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Another bad railway crash at 1pm this afternoon. We seem to get an average of
about one serious train accident with loss of life per year. However, there are
still ten times more deaths on the roads than on the railway. It's too early to
say what caused this one, but my guess is a broken rail or wheel or a points failure.
The last of four carriages came off the line, just as the train was passing through
Potters Bar station at up to 100mph (it wasn't due to stop). The carriage turned
sideways and mounted two platforms. Can you imagine how terrifying that must have
been if you were either on the train or sitting on the platform waiting? Two hours
later the platform would have been filled with school children.
Six people are dead and around 70 were injured.
I try not to get into politics in my Journal.... Today is an exception. Both the
Labour and Conservative parties must take responsibilty for under-investment in
the British railway system over the last 50 years, as they have both been in Government
during that time. However privatisation of the railways by the Conservatives,
a decade ago, was the most serious mistake. Instead of investing in the railway
system, at a time when it was becoming essential to put money in, they sold it
off instead and allowed people to try and make a profit from it.
They had seventeen years in Government, made things much worse, and now they blame
Labour, which has only been in power for the last five years!
I don't understand the point of privatising essential public services. I know
it is easier to attract good managers to private rather than public companies.
However I'm not convinced that savings from better organisation and greater efficiency
is enough to create the dividends that are required by the shareholders. That
leads to corners being cut to try and save money.
Penalties were introduced if trains failed to run on time. That led to trains
running under conditions that would never have been allowed previously. I know
the widow of a train driver, who is in touch with some of her husband's former
work colleagues. So she has heard stories first hand.
The biggest lie is that somehow, through privatisation, the people get the chance
to own part of a company. When the railway system was in public hands, we all
effectively owned a stake in it through our taxes. When it was sold off, it was
owned by a handful of people who could afford to buy the shares at the time.
Of course, Railtrack (the company that 'looks after' the tracks and stations)
was recently put into administration by the Government. To hear the shareholders
whining about this, when the railway system is in such a mess and there have been
so many accidents, really turns my stomach. I hope they lose every penny!
I just saw the first two swallows sitting on the telephone wires.
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