By Sheena McKenzie, CNN; July 16, 2019
London (CNN) – Britain has a love-hate relationship with its railways. The Victorians pioneered the country’s modern rail system, which has inspired children’s stories from Paddington Bear to Thomas the Tank Engine, and the beloved InterCity 125 train holds the world speed record for a passenger-carrying diesel.
But the current setup is plagued by high fares, delays and overcrowding, and it’s getting harder to find private companies who want to bid for the right to run services.