DEBUGGING BRITAIN'S UNIQUE PRIVATISATION MODEL

This article reports an interview with Sir Alistair Morton, Chairman of the UK's Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), who is responsible for correcting malfunctions in the fragmented organisational structure created when British Rail was privatised. Morton gives priority to more investment, from Railtrack, the train operating companies (TOCs), financiers, and the Government. With rising use of the rail network and pressures on capacity and perhaps safety, there is a need for many additional facilities, including longer trains, double-deck trains, and additional tracks on some lines. Improved rail safety systems are being considered. Morton sees an urgent need to replace 18 of the 25 TOC franchises, and considers a seven-year franchise period too short for sustained investment. It could be sensible for services in some conurbations to be run by their local passenger transport executives. Due to many unresolved complications, the SRA has left it to existing and aspiring franchisees to open the bidding by what they perceive as attractive packages. There are also some difficulties with rail freight, whose recent rapid growth has slowed down; the key question is how much the UK is willing to pay for it. Open access is already in place for rail freight operators, but Morton seems reluctant to extend it to passenger TOCs.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03735346
• Corporate Authors:

  Reed Business Information, Limited

  Quadrant House, The Quadrant
  Brighton Road
  Sutton, Surrey  United Kingdom  SM2 5AS
• Authors:
  • HOPE, R
• Publication Date: 1999-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 791,793,795-6
• Serial:
  • Railway Gazette International
  • Volume: 155
  • Issue Number: 12
  • Publisher: DVV Media Group
  • ISSN: 0373-5346
  • Serial URL: http://www.railwaygazette.com/about-us.html

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Districts and authorities; Economic factors; Economics; Federal government; Financing; Freight transportation; Interviewing; Investments; Policy; Privatization; Public transit; Railroad tracks; Railroad trains; Railroad transportation; Safety; Strategic planning; Transportation; Transportation departments
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 263: Economics of transport; 244: Financing; 741: Goods traffic; 183: Government (national); 9147: Interview; 227: Investment; 173: Policy; 141: Priority (gen); 171: Privatisation; 744: Public transport; 1173: Rail bound transport; 1665: Safety; 1268: Train; 253: Transport authority; 8119: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Economics; Policy; Safety and Human Factors; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00782901
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Feb 7 2000 12:00AM