The current disruptions on the railways, the cost of care for the elderly and a host of other issues affecting labour-intensive services can all be traced to a single cause: that the principal sources of public revenue should come from the taxation of labour, goods and services rather than the taxation of the rental value of land, which is what we have consistently advocated.

Something for nothing.

More land value created by taxpayers’ investment which will end up in landowners’ pockets. This article in City AM describes a selection of luxury pads served by the new route where land prices are likely to rise sharply when the line opens in about four years time. Crossrail. as its name implies, runs across Central London, from Shenfield in the east to Reading in the west. For those...

The main railway line to Devon and Cornwall reopened on 4 April after a two month closure due to the sea wall being washed away at Dawlish. Between Dawlish and Teignmouth, the line runs on the sea wall, built by Brunel in the 1840s. It is an exposed stretch of coast and the route is vulnerable to damage by heavy seas. The speed of the repair was due to heroic efforts by Network Rail’s engineers,...

Yet another re-launch of the project to built a high speed railway from London to the north. More land value created at the taxpayers’ expense but which will end up in private pockets. Read report here.

There is a petition going the rounds against the proposed closure of the National Railway Museum at York. The local people are upset and argue that it an important part of the local economy. It is no doubt good for cafes and other retail businesses. That will be reflected in shop rents in the picturesque city centre, a benefit that could be clawed back if a land value taxation were in place.

Sweden’s second largest city, Göteborg, introduced a congestion charge at the beginning of the year. This is a “cordon” scheme, with charges being incurred when vehicles pass one of the toll points around the city, The dual aims are to reduce congestion and raise revenue for the West Sweden package, a collection of road and rail infrastructure projects. The most expensive item...

The new commuter train service between Göteborg, Sweden’s second city, and Älvängen commenced last week. With new stations serving a suburban area which has previously had to rely on bus services, it will make commuting more attractive and open up new development opportunities. The scheme is part of a big infrastructure project which has involved the rebuilding of the route to Trollhättan,...

Pro-HS2 research group Greengauge 21 says it thinks the rest of the country will benefit more than London from the high-speed link.