It is years since I last went on a UK train. I wanted to get from an airport to Scarborough last year but gave up.
I followed the intro of the new timetable debacle with interest. It appears today that " No-one took charge during the timetable chaos that caused severe disruption on Britain's railways in May, a regulator has said." surely that is Grayling's fault or his predecessor? Someone must have given the go ahead within the industry. there must have been a project manager? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45572736
Anyway the government have announced a root and branch review of the fragmented rail industry. maybe Corbyn is right that it should be taken back into public ownership (slightly different , I suspect to renationalised). Without wishing to bring in the dreaded B word, one of the criticisms levelled by expats on the Uk is the parlous state of UK public services which , despite the country being mega rich, seem to be being run into the ground. Is this general lack of investment austerity or a deliberate policy to help cronies get richer at the expense of the populace?.
I dare say that if there is a root and branch review of the trains that they could do worse than to have some OOfers as their consultants. Lizzie and The Boy spring to mind but there are plenty of others!
Oh, I would really love to do that. But, do not underestimate the magnitude of the task. The truth is that after decades of politicians of all colours failing to invest in the oldest railway system in the world, the current government is at last doing just that, to the tune of billions of pounds.
Our Victorian railway system is now being virtually rebuilt; steam went out of service 50 years ago last August, but no real progress was made with the infrastructure. Bits and pieces were slotted in but changes were slow and disjointed. Everyone is complaining now because so much change, and bad management, has happened almost, in relation to the railways history, at once. When you rip stations apart, rebuild bridges, modernise track and dramatically improve the signalling systems, introduce brand new rolling stock, there will be difficulties no matter how good the planing and managerial competence.
Yes, mistakes have been made, the new timetable was compiled with obvious flaws, and poor punctuality coupled with "no show" trains are happening. But who can make an omelette without breaking eggs? The engineering challenge of what is being achieved is enormous, and throughout the first 80 years of our railways it was as well. Currently the railways are being rebuilt to a degree that would even challenge the great railway engineers of the past.
What is needed now is strong central management (not involving any politician!!) to pull everything together and just MANAGE the railways as the best of the railway companies did (NOT BR) before 1939; no that is no mistake with the date as the big four railway companies lost true control well before 1st January1948. During the war years the politicians did terrible damage to the railways by never paying the true cost of all the tens of thousands of extra train movements that led to worn out locomotives, rolling stock, track, and signalling, let alone the loss of thousands of skilled railwaymen who went off to fight.
A new approach is now required to manage the big change. It is not going to be TB's approach that is required though; he would close down the railways today!!