The New York Times, 4/4:
Op-Ed
By OWEN JONES
Why Britain's Trains Don't Run on Time: Capitalism
LONDON — If how the railways run is a guide to the state of a nation, then it tells you something that Britain is in the middle of its biggest railway strike since 1994. Not coincidentally, that was the year the national rail network was privatized by the Conservative government of Prime Minister John Major.
A labor dispute has been simmering for nearly a year on the routes managed by Southern, a train operator that, as the name suggests, runs crucial commuter services between London and the South Coast. In December, the crisis escalated when around 1,000 train drivers joined in a strike action against Southern’s parent company, Govia Thameslink Railway, whose network also includes the Gatwick Express airport line.
SNIP
Beyond the “travel chaos” headlines and lost millions of economic activity, the failure of Britain’s rail privatization opens broader questions that resonate beyond this country. Does it really make sense for the essential services we all depend upon to be for profit? The evidence from this two-decade experiment is a direct challenge to those who believe in the innate superiority of the private sector.
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What a way to run a railroad.
Owen Jones is a columnist for The Guardian and the author of “The Establishment: And How They Get Away With It.”
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