Abstract
During the European drive for rail liberalization in the 1990s Britain moved far beyond its continental neighbours. Amid signs of a resurgent political debate about Britain's privatized railways, the authors examine the obstacles confronting any policy-makers who may wish to re-integrate Britain's railway under public ownership. The paper considers what structural models could satisfy European rail directives, the potential for a government to reclaim rail passenger service franchises at minimal cost, and cost savings available to a de-fragmented railway without profit leakage.