Derailed: How to Fix Britain's Broken Railways

Description

Proposes a radical re-think of how we view our railways as a population and government. Few would disagree that Britain's railways are broken, and have been for a long time. This insightful new book calls for a radical rethink of how we view the railways and explains the problems we face and how to fix them. Haines-Doran argues that the railways should be seen as a social good and an indispensable feature of the national economy. We would then avoid the incessant debates on whether they are a business failure and whether they can be anything other than loss-making. The book gives an overview of the main questions that rail users frequently ask: why don't trains run on time? Why are fares so expensive? Why are there so many strikes? Haines-Doran offers clear explanation of the roots of these problems and how the system can be fixed so it can be a true service to us all.

Tom Haines-Doran is a political economist specialising in transport systems, infrastructure and social movements. He currently works at the University of Leeds, leading research on transport decarbonisation. He previously worked as a researcher for the Urban Transport Group, authoring research documents for high-level decision makers in local and national government. -- .

'Punchy, well written and forensic in its analysis. Exposes how attacks on rail workers' terms and conditions have been at the heart of privatisation - and how passengers and taxpayers have also been fleeced by shareholders and bosses.' Frances O'Grady, General Secretary, Trades Union Congress 'A clear, precise and accessible glide through the disastrous history of British privatised rail and a passionate case for why we need the railways now more than ever, Derailed is an InterCity125 in a discourse dominated by Pacers and Pendolinos.' Owen Hatherley, culture editor of Tribune and author of Modern Buildings in Britain 'Tom Haines-Doran provides an excellent summary of the wrongs of rail privatisation, but that's the easy bit. The best sections of the book are those attempting to provide ideas for sorting out the mess and giving the railways the focus they need to survive at a time of concerns about climate change and inequality.' Christian Wolmar, author of British Rail: A New History 'Derailed is a fascinating and readable guide to the state of the UK's railways, which shows exactly what needs to be done to build a rail network that works for public good rather than private profit.' Grace Blakeley, author of The Corona Crash 'Derailed is a brilliant, revelatory book. Deeply researched, lucidly written and humane, it explains the chronic failure of corner-cutting, under-funding and privatisation in Britain's railways - and more importantly, what we can do about it. I commend this book to anyone who has ever wondered why things don't work properly in this country, and wants to know how to fix it.' Richard Seymour, author of The Twittering Machine 'The privatisation of our railways has proved to be one of the greatest policymaking disasters of the last century. It has cost the taxpayer and travelling public billions of pounds and, tragically for many passengers and railway workers, it has cost them their lives. This book demonstrates clearly how this scandal can be remedied.' John McDonnell MP 'In Derailed, Tom Haines-Doran puts the UK's rail system in these political-economic contexts with a compelling account of its history, present conditions and future possibilities.' Chris Saltmarsh, The Ecologist 'This is a very impressive survey of Britain's railway industry, which also puts forward a whole series of proposals for improving it.' The Morning Star 'Derailed is, in short, an indispensable read for anyone with even a passing interest in the railways, either as a passenger or member of staff. I hope that both unions and passengers' groups take notice of it. It can inform the movement well for the next stages of the struggle to get the public-transport system we so urgently need.' Kevin Crane, Counterfire 'An absorbing read, and its slim paperback format means it is an excellent travelling companion for a rail journey...' Rail Express 'This short and accessible book provides an incisive analysis of the reasons for the failure of the privatisation of Britain's rail passenger services.' Sean McCartney, Emeritus Professor at the School of Business and Management, Queen Mary, University of London -- .