Lessons from history on how to run railways
sir – As a former professional railwayman, I feel regret and frustration that the Secretary of State for Transport is appointing Keith Williams, a former chief executive of British Airways and the current deputy chairman of John Lewis, to lead a review into how railways should be run in the 21st century (“How do we put rail networks on the right track?”, Business, September 21).
Railways provide an essential service, but require a complex and expensive infrastructure. The nationalised British Railways were far more efficient than they are given credit for and made much progress between 1948 and the beginning of privatisation. Network Rail is logical inasmuch as it provides infrastructure nationwide, but the franchisees’ primary aims are to make money for themselves and for the Government.
However, renationalisation of the operators is not the answer. Instead, railways should be returned to a small number of private companies akin to those which were nationalised in 1948, each solely and entirely responsible for its own operations, timetables, staffing, rolling stock, track and signalling. They would enjoy a high degree of compatibility with each other. The companies should be run by experienced railwaymen.
It worked for over a century and can work again.
Peter Clark
Canterbury, Kent