Britain’s railways go from one extreme to another

This smooth passage is a surprise, because if you take a long view, Britain is doing something extraordinary. In the 1990s a Conservative government dismembered British Rail, which had run the railways since nationalisation, and embarked on a radical programme of privatisation. Once the new government has finished its work, Britain will end up with one of the rich world’s most centrally controlled railways. That may not leave it better off.