When in 2019 the government announced the biggest review of Britain’s railways since privatisation, we knew it was an opportunity not to be missed.
The review was prompted by the totally chaotic introduction of new timetables in May 2018, causing major delays and disruption to passengers, and a blame game between train operators and Network Rail. It was clear that rail franchising had failed. When We Own It, a campaign group I founded against privatisation, met with Keith Williams, the man in charge of the government’s review, in April 2019, he told us that all options were on the table for his recommendations – including public ownership.
Since the break up and privatisation of British Rail between 1994 and 1997, the average price of a train journey has increased by 23.5% in real terms. And train rolling stock is in fact now on average older than it was in 1996, even as train-leasing companies pocket millions.
