Star comment: Chance for a better rail service
Demand for rail journeys is increasing. And yet in many ways, our railways have stood still by failing to move with the times.
There is over-crowding and delays. Customer satisfaction is frequently poor and rail users have to put up with low standards.
The Government has decided to act and many will say that it's not before time. Their proposal is to undo some of the moves that took place a generation ago, when the train operating companies and those responsible for the upkeep of the track were separated.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling believes it is sensible to conjoin both functions in order to achieve much-needed efficiencies.
It appears to be a good idea. And it raises the question of why the two were separated in the first place.
However, it will not be easy for Mr Grayling to successfully merge both functions, however. Two decades have passed and workers will need to learn new practices and become more understanding of one another when the different services are put together.
There will have to be more give and take and a greater recognition of the importance of those on the other side of the fence.
It is difficult to believe that the new initiative will be achieved without many teething troubles.
The railway operating companies and those that operate the tracks frequently have competing demands. They will have to learn together, to bite their tongues and work for a greater good – rather than pointing fingers at each other when things go wrong.
It will take time for them to engage with a different regime and to learn practices that are beneficent to all. However, like all the best ideas, the basic principles are sound and in the long run things ought to work.
The nation's railways have required a major overhaul for some years and it is to be hoped that Mr Grayling's intervention is the one that puts them on a surer footing. Better routes between towns and cities are required, stations require refurbishment, areas of track need greater investment and new carriages are also required on some services. Too many crowded, delayed trains need to be replaced by services that are punctual, efficient and provide a cost-effective and comfortable mode of travel.
The Government has a great opportunity to improve facilities. All involved in the transition must work hard to make a go of things.
