Rail funding report prompts calls for fundamental industry shake-up

The subjects of how Britain’s rail network should be funded, how it is organised, and whether services on it should be run by the public or private sectors, came to the top of the media’s agenda in mid-June.

Rik Thomas

28 June 2013

The publication of the ORR’s report led The Times to devote a great deal of attention to the state of the railways

The publication of the Office of Rail Regulation’s draft determination of how Network Rail will spend money to enhance the rail network in the next five-year regulatory Control Period (LTT 14 Jun) was deemed sufficiently important by The Times to make the front page of the paper on 13 June. “The misery of rail users has been laid bare,” it said. “The rail network is 23% less efficient than on the Continent, the rail regulator said, despite fares and funding being 30%...