Maria Hofberg’s rail company doesn’t just have satisfied customers: it has the most satisfied customers in Sweden. Not just the most satisfied rail customers: the most satisfied customers of any transport firm in the Swedish Quality Index, beating buses, airlines and ferry firms.

The company in question is VR Snabbtåg and Maria is Chief Commercial Officer.

A few months ago, I did a light-hearted LinkedIn post, giving out “Olympic” medals to my favourite European railways.

Transport Strategy Consultant Laura Wright was immediately on my case, challenging my (somewhat subjective) rankings.

In this episode we discuss our best (and most memorable - not always the same thing!) international train journeys and then have an informal chat on which railways are the best.

What should the new Government do about transport?

Big question: so the Labour party asked an independent group of experts to come up with the answer.

Allan Cook, former Chair of HS2, joins me to talk about their recommendations and why it’s so crucial for the Government to take them forward

This week I’m joined by a council officer. But no ordinary council officer. Colin Knight is doing something extraordinary: working with scientists and automotive engineers to develop an entirely new form of transport.

When challenged by his political masters to reduce the costs of a new tram network for Coventry, Colin realised that the only way to achieve a step-change was to reinvent trams from the ground up. Literally. He has formed a team that has reinvented the both tracks and vehicles.

He joins me on The Freewheeling Podcast to tell me what they’ve done, why they’ve done it and what will happen next with the monumentally ambitious project known as Very Light Rail.

The bus strategy is great but the Williams-Shapps review is not. In her last few weeks at Go Ahead, Katy Taylor talks candidly

Giles Fearnley on entrepreneurship in transport, what generates growth and the future role of the big bus groups.

Lilian Greenwood is one of the few politicians to have made transport a speciality. We talk about her time both as Shadow Minister and Chair of the Select Committee

Nina Lockwood on what the rail industry’s thinking; and whether there’s a transport type

Rory Sutherland is a global leader in the science of thinking. He reminds the transport industry that people don’t think the way we think they do…

Professor Emerita at the University of Sydney on alternative uses of the tax system such as property uplift and road pricing

Heathrow Southern Railway CEO tells me how transport infrastructure could be paid for by pension schemes

Hack Partners founder talks frankly about why innovation in transport is hard - and what needs to change

Lecturer in film and literature on transport in films, from the 19th century to the present day

The Travel Editor of the Independent talks openly on politicians and where we’re heading