Were the 'Metropolitan' and 'Southern' private-sector companies? If so,
that's absolutely disgraceful, investing money in the hope of making a
profit at the expense of hard-working families. Investment in such things
should always be left in the hands of HM (that is, The People's) Treasury,
who make a much better fist of it. Look at the generous way they paid
for -sorry, funded - BR's plans in the post-war era.

S R

Are you kidding? If it hadn't been for the private companies there would be no
railways in this country. Lots of private companies ploughed in loads of money
to build networks often with very little return in the long run. And of course
they wanted to make profit, just like we all go out to work every day, not
because we want to do good but because we want to earn a living.

Its a fact of life.

Paul