Private companies already fleece us on trains, now Osborne’s flogging them our stations

‘An array of UK train stations are set to be privatised, it has been revealed. The sell-off could include some of Britian’s largest stations, including Bristol Temple Meads, Birmingham New Street, and Manchester Piccadilly. These stations are currently owned by Network Rail, a public sector body.

Excising public assets is, of course, common under the Conservative government. They sold off £26bn worth of public belongings in 2015. However, the mechanism they used to ensure this latest sell-off strikes a particularly cynical note.

Until 2014 Network Rail was a semi-autonomous body; a limited company accountable to its company members and the public interest. The enterprise was reclassified that year, becoming “an arm’s-length body of the Department” for Transport. The change was welcomed by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, who pledged:’

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