@ISIDEWITHQuestionstransportationStarted 7yrs agoActive 3 days ago

Should the national railway be privatised?

Currently UK trains are operated by private franchises and the tracks are operated by the government. Proponents argue that the system would run more efficiently if the tracks and trains were operated by private entities. Opponents of privatization claim that a single government train system would end the disruptions caused by the fractured franchise system.

24%
Yes
76%
No
22%
Yes
74%
No
2%
Yes, but allow more local control
2%
No, eliminate any privatisation and have the government operate the trains and tracks
0%
Yes, privatise the operation of the trains and tracks

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from UK users whose views extended beyond the provided choices.

 @9M53QQ7answered…1wk1W

Let's aim get rid of the useless railways and expand the road network so in the future we have a self drive fast road network.

 @9M3DCXSanswered…1wk1W

Privatization of the railways has led to increased prices and poor quality of service while shareholders regularly make huge profits.

 @9M3CR86answered…1wk1W

I just think the strikes are getting out of hand and they need to realise that their actions are getting really selfish as people are losing jobs because of the trains not running.

 @9M37DBLanswered…1wk1W

Yes. Our Government cannot be trusted with investing into National Rail correctly, have private firms operating under regulations with contract terms and KPIs with Government and Local Authorities. This will encourage increased quality and competition between firms in order to improve costs and efficiency.

 @9M2MJZSanswered…1wk1W

Yes, but ensure government oversight on ticket prices, service delivery standards and value for service.

 @8SPGPKGanswered…3yrs3Y

Irrelevant as long as it’s properly funded

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…1mo1MO

Russia is trying to sabotage European railways

Russia has made “thousands” of attempts to interfere with European rail networks in a campaign to destabilise the EU and sabotage critical infrastructure, the Czech Republic’s transport minister has said.Martin Kupka told the Financial Times that Moscow was suspected of having made “thousands of attempts to weaken our systems” since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.The hacking campaign included attacks on signalling systems and on the networks of the Czech national railway operator České dráhy, Kupka said. Past attacks have put ticketing systems out of service and raised concerns about successful interference with signals causing serious accidents.“It’s definitely a difficult point . . .[but] I’m really very satisfied because we are able to defend all systems [from] a successful attack,” Kupka said.Russian attempts to destabilise European energy infrastructure have been well documented but interference in transport networks has been less discussed. The EU Agency for Cybersecurity published its first report on threats to transport in March last year. It said there had been “attacks against railway companies with an increasing rate, primarily due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”.It noted major cyber attacks by “pro-Russia hacker groups” on railway companies in Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Estonia.The Czech cyber security agency, NUKIB, has warned of rising cyber attacks in recent years. “One of the last year’s prominent trends has been the growing interest of malicious attackers in the energy and transportation sectors,” it said in a report published in July.České dráhy said it had “seen an increased number of cyber attacks on our digital infrastructure” and was “continuously strengthening” its cyber security.

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