I think I will have to disagree.

The problem with one railroad forum is that all railroads are not created equal. One cannot have a general "railroad forum" because trains, train sytems differ from city to city, country to country etc etc.

I do not know the problems of the BMI forum however, but depending on the question I think it is best to redirect those threads to an appropriate UK forum for whatever exits for travel in the UK here on flyertalk.

At least for the Japan forum it would be a disservice to that forum to have all rail related questions moved out, as I think rail is an important part to travel with in the country. Same for the other forums on flyertalk. I dont think it would be good to move or redirect all rail related questions for China to be moved out of the China forum, or if someone asks about travel on the Metro in Washington, DC to be directed towards the railroad forum instead of the Washington, DC/ Midalantic forum here on flyertalk.

Again the BMI forum is an airline forum and it would probably be inappropriate to ask railroad questions in that forum, however I think those questions should be directed into a UK travel or whatever equivilent section here on flyertalk, than create a brand new general railroad forum. Taking subway questions out of the New York City forum would be a disservice, taking Shinkansen questions out of the Japan forum would be a disservice, etc etc, it would not make any sense to move railroad related questions into a general railroad forum.

Of course questions like what is the fastest train in the world might be Omni but would be more appropriate in another railroad website not flyertalk, but a question like, How do I travel around New York City, Japan, London etc etc by train, belong in their appropriate city/country forums and NOT in a general railroad forum.

Imagine if someone asked as question on the JAL forum about how to get to NRT by train, to have it redirected to the railroad forum, to only have it redirected to a question asked in the Japan forum. Again I think it would be better to have rail related questions directed in the appropriate city/country travel forums here on flyertalk.

To moderators, talkboard members etc, I think it would be a real disservice to flyertalk to move/redirect all rail related questions into a general railroad forum a lot of rail related questions are intricate to travel within our specific travel forums here on flyertalk.

And I love trains so you would think I would want to have a railroad forum here on flyertalk, but I think it would not be good for flyertalk, and more appropriate travel sections on flyertalk already exists for those questions to be posted in.

Thanks to flyertalker LapLap for pointing me to this important discussion.