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In the past 100 days for UK travel only:
UK & Ireland http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=570999 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=552688 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=576341 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=557219 London: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=581190 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=567551 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=577058 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=574848 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=573229 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=568645 BD http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=581887 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=543571 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=572976 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=564360 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=558955 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=560404 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=553645 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=551216 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=548469 Life was too short to check travelbuzz and BA, which are the other two fora we expect to see random UK rail questions. Also, Eurostar train questions can turn up on some of the European boards too... I also had to ignore some of the BD threads which turned into train discussions or discussions of train noises ;) since they weren't always readily apparent. I also left out local train/tube questions in London, and the debates about what should happen to GEX. If this isn't considered sufficient to show interest, then perhaps Wingnut's idea of merging UK & Ireland with London would create a more natural home for train questions. As it is, this list does demonstrate the issue for train questions in the UK - there is no obvious place for them to go, which means the questions being asked, and answered are scattered across a number of boards, making finding searching for answers a lot more difficult. If you want to see what I mean, try searching for 'GNER' or 'Eurostar' - or indeed Virgin... who as well as being an airline, are one of the major long distance operators in the UK. And that's the situation in the UK, doesn't even touch on the mainland Europe train stuff... |
Originally Posted by ScottC
Can anyone estimate how many rail threads are started? I'm not completely against it, but just never saw any large amount of rail threads that needed a new home.
Originally Posted by ScottC
http://www.mytravelguide.com/guides-...p?forumid=1024
http://www.trainweb.com/travel/ http://www.railserve.com/discus/mess...tml?1152720040 http://www.faremax.com/forums/forums/53/ShowForum.aspx http://www.on-track-on-line.com/forums/index.php http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=45 http://boards.independenttraveler.co...play.php?f=107 Given that FTers have enormous accumulated wisdom about hotels, car hire and restaurants, I don't see why rail travel can't be given a place of its own. |
Originally Posted by ScottC
Amtrak already has a forum of its own, and AFAIK there are no other programs out there with a frequent traveler program. I don't see trains as having anything to do with miles or points (except in the case of Amtrak), so really don't see this forum as serving any purpose. There are much better boards on the Internet for train questions.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=399 I also don't see the GLBT forum (another forum I regularly frequent) as being related to miles or points. It is purely travel related. Likewise the TSA (or whatever it is called) forum, isn't related to miles or points. Whilst I agree that ORP probably isn't the best place for this, the fact that rail travel does not have any value as far as miles or points go does not mean that it not be a worthwhile forum. FlyerTalk seems to have evolved BEYOND being just related to miles or points (Randy, am I right here? Would this be a correct summation?) I, as someone who has an interest in rail travel, in fact, I use trains a lot in the UK and Europe, would be interested in such a forum. Dave |
Originally Posted by ScottC
Can anyone estimate how many rail threads are started? I'd like to get an idea whether or not there is any real demand for this forum. I'm not completely against it, but just never saw any large amount of rail threads that needed a new home. Just because people post them in the wrong forum doesn't mean there is nowhere else for them to be posted.
Dave |
Would it be an idea to turn the Amtrak forum into a general "trains" forum? I'm still very much against new boards for FT as it is my personal opinion that things are too messy as it is.
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Originally Posted by ScottC
Would it be an idea to turn the Amtrak forum into a general "trains" forum? I'm still very much against new boards for FT as it is my personal opinion that things are too messy as it is.
Dave |
Originally Posted by ScottC
Would it be an idea to turn the Amtrak forum into a general "trains" forum? I'm still very much against new boards for FT as it is my personal opinion that things are too messy as it is.
And perhaps in a similar vein to the Flying Blue forum, this Train forum could have three sub forums: -North America -Europe including UK -Rest of the World |
Originally Posted by ScottC
Would it be an idea to turn the Amtrak forum into a general "trains" forum? I'm still very much against new boards for FT as it is my personal opinion that things are too messy as it is.
Most of the train-related questions on FT are from travellers requesting basic information about ticketing and travel in foreign countries, so it would make sense to have all of these in one place. In particular, this would benefit FT's large American contingent seeking advice on train travel in Europe. This would also allow airport-city centre transit discussion to remain in the destinations fora, which is the most logical place. |
Originally Posted by AJLondon
Good idea.
And perhaps in a similar vein to the Flying Blue forum, this Train forum could have three sub forums: -North America -Europe including UK -Rest of the World |
I have started a thread on this in the Talkboard forum. I'll report back as soon as I know more...
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Originally Posted by ScottC
I have started a thread on this in the Talkboard forum. I'll report back as soon as I know more...
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Based on some input from fellow moderators and the invaluable input here in the forum I made a motion this afternoon to create a new subforum on FT for rail travel, containing boards for Europe, World, Amtrak Guest Rewards and US Commuter rail.
The motion was seconded and we should move on to voting real soon. I'll keep you all posted. |
I think I will have to disagree. :td:
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. |
Originally Posted by railroadtycoon
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
The problem is that your proposed solution is not a one sized fits all solution. Many rail questions do not have an obvious home board, like the Shinkansen in Japan do. In Europe we have trans-border trains. Should Eurostar go into London, Paris, UK & Ireland or Western Europe? That's the issue we have in the UK - I've seen UK rail related questions over five different boards (UK & Ireland, London, BD, BA, Travelbuzz, and i'm not a VS reader so I don't know if they turn up there also). Unfortunately, you haven't really read this thread - the BD regulars have not objected to it being used for UK rail questions as well, since many of us use trains and planes interchangeably for domestic, or short-haul European travel. But at the same time it's a clumsy patch, and people outside of the UK-based boards tend not to be aware of the convention, because it's been an unoffical ad-hoc arrangement. If there is a logical place for rail questions to go, then by all means, post them there - I wouldn't expect to see London tube questions for example, in a generic rail forum, but to continue to be posted in the London board. But it gives a home to those questions where the place to post is not so obvious - Eurostar, cross-border trains etc. |
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