Axing British Rail ^was a big mistake^

[whole diary]

[woody]

According to Professor Sean McCartney, head of accounting and business history at Queen Mary, University of London privatisation of Britain^s railway network was a ^big mistake^ and as a result train fares will have to rise beyond the means of most passengers if it is to survive or the financing of the system has to be radically changed.
 http://www.railpro.co.uk/news/?idArticles=700
What do think?

[brompton rail]

Probably he is correct, but isn't it a bit like going out this morning without a coat and saying " this was a mistake, it's raining, I will get wet"

We are in 2011 with a government that is no more likely to re -nationize the railways than the previous Labour administration, and we are NOT in 1997!

All we can hope for is better franchising, a more responsive and efficient Network Rail, and some Government investment (but personally I would prefer to see that spent on the existing network and not HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)), but that is my opinion and another can of worms, and NOT for this thread,)

[Electric train]

Probably he is correct, but isn't it a bit like going out this morning without a coat and saying " this was a mistake, it's raining, I will get wet"

We are in 2011 with a government that is no more likely to re -nationize the railways than the previous Labour administration, and we are NOT in 1997!

All we can hope for is better franchising, a more responsive and efficient Network Rail, and some Government investment (but personally I would prefer to see that spent on the existing network and not HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)), but that is my opinion and another can of worms, and NOT for this thread,)

Agree with most of this, except HS2 this could be done with a large private sector investment and allow the existing industry to lead it.  Lest government micro management of NR^» (Network Rail - home page).  NR can (and dose) work with the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)'s only really goes wrong when the government decide not to make a decision

[Phil]

Closing thousands of Post Offices was a big mistake too. It's not going to change anything though.

[JonG]

Putting public transport into doesn't work, because the desire of the management of private companies for profit.

It is virtually impossible to run a reliable public transport system for profit because the cost ratio (incoming/outgoing) is such that unless you hike fares and/or reduce expenditure makes it unfeasible to do so.

[woody]

The head says privatise the railways and run it as a business but the heart says run it as a service in the public sector.What we have at the moment is the worst of both worlds and it needs sorting.Either go one way or the other,ever since rail privatisation we have been kidding ourselves that you can have your cake and eat it by pouring ever larger amounts of public money into the railway a situation that simply cannot continue.