State-owned enterprises of the United Kingdom

After extensive privatisation of the public sector during the Margaret Thatcher administration, there remain few statutory corporations in the UK. Privatization began in the late 1970s, and notable privatisations include the Central Electricity Generating Board, the privatisation of British Rail, and more recently Royal Mail. After the Hatfield rail crash accident, the British government decided to intervene and renationalised Railtrack (which was responsible for the maintenance of railway tracks and signals) into Network Rail. The impact of the privatisation of British Rail is much debated today, with increased passenger numbers and better safety offset by concerns about the cost to taxpayers.