Re: Re-nationalisation of Rail in Britain?

["Exnarc" <gwrly@netspace.net.au>]

Barry Campbell <barryC@qimr.edu.au> wrote in message
37BC7F17.427C12C8@qimr.edu.au">news:37BC7F17.427C12C8@qimr.edu.au...
> Ian Jelf wrote:
> >
> <snip>
>
> > When I last posted to aus.rail, urgin Australia *not* to follow the UK's
> > way of doing things too closely, I was taken to task for not recognising
> > the differences between operating conditions in the two counties.
> > However, when it all goes wrong (and I sincerely hope it won't), don't
> > say you didn't see it in the Northern Hemisphere first.......
> >
> The best example in the UK to compare with is EWS. If the entire non
> commuter rail passenger network was closed in Australia it would have
> negligible impact and the only place commuter services are ever likely
> to be privatised here is in Melbourne.
>
> EWS does seem to have made a difference. The aspect of UK privatisation
> that Australia needs to avoid is the Railtrack type setup where the
> infrastructure company is separate from the main operating company(ies).
> While there is some of this happening here, I believe it is only an
> interim step and vertically integrated rail systems in private hands
> will ultimately become the norm.
>
>
> Barry Campbell

Barry,

This already exists here, ARTC is the Australian version of Railtrack, its
just hasn't been privatised.   (YET).

Bob