Should we reintegrate the railway

The UK 1993 Railways Act split the vertically integrated British Rail into infrastructure provider Railtrack and numerous train operating businesses and equipment and technical service providers. The Conservatives have recently launched a railway policy review, with a view to securing a greater degree of integration between track and train. The implications for the rail industry are discussed with reference to the costs associated with ensuring a safe system and reasonable levels of operational performance, limits to increasing capacity at key junctions and major stations, traffic growth forecasts, the problems of short-term franchising of train operators, and competition on the UK network. The options associated with reintegrating the railway are considered: reintegration around Network Rail and reinvention of the Railway Company.