Am 04.01.2012 20:17, schrieb Arthur Figgis:
Up to 1993, both Deutsche Bundesbahn and Deutsche Reichsbahn were
actually _administrations,_ part of the state apparatus. Important posts
were civil servants, even the engineers.

Which is a difference between Germany and Britain - we just go by who
owns it

I think you give too much attention to formalities.
And to this greedy view that everything which might be used to make a
profit must be completely controlled uniquely by a private profit motive.

(to the extent the issue ever arises, do Germans consider
pre-privatisation (IYSWIM!) British Rail to have been private?)

I do not deal in labels.

I might just say that I think that the current British railways are
much more government controlled than the ones in Germany.



Cheers,
L.W.