Unreliable & expensive

British government wants to nationalize railroads

Due to a strike, the tracks at this station in South London are deserted.

(Bild: APA/AFP)

The new British government wants to partially nationalize the railroads again. On Tuesday, parliament in London is to vote on a bill to this effect at its third reading.

The draft stipulates that operation by private providers should end when existing contracts expire or a contractually agreed termination clause can be exercised.

High prices, many failures and much criticism
There are currently 28 different rail companies in the UK, which generally primarily serve a specific region. There has long been criticism of train cancellations and delays as well as high ticket prices. Strikes have repeatedly paralyzed services. Trade unions accuse the companies of exploiting their employees. Profits only benefit managers and shareholders.

A sign in England indicates that no trains are running due to one of the many strikes.

(Bild: APA/AFP)

In a second step, Minister Haigh from the Social Democratic Labor Party wants to set up the state-owned company Great British Railways. It is also to take over the tasks of the non-profit company Network Rail, which is responsible for infrastructure such as the rail network.

This is not the first time that the British rail system has been nationalized. After the Second World War, the four major operators were merged to form the state-owned British Railways. When the Conservative government under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher sold off the state-owned companies, British Rail, as the group was then called, was broken up.