An item well down the news yesterday in the UK was that "Network Rail", the not-for-profit company that took over the private companies running the rail network in the UK after a number of disasters, has indicated that the continuing private train companies are not maintaining the fabric of stations adequately because of their interest in short term profits.
The suggestion is that this should become the responsibility of Network Rail. It sounds as if there will be little opposition to this stealthy move, which of course is in the interests of the speculative capitalists and finance capitalist companies who continue to invest in the for-profit enterprise part of rail transport services. Quietly it is another example of how finance capital requires rational organisation of complex social economic processes, so long as it permits capital accumulation to continue. Chris Burford London
