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The Briefing Room

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David Aaronovitch presents in-depth explainers on big issues in the news.

David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news.

David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news

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The Briefing Room: Is It Time to Renationalise the Railways?

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16/02/2017

Is It Time to Renationalise the Railways?

BBC Radio 4 - The Briefing Room, Is It Time to Renationalise the Railways?

Public ownership is a popular idea with voters, but would it improve Britain's railways?

Bringing railways back into public ownership is popular with voters - but would it actually make an improvement? David Aaronovitch and guests discuss.

Bringing Britain's railways back into public ownership is a popular idea with passengers - but would it really make any improvements to service?

Renationalisation of the railways is official Labour party policy. Polls suggest a majority of voters favour it too - and that was the case before the recent problems with Southern Rail. 

With the help of the Conservative former transport minister Michael Portillo, David Aaronovitch explores the history of British railway ownership, asks whether it's possible to make the privatised system work and finds out how a future government might go about bringing the railways back into public ownership.

Contributors:

Louise Ellman, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside and Chair, Transport Select Committee

Laurie Macfarlane, Economist, New Economics Foundation

Michael Portillo, former Conservative Minister of State for Transport 

Michael Schabas, railways consultant

Christian Wolmar, railways historian and journalist

Producer: Phil Kemp
Research: Sam Bright.

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