Some of the arguments over the McNulty review are happening before it has even been published.
From Anthony Smith of Passenger Focus warning against airline-style book-ahead only tickets on some routes, to Chris MacRae at the Freight Transport Association worrying about the apparent decision to class freight as only a ‘secondary user’ of the network, the opinion-formers in the industry seem to have formed their own opinions quite clearly.
From the details that have emerged so far, Sir Roy McNulty (pictured) does seem to have thought hard about the long-term sustainability of rail, to be sure: but there remains a suspicion that those happiest with his recommendations will be the beancounters in the Treasury, not passengers.
Yes, our railways are too expensive for the nation – but the solution is not to make our railways too expensive for those who actually use them, and those who might.
