James O'Brien's Penny Drop Moment On Why UK's Trains Have Failed

20 September 2018, 11:24

James O'Brien had a sudden realisation live on LBC on why the train system has been allowed to fall into such a terrible state.

An investigation into the huge problems on the railways when new timetables were introduced in May has found "nobody took charge". Up to 700 trains were cancelled every day by Northern Rail and Southern Rail.

The Government has now ordered a review of the whole network, which it says will be the most significant since the railways were privatised in the 1990s.

James was asking how such a vital transport system was allowed to get into such a mess. And then he had an epiphany, after which it all made sense.

James O'Brien had a sudden realisation in the studio
James O'Brien had a sudden realisation in the studio. Picture: LBC

He said: "Why doesn't this make the news? In the same way as if we can blame someone for it. There it is! We got there in the end.

"That's it. Nobody took charge, right? Which means nobody gets blamed. Which means nobody gets written up in the newspapers and castigated and has a target drawn on their back. Which means that the problems don't get solved and they exist forever.

"Even when you're blaming the wrong people for the problems - immigrants, Brussels - we seem now to be a population that will only be mobilised or motivated if we've got something to aim our anger at."