Two recent reports demonstrate the risks to the European rail industry of being required to follow the policy of SNCF, made even worse by the recent restructuring of the railway there to re-integrated SNCF and RFF. According to a study commissioned by UTP, SNCF and ARAF1, SNCF already employs up to 43% more people to…
2015 New Year message from Tony Berkeley The latest draft of the 4th Railway Package from the Latvian Presidency (see link below) makes depressing reading. It is a pale version of what the Commission started with, a blueprint to revitalise Europe’s railways, to introduce competition and efficiencies, better customer choice and private investment. Since then, Angela…
A long-standing friend of mine is standing for UKIP in a Yorkshire constituency at the coming general election. He views current politics in 18th century terms as the country versus the court parties, with UKIP in the country role. It seems to me that he and his fellow candidates will attract not only nationalist and populist…
I think the Government is flying on a wing and a prayer with their determination not to re visit the Strategic Defence Review. It was carried out soon after the Government took office and it was done with indecent haste but the retrenchment of the western powers, the financial problems and the instability in the…
