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Financing UK rail infrastructure: how does today compare with the past?

Summary:In Victorian Britain, hundreds of companies and countless private investors supported railway construction; today, such infrastructure is only financed by the government. Comparing delivery of HS2 and the Great Western Railway suggests that the historical funding model was rather more effective.

Cite as: Padraig McKee, Chris Colvin, Financing UK rail infrastructure: how does today compare with the past? Economics Observatory (2024)

https://www.economicsobservatory.com/financing-uk-rail-infrastructure-how-does-today-compare-with-the-past