What profits? And what is the value of a contract when it's been cancelled because of bad delivery of service?

Where there's a will there's a way. My preferred suggestion is to fine the companies every time they put a foot wrong, like having a late train, but to levy the fine in shares. If they'd set up that in '97, by this time I reckon we'd own them again, without needing to pay out a penny. (Either that or we'd have a decent service in oiperation - I'd be happy enough either way.)

And I'm sure there are other ways. Laws can be changed, and nationally owned railays are the normal pattern in most European countries so far as I'm aware, and we're suppposed to be harmonising things across Europe.