Only a thousand acres are being released for housing, despite far more being surplus to requirements.
The Transport Secretary’s announcement this week about price indices sounded timid and technocratic.
Chris Grayling has reportedly “informed Network Rail that this must not happen again”, even as he faced a Commons vote of no confidence.
A key reason why the line was unprofitable is that Network Rail failed to deliver improved infrastructure – and it’s already in public hands.
It’s time that we returned to the days when the train drivers, the engineers, the signallers, the guards and the planners all worked as one single team.
This wasteful bureaucratic behemoth is delaying the new stations we need. Conservatives should champion a radical approach with more competition.
It would be wrong, and fruitless, to try to ape Labour by denying the clear improvements delivered since the end of British Rail.
The train companies have done a good job – the delays are usually caused by the state owned Network Rail which is responsible for the tracks.
Despite his best efforts progress has been derisory. It must be given priority if the housing crisis is to be eased.
The cumbersome rules used by Network Rail cause years of unnecessary delay.
Renationalisation would cost a fortune, fail to address over-crowding, and leave passengers even more vulnerable to cynical strike action.
The current funding mechanism causes harmful cycles of feast and famine.
Grayling is a man with a plan.
Passengers deserve redress, and the ‘delay repay’ scheme is not good enough.