Experiments in Rail Adventure Part 2

Time really is a matter of perception

Regular readers of my posts — LinkedIn tells me they exist ?? — will recall that I tested out Munich>London by train via Paris at the end of last year.?In part to reduce my carbon footprint, but also because I thought it would be an exciting opportunity to test out the thinking espoused by @Pete Dyson & @Rory Sutherland in their excellent book Transport for Humans.?The question the two ferroequinologists pose is

“What if the least annoying thing about many journeys is their duration, and its everything else that makes us crazy?”. ?

They’ve got a point. That trip worked so well that I thought I’d try out the reverse journey.

In keeping with the spirit of experimentation, today’s adventure is London>Brussels>Frankfurt>Munich. This one involves more changes, so there is more risk of something going wrong.?Human Risk and Deutsche Bahn Risk. Or, to re-frame things, three shorter journeys with increased opportunities for serendipitous moments.?So far, so good.

Carbon Pricing

Not only is this reducing my carbon footprint, but it’s also saving me a lot of money.?I discovered – after, I’d booked my rail journey – that British Airways is currently engaged in a fascinating behavioural experiment.?Having had a few weeks they’d rather forget — their CEO Sean Doyle said customers were “rightly fed up” with their performance —?they’ve decided to reduce the number of short-haul flights they’re putting on.?But rather than admit that they’ve raised prices to such a level that no one in their right mind would book them.?As a result, there are unlikely to be many passengers booked on them when they inevitably cancel.

The irony, of course, is that in doing so, they’re providing the perfect incentive for people to try the train. When they do, they’ll discover — as I have —?that a nine-hour train journey only sounds like a long time.?Because when you’ve got wifi, a view from a massive window and the opportunity to stretch your legs, time really is a matter of perception.??

And in a first, I’m editing the Human Risk podcast on the move. That’s entirely appropriate because it means I get to listen again to this week’s guest Sam Tatam share some fascinating train-themed insights from his forthcoming book Evolutionary Ideas.?It’s all about how we can solve problems by borrowing from existing solutions, rather than coming up with new ones.

So, while London<>Munich is longer than your average train journey, it’s not groundbreaking.?For that, follow Wiebe Wakker who went from Amsterdam<>Dubai by train & Jo Kibble who tested out how far he could go by train in 24hours from London. Spoiler alert: further than you might think!

Since I’m putting their theories into practice, I think Pete, Rory and Sam will approve of my choice.?Sean, on the other hand, might not…

If all goes well, I'll be in Munich just in time for an important football game. I'll let you know how I get on!