LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
This doesn't make good reading: http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...ural-railways-but-backs-spinetta-reforms.html
Resource utilisation in France is also very poor compared to the UK.
The old government also made SNCF order new trains just to keep the factories going, like BR in the 60s.
While noting the ‘often necessary’ investment in a now-extensive high speed network over the past four decades, Philippe said that the conventional network had deteriorated precipitously over recent years, with an asset age typically twice as old as in Germany. As a result, around a fifth of the network was subject to speed restrictions to ensure safe operation.
At the same time, the cost of providing rail services had spiralled to reach €14bn per year. ‘This is more than the national education budget’, Philippe said, pointing out that ‘it costs around 30% more to run a train in France than it does elsewhere in Europe’
Resource utilisation in France is also very poor compared to the UK.
The old government also made SNCF order new trains just to keep the factories going, like BR in the 60s.