Going off the rails

IS there any part of Britain’s rail service that’s truly fit for purpose?

The timetable shambles has left longsuffering passengers stranded and fuming. Extortionate and relentlessly rising fares are exacted for a Third World service.

The HS2 project is stalling. There are fresh delays over the implementation of Crossrail. And the unions are pursuing a reckless and nakedly political campaign of strikes.

But above all, there is a lamentable lack of leadership and direction across the network – not least from Transport Secretary Chris Grayling. Anyone who remembers the miserable shambles that was British Rail knows that state control is not the answer.

But as long as the network is mired in chaos and chronic mismanagement, the pressure for renationalisation – however misguided – is certain to grow.