OT : Rail privatisation

Very OT but for these who are interested in the railways or wish to hear
how badly government and the civil service can work sometimes then give
this is a listen.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/thereunion/pip/5cgqd/

It's repeated on Friday and is on Listen Again.

Listening to what went on and what the views of those who were involved
are now is enough to make you cry.

 

I heard that whilst gardening this afternoon. Excellent programme; and as
you said, makes you wince.

Ali

 

John Welsby and Roger Ford were the only two contributors that seemed to
come out of it with any credibility. Amazingly MacGregor said he'd do it
again to the same model.

 

Well I am well aware of Roger Ford's views as I read his articles in
Modern Railways and find him an entertaining read. I've met him in
person and my "anti journalist" defence mechanism was triggered - decent
enough chap but what will he write?

Mr Welsby was as robust as his reputation suggested he would be. He is a
career railwayman though and I'd bloody well expect him to have
credibility.

Well it would save him 6 weeks worth of decision making time ;-) The
real killer in all of this was privatising Railtrack - great in the
short term but a bloody disaster after about 3 years.