There's always the original Master of Orion, run via DOSBox. Do those trains have electrical outlets?
British trains have small seats. Smaller than the average man. Even a thin one. They also go very, very, VERY slowly...
Hard to imagine they used to be the envy of the world. That being said the new bullet trains in China are very very nice, the one from nanjing to shanghai just takes an hour and a half or so to go 300km.
Long distance (by our standards) trains that are fairly new have power outlets for laptops. Commuter trains into the capital are essentially cattletrucks, so no.
It is indeed hard to imagine that of any of our public services were ever the envy of the world, be they outsourced (they say our trains are privatised, but it is really outsourcing rather than real privatisation) or fully state run. But that's another discussion.
I don't think anyone really understands what the deal is with our trains. They are expensive, yet heavily subsidised. Meanwhile other forms of transport like cars and planes are taxed to buggery. It is often reported that the most expensive travel part of a family holiday here is the train journey to the airport. For my girlfriend's recent trip to Italy, her flight there cost around the same as the 40 mile train ticket to London she sometimes needs. We've actually found it cheaper to rent a family car and pay for the petrol than to buy advance tickets to Lancaster. Crazy!
However, if you work in London, you pretty much have no choice but to use trains. They have you by the balls and boy do they like to squeeze. It is quite telling that none of my friends or family who work outside the capital ever use trains, for work or pleasure. Ever. Last time I saw my friend in Glasgow, he actually flew down here. It was cheaper to get on a heavily taxed, multi-million pound airplane than it was to ride a subsidised, glorified milkfloat.
Phew, sorry about the rant. I'm venting. This morning I've been wrestling the train company's moronic customer services staff over compensation they owe for a cancelled train (the driver didn't bloody turn up!), who appear incapable of reading. Oh, and my girlfriend's train to work just got cancelled too. You get the picture.
I'm guessing the Chinese authorities have a lower threshold for bull**** from the train operators (and their staff), which might be why they are getting somewhere.
