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The thorny issue of the future of rail - both Metro and main line - dominated today's agenda on the .

You can see what Minister for the North East Nick Brown had to say about both issues here.

The is a tough one for many on the left to swallow.

Many Labour supporters are wholly opposed, even though you could argue the exercise looks almost designed to prove that the existing public sector service is running everything efficiently.

Similarly,as proof that the Conservative privatisation of the railways was a failure.

The Government though knows that would be a bruising and risky process.

They would then be to blame for every ill on the line - from the wrong kind of snow to the standard of the sandwiches.

Instead I'm sure they will find another firm to take over next year.

Interestingly, - the German company likely to be amongst the Metro bidders - .

I suspect Nick Brown is right on one thing though.

The public probably would rather see concrete improvements to our transport network now, rather than hold out entirely for a high speed rail line that could be 20 years away.

But the big question is how will improvements - whether high speed rail or upgrades to existing lines - be funded in an era when public finances are likely to be incredibly tight?

The Moss Week:

Reading: by Amitav Ghosh. Swashbuckling, opium, salty seafarers. What is there not to like?

Watching: . Free entry on Saturday, sunshine and a 5000-strong crowd in the lovely Riverside ground.

Clicking: . With a General Election round the corner, it's always checking on the size of an MP's majority and see how things are swinging.

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