Open Access

Something to say? This is your platform.

Ian Taylor’s article ‘Britain’s railways under Labour’ highlights many of the problems inherent in the current ‘privatised’ rail system in the UK ( RAIL 843).

Some of these difficulties (ticketing and fragmentation) have been discussed at length, but the irritating problem of train connections for services provided by different operators has, perhaps, been underplayed.

It is, of course, as easy for a Labour party-sponsored researcher to criticise the current system when attempting to devise policy initiatives to bring the current system back into public ownership, as it is convenient to overlook the advantages that an albeit flawed privatised railway has achieved in the last 20 years - the turnaround in efficiency of the freight business, passenger numbers doubling, ongoing investment in new stock, and (in some cases) an improved customer service offered by rail staff.

It is, however, a myth to believe that a return to a nationalised rail service will improve the service to customers, reduce fares and provide better centralised management. The Department for Transport has hardly covered itself in glory in recent years.

The experiences on Southern, with ASLEF negotiating a new wages structure and the constant battle by the RMT union to fight for the continuing role of guards, have only highlighted (as a microcosm) the new costs that will accrue across a nationalised railway run by a Labour government beholden to the trade unions. Yet rail nationalisation could happen.

The Government’s publicity machine is currently abysmal, and constantly outflanked by a vibrant Labour party. If the Government wishes to regain public support for its rail policies, it would do well to freeze fare increases next year and encourage the train operators to introduce (belatedly) part-time season tickets for the many rail travellers who now work flexibly from home for several days a week.