Technical Control Systems upon Railways in UK and the Role of Governments under the Deregulation Context

Abstract

Measures of technical control by public sectors are essentially required upon transport industries from various viewpoints, such as environmental protection, securing safety, and consumer protection. However, these measures must be efficient and effective enough so that they would not hamper vigorous and creative activities of private firms. This paper systematically deals with the current technical control system in railways in UK which was completely revised after the drastic organizational restructuring held in 1994, and discusses the basic way of thinking laying under their institutional system. The author also suggests the desirable direction of improvement in Japanese system of technical control in railways.