Wednesday 7 March 2012

DfT flounders for answers to railway reform

In advance of Friday's industry briefing on rail reform, government spinners have been hard at work.

In the FT today the Department unveiled its latest BIG idea...

Passenger trains along Cumbria's coast would be run by the state-owned body responsible for taking apart and cleaning up waste from civil nuclear plants under an offer made in response to government plans to overhaul rail policy.

Direct Rail Services, a subsidiary of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority that operates freight trains, has held talks with Cumbria county council on taking over the running of passenger services on the coastal branch line between Carnforth and Carlisle.

So let's get this straight.

The solution to the problems of the rail industry is to errr.... get a nationalised company to run the trains!

Well at least this one's British, but for how long?