RAIL engineer Richard Gibbon hopes the arrival of the Japanese Bullet train at the National Railway Museum in York will give a boost to the revival of our troubled railway system.
He makes his comments in a BBC2 North Landmark film, which follows the progress of the train on its 10,000-mile journey to Yorkshire.
The documentary, York's Oriental Express, is being shown on the day the Bullet, or Shinkansen, is unveiled as the museum's latest exhibit.
Mr Gibbon, head of engineering at the NRM, tells the programme: "Britain's railways have been through a dreadful patch and they need some injection of energy to take us out of the doldrums.
"When we show people what the Japanese have achieved, perhaps the thinking will change towards a totally reliable, totally safe railway, which is what everyone in Britain wants."
He adds: "If you were to ask a six-year-old child what trains they know about they'd say Thomas the Tank Engine, Stephenson's Rocket, Mallard and the Bullet train."
"The Bullet train was such a radical departure in 1965 and now we've got Eurostar and the TGV, and that's why it's wholly appropriate that it should be in the national collection."
Landmark producer Paul Greenan went to Japan for the start of the 200kph train's journey.
Landmark is screened on BBC2 tonight at 7.30pm.
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