I am amazed of the UK Railway System and how massive the network is

[61653 HTAFC]

Interesting - but your post appears to me to both confusing and flawed. (A bit unusually for 61653 HTAFC, who I very often agree with.)

First of all, my impression was that what you call "the enforced liberalisation of the railways is a symptom of the neo-liberal agenda that still holds sway in Brussels" was actually the British effect on Brussels. The powers in Brussels realised that there were awfully inefficient, vertically integrated systems in many EU countries, were costs hidden due to cross-subsidies (and some industries thus unfairly subsidised) and that the Brits had actually begun to tackle this issue, eg via unbundling the electricity and gas companies set up in the socialism-will-win era of the 1950s - 1970s.

Second, when it comes to railways, you yourself say that the rest of Europe interpreted the EU directives in a different way from the Brits. So, if a neo-liberalism still holds sway in Brussels, it doesn't matter a hoot, as the rest of Europe ignores it anyway.

Brussels did not force the system adopted - rightly or wrongly - by the British government of the time on the British public, that's for sure.
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Sure, and doesn't it just prove how wonderful China is?

Just tough luck on anyone who has a house in the way of a new rail or road route - unless they have friends in high party places.

Oh, to live in a go-go country where they execute criminals according to the orders for body organs.

Yeah, China is just awesome.
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I dare say the OP realises that. But that's a large part of his point - such commuters need to stand back and try to see things afresh.

I was rushing, and perhaps didn't express myself as clearly as I should. The origin of neoliberalism within the EU most likely is from the UK, but whatever its origins it is something that seems to be a problem that whenever the idea of renationalisation is brought up (of things besides railways too, such as power/water) we are told it is illegal under EU legislation. The (in my opinion flawed and outdated) ideas of "private=good, public=bad" still seem to hold sway both in Westminster and in Brussels at the present time.

 

[yorksrob]

I was rushing, and perhaps didn't express myself as clearly as I should. The origin of neoliberalism within the EU most likely is from the UK, but whatever its origins it is something that seems to be a problem that whenever the idea of renationalisation is brought up (of things besides railways too, such as power/water) we are told it is illegal under EU legislation. The (in my opinion flawed and outdated) ideas of "private=good, public=bad" still seem to hold sway both in Westminster and in Brussels at the present time.

I agree entirely with this post.

The EU has been duped by our political opinion formers.

 

[Desiro Boy]

But yes, people, including rail folk, often take for granted a system which consistently delivers hundreds of thousands of passengers safely (incredibly safely, actually) and usually within 10 -15 minutes of advertised time on a daily basis.

Definitely,plus I don't think they really understand how the railway works.

 

[Abpj17]

The EU machinery expresses itself in terms of promoting competition rather than private = good, public = bad. State aid rules support than as well.

As others have noted, several EU countries don’t fully buy in to that. There is the huge irony that while many of the UK’s utility markets were spilt up and privatised, the owners are now the state-owned companies in France and Germany.