Let the train take the strain??

Let the train take the strain?

I had to decide recently about getting to the Airport, shall I drive or catch the train?

I decided to catch the train, not any old train but one with early morning commuters on it oh how I miss those halcyon days (NOT!) .

This got me thinking if driverless cars take off would commuters still catch the train every day?

For commuter journeys up to say 90 minutes you can definitely see the benefits of using a driverless car as it will be cheaper, more convenient and you can get more work done.

But I started to think about what the other impacts might be of switching from train to driverless car.

I was wondering will people miss the following –

1. Standing in the freezing cold on stations waiting for delayed trains – I doubt it
2. Each January airing their complaints about the horrendous percentage rise in rail prices- I doubt it
3. If you are cut short on a train you have the ability of a nearby toilet (assuming you can get to it/the door locks properly and the last 10 occupants waste is not still swilling around in toilet – I doubt it,  although driverless cars might even have a loo best not used in mixed company though.
4. Having to sit on the floor because of overcrowding or not enough carriages – I doubt it but if you do you can always sit on the cars floor when you get withdrawal symptoms
5. Being wedged in a small hot place with a lot of wriggling/smelly/noisy/drunk/borish  people who you don’t know or want to know- I doubt it but you could always get the car to pick up some hitch hikers when you get withdrawal symptoms
6. The occasional witty announcement made over the station/train tannoy systems by rail staff – Get in now record them and put them on YouTube for playing on driverless commuter trips in the future to add some nostalgia to your trip.
7. Standing on platforms in the same place next to the same people day in day out and each day not talking to the other person (unless major delay) This might just be a London commuter thing!!  – I doubt it
8. Needing to know where to stand on a platform so as you are opposite the exit and needing to know how long it takes from getting from one train to the next one so as you don’t miss it- If there isn’t an app already there should be!!
9. The tranquillity of living on the edge of major cities currently with quiet roads that all of a sudden look very attractive to a driverless cars computer – This will be very annoying although it does have its fun moments  when watching driverless cars /lorries e.g. double trailer flower lorries getting stuck and having to hand over to their drivers to sort out the mess .
10. The joys of working or not having to work around good old train strikes – Hopefully driverless cars computer systems will not be able to all go down at the same time
11. Southern Rail
12. Northern Rail