of a muddle when it comes UK rail evolution. 

Oh and then there’s the Great British Railways transition, designed to make everything clear and efficient across the rail, train, passenger interface. We’ll see…

Well let’s find out. My guest today is Mike Muldoon, Business Development Director, SYSTRA UK & Ireland. Mike has been at Systra for just over a year but before that he spent 13 years at French train manufacturer Alstom and prior to that as contractor managed projects for Alstom on the Docklands Light Railways and London Underground. 

So he should know what to do Let’s discuss.

Resources
Systra-UK website
Mike Muldoon LinkedIn
Old Oak Common HS2