It's Wednesday so it must mean trouble on the trains

[JohnSmith]

Owing to signalling problems at Alexandra Palace northbound lines are affected.
Impact:
Train services running through this station may be delayed or revised at short notice. An estimate for the resumption of normal services will be provided as soon as the problem has been fully assessed.
Additional Information:
We are sorry for the delay to your journey today.

Another "Trains, Planes and Automobiles" experience awaits us.

It's nice to know they are sorry.

[Steve]

Owing to signalling problems at Alexandra Palace northbound lines are affected.
Impact:
Train services running through this station may be delayed or revised at short notice. An estimate for the resumption of normal services will be provided as soon as the problem has been fully assessed.
Additional Information:
We are sorry for the delay to your journey today.

Another "Trains, Planes and Automobiles" experience awaits us.

It's nice to know they are sorry.

Maybe Network Rail should be privatised. Oh, wait ...

[JohnSmith]

Any money we claim from First Capital Connect due to infrastructure problems (e.g. signalling failures) is then counter-claimed by First Capital Connect from Network Rail. Network Rail is funded by....the taxpayer?

[codek2]

PART funded by the tax payer.. With the current government trying hard to reduce that through increased fare prices and efficiency gains.

[JohnSmith]

PART funded by the tax payer.. With the current government trying hard to reduce that through increased fare prices and efficiency gains.

Network Rail is currently financed by borrowing money.

"All debt that NRIF has issued is directly and explicitly backed by a guarantee from the Secretary of State for Transport - the Financial Indemnity Mechanism (FIM). The FIM means that in the event of NRIF not meeting its financial obligations, the UK Government would meet these obligations unconditionally."

It's currently £30 billion, and rising.

[codek2]

you seem to be implying that it is totally funded by the government. It is not. It also seems to me unlikely it would default on those debts - thereby the guarantee is nothing to worry about.
Even if it was a private company, the government would still be implicitly guaranteeing it, as it is effectively a must not be allowed to fail business.

[JohnSmith]

Irrespective of how it is funded, the service provided by First Capital Connect and Network Rail is shambolic.