Latest editorial
PRIVATISATION of the railways has been an unmitigated disaster for the travelling public, staff and taxpayers, plumbing new depths on Southern Railway.
The House of Commons transport select committee has concluded that Govia Thameslink Rail (GTR), which owns Southern, is in default of its contractual obligations.
GTR has provided “woeful experience” to passengers and has provoked a succession of strikes by refusing to negotiate honestly with RMT over the future of safety-critical staff. The company blames the union for the dispute, but RMT was able to come to a sensible compromise with ScotRail on the same issue. What makes GTR so different?
The HS2 debacle exposes what happens when public infrastructure is handed to private contractors – especially when set against China’s state-led high-speed rail success, says CARLOS MARTINEZ
A just transition to Great British Railways and a clean and safe railway for all is not only desirable but also necessary. MARYAM ESLAMDOUST explains