No reprivatisation for NR

摘要

Transport Minister Claire Perry is clear that Network Rail can work efficiently as a public body and that it is right not to reprivatise the business. Noting that the Shaw Review had considered this 'nuclear option', she told RBI on April 25 that what DfT was trying to achieve at NR was instead 'a major cultural and economic shift'. 'Having proper devolved Route administration with really good men and women at the top, who then talk to the TOCs, who can actually contract with the TOCs properly, I think, is a huge benefit', said Perry. 'The point about NR is that it is truly a public asset now and I think that has really good consequences for capital investment. When money is free you don't do a lot of value engineering because you just go away and borrow more. Actually bringing it on balance sheet and saying there is £38bn for all the different projects we've got I think is a really good discipline for NR; they've got to work within an envelope for the first time.'