It's not all that long ago since
We all had a joined up nation
Every village and hamlet had
Access to a railway station,
And the trains carried people,
Freight, and the Royal Mail.
It was owned by the people
And it was called British Rail.
It was a sort of a Socialist thing
it was called Nationalisation
Providing a service not a profit,
Not a popular political situation .
They closed loss making lines so
We now have lorries moving loads
On ill maintained, inadequate
Vastly overcrowded roads.
They compounded the farce
Splitting what was left into parts
To be franchised and to be,
Eventually, by fits and starts,
Acquired by European competitors
Causing a fact not generally realised:
A percentage of the profits goes to
Keep their railways still nationalised.
Our nation is still joined up
But now by road and motorway
And polluting juggernauts carry
Freight every single day.
Our railways still exist in part,
Expensive, overcrowded, underused,
It's history forgotten or disregarded
Carrying on with a role much reduced.
The world is sick from Global Warming,
Greenhouse gasses poured into the air,
Politicians mouth their concern
But big business doesn't really care.
We in Britain butchered our railways
For the hydrocarbon powered lorry,
Those in power waxed fat on profits
And have no thought of ever saying sorry.
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