No way to run railways
Last updated at 09:59, Monday, 22 November 2010
BRITAIN’S railway operators are braced to see how they will fare in the government’s spending cuts but one leading expert feels the industry will come out of better than many others.
Christian Wolmar spoke on Britain’s Railways in Transition Again at the autumn meeting of the Cumbrian Railways Association at the Burnside Hotel in Bowness.
As the country’s best-known transport correspondent he has had the opportunity to quiz and ruffle the feathers of many ministers charged with improving railway services.
He said: “The railways are a fantastic way to travel and we are absolutely at a most fascinating time.”
He was a fierce opponent of the 1990s Conservative-led railway privatisation which set up a company to run the railway infrastructure and a series of companies to run line operating franchises.
He said: “They wanted to open access and competition. That was the ideology behind it.”
In his opinion, all it created was a series of regional monopolies.
He said: “They knew it was flawed but they pushed it through.”
When Labour’s Tony Blair came to office political ideology played no part in government policy.
He said: “When Labour got into power there was never a suggestion that they were going to re-nationalise the railways.”
Praise-worthy aims, such as reducing the level of public subsidy and reducing government interference, all failed.
He said: “If I had to sum up the Labour years it was 13 years of muddle.”
Even the 2007 White Paper looking ahead 30 years was flawed – talking of fuel cell technology when the rest of the railway world was pushing for more electrification of lines.
And Mr Wolmar feels the planned north-south high speed line will be an expensive white elephant.
However, he feels the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review will find it difficult to shave much off railway spending as cash is already committed in a 2009 to 2014 plan.
He said: “The investment plan is pretty safe.
“Many more road schemes were cut than rail schemes.”
Branch lines, such as that to Windermere, would be looked at when the franchise came up for renewal at the end of 2012 but he felt it would survive.
Closing it would save a couple of hundred thousand a year but would be opposed.
He said: “You would get an enormous outcry.
“I think that the network is pretty safe.”
First published at 09:49, Monday, 22 November 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
More Windermere news
- Thieves steal from Lake District charity shop till
- Cumbrian storms to victory as runners pound round lake
- Windermere rangers take the helm of new patrol boat
- Cumbria County Council election
- Quick action averts second Windermere tragedy
- Calls for more regulations following Lakes boat tragedy
- Decision over 'caravan park' extension in Lakes
- Cumbria detective describes mother and daughter Windermere boat deaths as “an absolute tragedy” (1 comment)
- Cumbria police hunt armed poacher (4 comments)
- Young Windermere Beatrix Potter fans are all ears for Pigling Bland tales
- CCTV appears to show man stealing charity collection box from Windermere pub
- Divers to pluck litter from lake Windermere in ‘largest UK event of its kind’
- Businesswoman launches gifts inspired by Windermere ‘monster’
- Pupils follow Leo’s footsteps
- Gadgets help crack down on Windermere speeders
- Big Chill swim in Windermere
- Bowness protesters voice repository fears (7 comments)
- Cumbria fly tipper fined £705 by South Lakes council
- Drug trafficking Windermere couple stripped of assets
- Supermarket chain heads to Windermere
- Supermarket chain heads to Windermere
- Windermere divers go deep for litter pick day
- Boost to economy and jobs with restoration
- £1.25m will safeguard Lakes jobs
- Approval given for Windermere lake rule changes
Evening Mail homepage
ENERGY FOR LIFE 5.1k WALNEY FAMILY FUN RUN
Did you enjoy the Energy For Life 5.1k Walney Family Fun Run?
• Click here to pledge to take part in next year's event on September 2, 2012
Handy links
Follow
us on Facebook
Vote
Quick links
- Column 7 - Let’s build on vital first win (1 comment)
- Latest stage in site clean-up complete
- Joy for Cumbrian woman told she would never marry
- Three Cumbrian Salesman take on The Great Lakeland Challenge
- Barrow checkout girl stole £1,550 from tills
- Saved Ulverston pool: revamp plan
- Planning body backs Centrica's consultation into Barrow biomass plant (45 comments)
- Raiders aim for title after sealing promotion
- An Open field
- Primestock
- Tannery lads show off soccer trophy
- Flooded holiday park to reopen after renovation
- Cumbria police hunt armed poacher (4 comments)
- Joy for Cumbrian woman told she would never marry
- Rory McGrath's new TV show provides timely boost for the Lakes (6 comments)
- Cumbria Son killed mum during argument
- Column 7 - Let’s build on vital first win (1 comment)
- Latest stage in site clean-up complete
- Three Cumbrian Salesman take on The Great Lakeland Challenge
- Barrow checkout girl stole £1,550 from tills
 | ||||||||||||
|
 | ||||||
|
