What’s the point of fining Network Rail a record £14m for its “monumental foul-up” on the west coast main line over New Year?
The official justification from the Office of the Rail Regulator is that the fine marks the seriousness of disruption caused by Network Rail’s overrun on engineering work.
But few can see the point of the penalty.
Fines don’t do any good, says Martin Waller in the Times. He points out that Network Rail was penalised £2.4m for similar failings during Christmas 2006.
And as Network Rail is a government company, fines only amount to shunting money from one bit of the state to another,
