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Originally Posted by towny
Actually, there are fewer railway deaths per year since privatisation than there were under British Rail (e.g Clapham Junction, 1988, killed 35 people). And despite private contractors like Jarvis getting the blame for accidents like the Potters Bar crash, let's not forget that the engineers who work for the private contractors, especially the older and more senior ones, all worked for British Rail as well. A fact unions like the RMT and ASLEF are happy for you not to notice.
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I would suggest you check back issues of Private Eye (they don't seem to have an online archive, so I can't post links) for what has happened to the railways since Privatisation. There are stories of how the companies have cut maintenance expenditure below what BR considered safe. Which would seem to be borne (spelling?) out by the Jarvis problem.
Anyway, I have to admit, I don't care whether the Government runs the railways or not. I just care they are reliable and safe. Which, TBH, since privatisation, they don't seem to have been.