Member

Ministers claim that there is a continued role for open access operators where they add value and capacity to the network, but they will soon be at the mercy of an entirely nationalised infrastructure and provider. Do Ministers not realise that a reborn British Rail will work for passengers only if its inter-city services face stiff open access competition across the network? The east coast main line is a mature and successful test case, and it should be expanded. Otherwise, what incentive will there be for a new British Rail to deliver cheaper and better services? None, I suspect. The legislation is as rushed as it is ideological. The only losers will be rail users and the taxpayer.