The Railway Dilemma: The Perpetual Problems of Ownership, Costs and Control
By Sim Harris.
Item code: RD.
The Railway Dilemma by Sim Harris is subtitled "The Perpetual Problems of Ownership, Costs and Control" of Britain's railway and discusses the everlasting controversy about how much public money should be used to support it, especially now that the railway is a booming industry.
The press release from Ian Allan says: "Railways in Britain are booming. Passenger and freight traffic totals are rising every year, and major investment has been approved by the Government and large infrastructure schemes lie ahead. Yet the industry is now in another crisis as upgrading relies on borrowing which is becoming increasingly unsustainable in an age of austerity.
"Sim Harris, a leading railway journalist, traces the history of the perennial problems of ownership, costs and control in Britain's railways from its very beginnings, detailing the increasing threat of competition from road transport, the decline in passenger traffic, the rise in freight haulage together with funding issues arising from constant oscillations between public and private ownership.
"Passenger railways are rarely profitable and today, despite rising passenger numbers, a familiar controversy surrounds the amount of public money which should be provided for the industry. The country may soon have to face the ultimate railway dilemma - a profitable network which will be very small, as Serpell and others have shown, or a public service network which will not come cheap, currently costing in excess of £4bn a year and rising.
"This topical and thought-provoking examination of all the challenges faced by the modern rail industry will not only open eyes and raise eyebrows, but also encourage and stimulate debate of the many issues involved."
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