10.02.12
British railways ‘worst in Europe’
Britain has been judged the worst for fares, efficiency, speed and comfort, in a study of rail services in Europe, commissioned by the union RMT.
The think tank Just Economics researched these outcomes across a range of European countries, although the report was dismissed by ATOC as not giving the full story.
The only category in which Britain’s railways were found to be better than France, Germany, Spain and Italy was train frequency.
The report reads: “In terms of bang for buck, not only does the UK come bottom of the index of outcomes but it also spends a relatively large amount of money to achieve this woeful result. This means that it also comes bottom of the value for money league.
“Our under-performing railways carry a considerable cost both for passengers and for the public purse.”
The research suggests that shifting from road to rail could reduce congestion, accidents and emissions, potentially saving £154.8bn by 2050. Calculations also demonstrated a more affordable, comfortable and faster railway could save £9.2bn between now and this date.
The report’s author, Eilis Lawlor, added: “Our research puts figures on what anyone who has been to France or Spain already knows – the UK's railways are poor value for money. Instead of profitability being the primary measure of success, the wider benefits of the railway need greater consideration.
“The Government should act decisively and make an objective and transparent assessment of the best way to organise Britain’s railways so as to maximise social, environmental and economic value.”
Bob Crow, leader of the RMT said: “This research shows that the failures of privatisation are costing the UK hundreds of billions of pounds in social value.”
However, a spokesman for ATOC said: “This doesn’t come close to giving the full story about rail travel. Decades of decline on the railways have been reversed since privatisation, with passenger numbers, satisfaction and punctuality all close to or at record levels thanks to the time and money invested in improving services.”
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We will shortly announce plans which will deliver a better value railway for the benefit of passengers, taxpayers and the wider economy.”
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