A guest editorial from MICHAEL HOLDEN, managing director of Coledale Consulting, based on his keynote speech at the 2017 Golden Whistles awards
How much of our current railway is actually privatised? While the question of nationalisation frequently stokes political debate, I think this usually gives off more heat than light.
Network Rail is effectively nationalised, and is closely controlled by the Government. Operating concessions, such as those let by Transport for London, are tightly specified by a public sector client and let to a private sector delivery organisation. Most franchises are also tightly specified by the Department for Transport, with limited risk transfer to the private sector. The one exception is rolling stock, whose funding and ownership remains predominantly in the private sector.
I believe there is now far greater government control over decision-making than there ever was in the days of British Rail. This is an issue on which we really need to educate the mainstream media – I believe the railway can flourish in either the public or private sector, and we need to move the focus away from this issue to those that reallymatter.
DEVOLUTION
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling’s decisio…
