damerell

On the other hand, that's nothing new. Think of the transition from semaphore to colour-light signalling, and from individual signalboxes to centralised boxes; the construction of the BR standard steam locomotives, and the diesel and electric designs that replaced them up to the Class 43s and Class 91s; the design and construction of Mk3 and Mk4 coaches, and various newer DMU/EMU types; the introduction of information displays at stations other than main-line terminuses. I don't think one can really say that there has been an unusual rate of improvement post-privatisation; indeed, in some parts of the country improvements BR planned have not happened (for example, when I left Bracknell in 2004, slam-door EMUs were still running on that route.)