Title: Would it be realistic to renationalise the railways? - BBC News
Headings: Would it be realistic to renationalise the railways?
Would it be realistic to renationalise the railways?
Nationalisation of the railways
Rail services around the world
More from the Magazine
Have train fares gone up or down since British Rail?

Content: A spokesman says that franchising has led to the most improved railways in the EU with record levels of investment, passenger numbers doubling and punctuality rates at record levels. The state ownership of East Coast main line shows that, he argues. "While most operators spend more per journey than they get from passengers, East Coast hasn't. East Coast charged passengers on average more per journey, while running older, cheaper trains than on the privately run West Coast line. The new East Coast franchise will turn that round, bringing new services, new investment, more seats, state-of-the-art new trains and faster journeys - and it will return more to the taxpayer too." The line about operators spending more per journey is another sign of how complicated railway funding is. Train companies do not just receive money from fares, some also receive direct public subsidy. Nationalisation of the railways
Britain's rail system began as a series of local rail links operated by many small private companies
The Liverpool to Manchester Railway, completed in 1830, was the first successful railway line to open in Britain
The Railways Act 1921 saw the companies grouped into the 'big four' - Great Western Railway, the London and North Eastern Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the Southern Railway
The railways were often targeted by German bombers during World War II
The 'big four' were nationalised to form British Railways in 1948 by the then Labour prime minister Clement Attlee
The Liberal Democrats are opposed to full nationalisation, arguing it would cost too much. But the current anomaly, whereby public sector rail operators from abroad can win franchises here while UK public sector operators cannot, should be ended, says a spokeswoman. Dugher's recent comments shows that Labour is shifting towards nationalising the network, the Lib Dems argue.