Underneath the arches Network Rail is spoiling dreams of growth

Thousands of small businesses up and down the country are said to be under threat as Network Rail sells its commercial property business.

The owner and infrastructure manager of most of the rail network in England, Scotland and Wales says that the sell-off will fund improvements and that leases for tenants, including their notice periods and rent, will remain unchanged.

Which, according to tenants of railway arches, a group that makes up the majority of Network Rail’s 5,500 commercial properties, begs a question: why has news of the planned sale coincided with enormous rent increases?

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