High-speed rail
‘The government has made the demise of domestic air travel an explicit policy target for the first time by aiming to replace short-haul flights with a new 250mph high-speed rail network.’ – Dan Milmo and Julian Glover, The Guardian
‘There was a time when all the world firsts in rail took place in the UK – the first modern locomotive, the first intercity line and the first train-travelling monarch. That time, however, was the second quarter of the 19th century, and for very many years now Britain’s railways have, as it were, been stuck on the slow train. No principally domestic mainline has been built in over a century, and the spread of high-speed services – from Japan in the 1960s through France in the 80s to Spain in the 90s – has all but failed to reach these shores. The transport secretary, Andrew Adonis, today tells the Guardian of his lofty ambitions for bridging the rail gap.’ – Editorial, The Guardian
Clinton in North Korea
‘Of greater significance is the opportunity afforded by these talks to break the diplomatic logjam. If North Korea uses Mr Clinton’s visit to stop snarling and start talking, Mr Obama should be prepared to react in kind, releasing the noose of sanctions in return for a resumption of denuclearisation.’ – Editorial, The Guardian
Civil service reform?
‘The institute reports that Whitehall is “weak” compared with its equivalents in other successful nations such as Canada, Australia and Sweden. This is not just academic; it’s about standards in schools, hospital-acquired infections, police on the streets, nursery places and other issues that we care about.’ – Paul Richards, The Times
Afghanistan
‘Both of our governments understand that the desperation described by Secretary [Hillary] Clinton cannot solely be answered by military action or even political processes. It can, however, be answered by a comprehensive approach embracing development. For development can address the pent-up grievances, unrelenting poverty and lack of opportunity that contributes to people resorting to violence. And it is clear that today such desperation still remains widespread in Afghanistan.’ – Douglas Alexander, The Independent