British Rail could learn from Germany

THIRTY years ago, I was very impressed in travelling on the excellent German state-owned and state-controlled railway system, where the fares were very low, in order to maximise and serve the best interest of every citizen who wished to travel in the country.

Public money, plus fares, financed the railways at the level to achieve greatest efficiency. Low fares attracted more passengers, keeping personal costs low, but operating costs sufficient. More passengers, and more trains, gave the best possible financial return and national prosperity, and lightened the load on the autobahns.

But the British railway system is required to charge high fares, in order to pay out attractive high dividends to shareholders, who selected the chief executive and board members on the understanding they would favour their support, and reciprocate financially in a privatised system, operated for their benefit, to attract their cash.

Board members of German state railways, making decisions, have been selected upon their knowledge of railway engineering. What else?

British shareholders have one motive above all when choosing board members – their opinion of who will give the highest possible dividend return, since that is their own only personal reason for investing in railways in the first place. Do those board members know a lot about efficient railways? Maybe some do care about efficiency, but have no trained education in the subject.

Fourteen million British adults voted Conservative because they believe that private enterprise is more efficient than state control, as if they believe that railways in Cornwall compete with railways in Manchester.

Perhaps we could employ the political voting pattern of British adults, in schools, to teach children how much more responsible they could be, when they get the chance.