Typical! Two rival rail announcements come along at once
Jeremy Corbyn’s pledge to renationalise coupled with Nicola Shaw mulling full privatisation sets off a long overdue debate
The fact that calls to nationalise and privatise Britain’s railways can make headlines on the same day highlights the strange universe the industry inhabits. It is a world of baffling money flows, peculiar structures straddling the public and private sectors, and all parties colluding in the pantomime so long as the money pours in.
The new Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, reaffirmed his pledge to bring rail fully under state control, returning each train line to public sector operation as their franchises expire. He would also replace the less visible tier of the industry’s money-go-round, the rolling stock companies – bank-controlled entities that own and lease the trains – with a long-term public investment strategy.
Related: Jeremy Corbyn to announce rail nationalisation plan
Related: Unions fear Network Rail facing privatisation amid budget crisis
Source: Guardian Transport
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