TRAINS are not quite the third rail of European politics. But they are still causing lots of angst. France has already endured three months of strikes, as railway workers protest against a planned liberalisation. In Britain, meanwhile, nostalgia for state ownership is on the rise. Around 60% of Britons support renationalisation of the railways, according to a poll published in January by Sky, a broadcaster. A botched timetable change in May, resulting in up to 43% of trains being delayed or cancelled each day by one operator, will not have improved commuters’ mood. The strikes and surveys show that rail competition is controversial. It is to be embraced nonetheless.

Governments will soon have their chance to do just that. By June next year, new EU rules called the “fourth railway package” will force state rail firms to open their tracks to private operators. Some countries, such as Britain and Sweden, have done this already. Others, like Germany and Italy, are in the process of doing so;…Continue reading
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