This mornings times reports on plans to re-nationalise the railways with Scotland being the likely test bed: -

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article1642806.ece

This news brought me to question the reasons behind this proposal. I mean, lets face it, under public ownership, the railways were a standard British joke. Punctuality was appauling, cleanliness was something BR had heard of but didn't know exactly what it was and every comedian in the land had a joke in their armary with buffet food bearing the brunt of them. So what makes UK Gov PLC think they can do any better this time round.

If I put my scocialist hat on, I'm all for it. I'd love to see the countrys assets helping to finance this country instead of being handed to shareholders and foreign investors and owners. But, and it's a big but, I can't beleive any UK government would be able to make better stab at running the railways than private opperators. Neither can I see prices falling as a result as Old Gordon is almost certain to take the profit without so much as a thank you to the poor sods like me.

The railways were built by private companies and investors and history has shown that if we want an efficient network, they're the ones to give us it.