A NEW side to Jack Straw has emerged at Westminster this week -- he is a railway enthusiast.

The Blackburn MP, whose job as Foreign Secretary involves a lot of hopping on and off aeroplanes, believes that trains have had the biggest effect of any development in modern society.

He revealed a long standing interest in public transport dating from his upbringing in Essex without a family car where he learnt a lot about buses and the London underground. Indeed he didn't learn to drive until he was 25.

As a councillor in Islington he introduced the first bus lanes and traffic management systems, but trains have always been an abiding love.

He had an O-gauge Hornby clockwork train set as a child and now spends a lot of time on the real thing travelling between London and Blackburn.

He said: "I am very interested in the West Coast mainline as I spend so much time on it. It's getting slowly better.

"I also love the line from Blackburn to Leeds across the Pennines with its wonderful scenery.

"I think steam engines are beautiful and I believe the railway has the biggest single effect on modern society, even more so than the aeroplane"

BURNLEY MP Peter Pike found himself in conversation with Prince Philip at the reception at Westminster following the Queen's address to both Houses of Parliament. The Prince, Captain General of the Royal Marines, wanted to know why the Burnley MP was wearing a Royal Marine tie.

Mr Pike revealed that he had spent two years in the regiment as a national serviceman defending Britain.

And he told the Prince that many years ago he had been part of the guard of honour when he opened the new Deal Pier at the regiment's Kentish home base.

The two men than happily reminisced about the marines -- currently in action in Afghanistan.