Renaissance delayed?
New Labour and the railways

A Catalyst Working Paper.
Published: July 2004

In 1998 the Labour government promised a “rail renaissance”, funded by a step change in public investment set out in the Ten Year Transport Plan of 2000. Mid-way through the plan the railways are receiving three times more public money than ten years ago, yet performance remains lower than the late 1990s and passenger and freight growth have been disappointing.

The reason is that money has been thrown at an inefficient and ineffective railway system bequeathed by the Conservatives’ disastrous privatisation policy. New Labour has yet to rise to the political challenge of extending real public ownership and accountability to ensure that this public investment generates a social, economic and environmental return. But it is not too late.

“the most coherent case yet for wholesale renationalisation”
The Guardian

This Working Paper forms the first stage of Catalyst’s research programme “A Future For Rail”, undertaken with the generous support and close cooperation of the joint rail unions ASLEF, RMT and TSSA.

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“Runaway train” – The Guardian, 20 July 2004

“Private railways ‘a failure’” – The Mirror, 20 July 2004

A Future For Rail

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