Against state interference in the railways
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| Author: Patrick Crozier |
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I am against state interference in the railways (whether it be by nationalisation, contracting out, regulation, subsidy or safety regulation) because:
- it involves force which I am against
- I am against nationalisation, contracting out, regulation, subsidy and safety regulation in general
- it seems to me that as far as the railways go, the freer the better.
- State railways have a habit of obscuring their financial situation particularly in regard to capital expenditure. Edwin A Pratt observed this as long ago as 19111, as has Christian Wolmar2 rather more recently
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Q&A
What about the Swiss? Their system is state-run and that seems to work pretty well.
- People certainly seem to think so. I have heard lots of good reports. Why the Swiss system should be so good, I do not know. It may be because Switzerland is largely a free market economy and the disciplines from that somehow transmit themselves to the railway. Whatever the case may be it is still something of an exception and I am far from sure about the financial situation.
What about the French, or the Germans, or the Dutch?
- I don't know much about their systems but what I do know suggests that the picture may be far from rosy.
What about British Rail privatisation? Doesn't that prove that railways should be nationalised?
- But, surely if the state didn't interfere in the (British) network (by subsidising it) large parts of it would have to be closed down
- First of all, I do agree with the statement that in the absence of state subsidy large parts of the UK rail network would, indeed, have to be closed down. I just don't think it would be such a bad thing
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References
1. Edwin A Pratt (1911). Railways and Nationalisation. The Railway Gazette. No ISBN. p109
2. Christian Wolmar (2003?). Down the Tube. Aurum?. ISBN?. p??
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