Re: Poor Performance of UK Train Operators

[stang@iweb.net.au (Aidan Stanger)]

< Tell > <telljb@ozemail.com.au> wrote:

> "David Bennetts" <davibenn@pcug.org.au> wrote:
> >
> >Once again, declining levels of performance of the Train Operating Companies
> >are being reported in the UK media.  Interestingly, the only company to
> >receive top marks was the Island Line, which operates a small passenger
> >service on the Isle of Wight, using 60 year old reburbished ex-London tube
> >trains.
> 
IIRC the 60yr old tube trains were replaced by newer (though still
several decades old) ex-London tube trains before privatisation.
> 
> Hmmm .......Do you think the fact that they do not have
> the massive amounts of British tax payers funds like BR
> used to have, might have something to do with it.?
> 
No. Total subsidies are actually a lot greater. Unless you're only
referring to Island Line, in which case the answer is how could it?

The main problem BR had was that funds were limited, and it wasn't
allowed to take out commercial loans like AN did. Privatisation solved
that problem, but the fragmentation of the network made it much less
efficient. Freight privatisation has been more successful, but even
there the way the government did it was rather silly - they split it up
into three companies, all of which were sold to Wisconsin Central!

-- 
Aidan Stanger
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