Re: British Rail privatisation a disaster

[Ian Jelf <ian@bluebadge.demon.co.uk>]

In article <6om3ar$c1i$1@news.mel.aone.net.au>, Barry Campbell
<campblbm@ozemail.com.au> writes
>
>Ian Jelf wrote in message ...
>>In article <35AE13BA.F1EC642E@cia.com.au>, robson <robson@cia.com.au>
>>writes
>>>The British House of Commons had a lengthy debate in February 98 on the
>subject
>>>of
>>>railways and that rail privatisation has been a disaster. Makes
>interesting
>>>reading.
>>>
>>>Of course there need not be any lessons to learn because we always do it
>>>right. We never blindly follow the mistakes of others, do we!
>>DON'T DO IT, AUSTRALIA! :-)
>>--
>My impression is that EW&S railways have been quite optomistic about
>business. You have to remember that Australian railways have always been
>primarily freight haulers and these days aside of commuter trains there
>would be no more than about 20 passenger trains running in Aust daily.
Exactly!
>
>The lessons of the UK are rarely useful in Australia and the development of
>railways here has borne that out for more than a century.
No more than are the lessons of North America, which in geography,
distance and freight dominance are more closely related to Australia.

I my reply I was really talking about urban passenger commuter services.
Despite certain gains brought by privatisation, the fact remains that
Melbourne and presumably other major urban centres have in my view
little to gain from following the examples of their urban counterparts
here in the UK.

The situation on medium distance London commuter services, Connex for
example, has certainly worsened since privatisation and I would hate
that to be followed by hillside/Bayside or whatever they've decided to
call them this week!
-- 
Ian Jelf        http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk
Birmingham, UK
        Registered "Blue Badge" Tourist Guide
        for the Heart of England and London