scholarly journals The Solution to Safety Crisis in Railways after Privatisation

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Hiroki Ito
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Railway Track ◽  
Financial Health ◽  
Track Maintenance ◽  
Governmental Intervention ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Way

Privatisation of infrastructure is expected to improve the effectiveness of operation, whereas it is possible to cause excessive rationalization. Especially in the field of railways, excessive rationalization causes fewer investments in the maintenance of assets and undermines safety. Railways play a critical role to develop the economy in a sustainable way and have a significant impact in the region, but their safety must be prioritised. In fact, the UK government privatised British Rail and founded Railtrack, which was specialised in the railway track maintenance, but the Hatfield accident raised awareness for safety and led to the renationalising Railtrack into Network Rail. Likewise, in Japan, National Railways was privatised and divided into separate companies (JR), but among them JR Hokkaido has been causing a large number of accidents and troubles. Based on the review of the process and outcomes of the privatisation of railways in the UK and Japan, this paper discusses the way to improve their safety sustainably. In conclusion, it validates the intervention of governments in railway companies suffering from poor financial health.  Keywords: Privatisation, Railways, Safety, British Rail, Railtrack, Network Rail, Governmental intervention

3. The UK government

UK Politics ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 45-67
Author(s):  
Andrew Blick
Keyword(s):  
Political System ◽  
Civil Service ◽  
Civil Servants ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Way

This chapter concentrates on the UK government, the part of the UK political system responsible for creating policy and putting it into effect. The chapter looks at the nature of the UK government, and the way it is made up of ministers, and civil servants and departments. The chapter also looks at the types of ministers, their legal and political powers, and the rules applying to them. The chapter assesses the constitutional position of the civil service, and its relationship with ministers and Parliaments. It also describes the departmental structure of the UK government and the so-called arm’s-length bodies within it. The chapter presents a number of perspectives on the way in which power operates within government and considers how the various ideas play out in reality. The chapter revisits the issue of Brexit but this time in the context of the civil services and ministers.

scholarly journals A risk-informed decision support tool for the strategic asset management of railway track infrastructure

2021 ◽  
pp. 095440972110383
Author(s):  
Manu Sasidharan ◽  
Michael Peter Nicholas Burrow ◽  
Gurmel Singh Ghataora ◽  
Rishi Marathu
Keyword(s):  
Asset Management ◽  
Safety Data ◽  
Decision Support Tool ◽  
Railway Track ◽  
Railway Network ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Monte Carlo Simulation Technique ◽  
Track Maintenance ◽  
Cycle Basis ◽  
The Uk

The provision of safe, efficient, reliable and affordable railway transport requires the railway track infrastructure to be maintained to an appropriate condition. Given the constrained budgets under which the infrastructure is managed, maintenance needs to be predicted in advance of track failure, prioritized and identified risks and uncertainties need to be considered within the decision-making process. This paper describes a risk-informed approach that can be used to economically justify railway track infrastructure conditions by comparing on a life-cycle basis infrastructure maintenance costs, train operating costs, travel time costs, safety, social and environmental impacts. The approach represents a step-change for the railway industry as it will enable economic maintenance standards to be derived which considers the needs of the infrastructure operator, but also those of users, train operating companies and the environment. Further, the risk-informed capability of the tool enables asset managers to deal with uncertainties associated with forecasting costs and the effects of track maintenance, and unavailability of data. The Monte Carlo simulation technique and a Fuzzy reasoning approach are used to address safety data uncertainties through probabilistic risk assessment allied to expert opinion. The approach is illustrated using data from three routes on the UK mainline railway network. The results demonstrate that the approach can be used to support strategic and tactical levels of railway asset management to inform plausible design and maintenance strategies that realise the maximum benefit for the available budget.

Menelaah Lebih Dekat “Post Factual/Post Truth Politics, Studi Kasus Brexit” (Analsis Resensi Media)

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eko Wahyono ◽  
Rizka Amalia ◽  
Ikma Citra Ranteallo
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Mass Media ◽  
New Media ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Struggle ◽  
The Real ◽  
The Mass Media ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Way

This research further examines the video entitled “what is the truth about post-factual politics?” about the case in the United States related to Trump and in the UK related to Brexit. The phenomenon of Post truth/post factual also occurs in Indonesia as seen in the political struggle experienced by Ahok in the governor election (DKI Jakarta). Through Michel Foucault's approach to post truth with assertive logic, the mass media is constructed for the interested parties and ignores the real reality. The conclusion of this study indicates that new media was able to spread various discourses ranging from influencing the way of thoughts, behavior of society to the ideology adopted by a society.Keywords: Post factual, post truth, new media

scholarly journals A Taxonomy of Railway Track Maintenance Planning and Scheduling: A Review and Research Trends

2021 ◽  
pp. 107827
Author(s):  
Mahdieh Sedghi ◽  
Osmo Kauppila ◽  
Bjarne Bergquist ◽  
Erik Vanhatalo ◽  
Murat Kulahci
Keyword(s):  
Research Trends ◽  
Railway Track ◽  
Maintenance Planning ◽  
Planning And Scheduling ◽  
Track Maintenance

Specialist infantry and defence engagement

2020 ◽  
pp. bmjmilitary-2020-001455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Blair Thomas Herron ◽  
K M Heil ◽  
D Reid
Keyword(s):  
Armed Forces ◽  
Short Term ◽  
The Future ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Insight Into

In 2015, the UK government published the National Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) 2015, which laid out their vision for the future roles and structure of the UK Armed Forces. SDSR 2015 envisaged making broader use of the Armed Forces to support missions other than warfighting. One element of this would be to increase the scale and scope of defence engagement (DE) activities that the UK conducts overseas. DE activities traditionally involve the use of personnel and assets to help prevent conflict, build stability and gain influence with partner nations as part of a short-term training teams. This paper aimed to give an overview of the Specialist Infantry Group and its role in UK DE. It will explore the reasons why the SDSR 2015 recommended their formation as well as an insight into future tasks.

scholarly journals Rhetorical uses of precise numbers and semi-magical round numbers in political discourse about COVID-19: Examples from the government of the United Kingdom

2021 ◽  
pp. 095792652110131
Author(s):  
Michael Billig
Keyword(s):  
19Th Century ◽  
British Government ◽  
Political Incentives ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Round Numbers ◽  
Magical Power ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The 19Th Century

This paper examines how the British government has used statistics about COVID-19 for political ends. A distinction is made between precise and round numbers. Historically, using round numbers to estimate the spread of disease gave way in the 19th century to the sort precise, but not necessarily accurate, statistics that are now being used to record COVID-19. However, round numbers have continued to exert rhetorical, ‘semi-magical’ power by simultaneously conveying both quantity and quality. This is demonstrated in examples from the British government’s claims about COVID-19. The paper illustrates how senior members of the UK government use ‘good’ round numbers to frame their COVID-19 goals and to announce apparent achievements. These round numbers can provide political incentives to manipulate the production of precise number; again examples from the UK government are given.

scholarly journals A Mixed-Methods Investigation into Barriers for Sharing Geospatial and Resilience Flood Data in the UK

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1235
Author(s):  
Luke Waterman ◽  
Mónica Rivas Casado ◽  
Emma Bergin ◽  
Gary McInally
Keyword(s):  
Data Sharing ◽  
Local Politics ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Third Sector Organisations ◽  
Data Points ◽  
The Uk

With increases in average temperature and rainfall predicted, more households are expected to be at risk of flooding in the UK by 2050. Data and technologies are increasingly playing a critical role across public-, private- and third-sector organisations. However, barriers and constraints exist across organisations and industries that limit the sharing of data. We examine the international context for data sharing and variations between data-rich and data-sparse countries. We find that local politics and organisational structures influence data sharing. We focus on the case study of the UK, and on geospatial and flood resilience data in particular. We use a series of semi-structured interviews to evaluate data sharing limitations, with particular reference to geospatial and flood resilience data. We identify barriers and constraints when sharing data between organisations. We find technological, security, privacy, cultural and commercial barriers across different use cases and data points. Finally, we provide three long-term recommendations to improve the overall accessibility to flood data and enhance outcomes for organisations and communities.

Life Expectancy in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes: Implications for Annuities

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 409-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hermione C. Price ◽  
Philip M. Clarke ◽  
Alastair M. Gray ◽  
Rury R. Holman
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Cholesterol Level ◽  
Total Cholesterol Level ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Age At Death ◽  
Life Annuity ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
The Uk

Background. Insurance companies often offer people with diabetes ‘‘enhanced impaired life annuity’’ at preferential rates, in view of their reduced life expectancy. Objective. To assess the appropriateness of ‘‘enhanced impaired life annuity’’ rates for individuals with type 2 diabetes. Patients. There were 4026 subjects with established type 2 diabetes (but not known cardiovascular or other life-threatening diseases) enrolled into the UK Lipids in Diabetes Study. Measurements. Estimated individual life expectancy using the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Outcomes Model. Results. Subjects were a mean (SD) age of 60.7 (8.6) years, had a blood pressure of 141/83 (17/10) mm Hg, total cholesterol level of 4.5 (0.75) mmol/L, HDL cholesterol level of 1.2 (0.29) mmol/L, with median (interquartile range [IQR]) known diabetes duration of 6 (3—11) years, and HbA1c of 8.0% (7.2—9.0). Sixty-five percent were male, 91% white, 4% Afro-Caribbean, 5% Indian-Asian, and 15% current smokers. The UKPDS Outcomes Model median (IQR) estimated age at death was 76.6 (73.8—79.5) years compared with 81.6 (79.4—83.2) years, estimated using the UK Government Actuary’s Department data for a general population of the same age and gender structure. The median (IQR) difference was 4.3 (2.8—6.1) years, a remaining life expectancy reduction of almost one quarter. The highest value annuity identified, which commences payments immediately for a 60-year-old man with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes investing 100,000, did not reflect this difference, offering 7.4K per year compared with 7.0K per year if not diabetic. Conclusions. The UK Government Actuary’s Department data overestimate likely age at death in individuals with type 2 diabetes, and at present, ‘‘enhanced impaired life annuity’’ rates do not provide equity for people with type 2 diabetes. Using a diabetes-specific model to estimate life expectancy could provide valuable information to the annuity industry and permit more equitable annuity rates for those with type 2 diabetes.

Civil Renewal and Community Safety: Virtuous Policy Spiral or Dynamic of Exclusion?

2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Prior
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Community Safety ◽  
Trust Relationships ◽  
Uk Government ◽  
Policy Priority ◽  
The Uk

Civil renewal is an emerging policy priority for the UK government, aiming to build stronger, more cohesive communities and to encourage individual citizens to be active members of such communities. The promotion of social capital and trust relationships is central to this approach. Strategies to improve community safety and reduce crime and disorder are closely related to the drive for civil renewal, with the two sets of policies seen as mutually supportive. This article shows, however, that many community safety initiatives are founded on relationships of suspicion between citizens. This generates a dynamic of exclusion that is likely to undermine attempts at civil renewal.

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