Title: Privatisation of British Rail - Wikipedia
Headings: Privatisation of British Rail
Privatisation of British Rail
Contents
Background
To 1979
1980s
1990s
Legislation
Domestic system
As implemented
Subsequent changes
Channel Tunnel infrastructure and services
Impact
See also
References
Further reading
External links
Bibliography

Content: The operations of the BRB were broken up and sold off, with various regulatory functions transferred to the newly created office of the Rail Regulator. Ownership of the infrastructure including the larger stations passed to Railtrack, while track maintenance and renewal assets were sold to 13 companies across the network. Ownership of passenger trains passed to three rolling stock companies (ROSCOs) – the stock being leased out to passenger train operating companies (TOCs) awarded contracts through a new system of rail franchising overseen by the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF). Ownership and operation of rail freight in Great Britain passed to two companies – English Welsh & Scottish (EWS) and Freightliner, less than the originally intended six, although there are considerably more now. The process was very controversial at the time, and still is, and its success is hotly debated – with the claimed benefits including increased ridership, improved customer service, and more investment. Despite opposition from the Labour Party, who gained power in 1997 under Tony Blair, the process has never been reversed wholesale by any later government, and the system remains largely unaltered. A significant change came in 2001 with the collapse of Railtrack, which saw its assets passed to the state-owned Network Rail (NR), with track maintenance also brought in-house under NR in 2004. The regulatory structures have also subsequently changed. Contents
1 Background
1.1 To 1979
1.2 1980s
1.3 1990s
2 Legislation
3 Domestic system
3.1 As implemented
3.2 Subsequent changes
4 Channel Tunnel infrastructure and services
5 Impact
6 See also
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links
9.1 Bibliography
Background
Main article: History of rail transport in Great Britain 1948–1994
UK rail journeys per capita from 1840 to 2018, showing a steady decline in the decades leading up to privatisation.