Railway system effectively nationalised

[The Tick]

A welcome move, but it's an implicit admission by the Tories that privatising the railway infrastructure was a bad idea to start with. Obviously if any other party in the UK advocated bringing the railways under public control, it'd be dismissed as "SOCIALISM. STALIN RETURNS FROM THE GRAVE!".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57176858


Better rail services promised in huge shake-up

[kancutlawns]

Oh great so back the days of inefficient, underfunded bankrupt running stock like British Rail in the 1970s. That’s really what we need.

[Zambo]

Selling off public services and products was supposed to be for the benefit of the user, to provide competition and better choice but the whole lot as been a disaster with companies acting like cartels with shareholders the only winner. Rises in rail fares v degradation of service has been a disgrace.

Never thought I'd say it, but Re-natonialise and invest in the lot.

[The Tick]

Curiously, railways in Northern Ireland were never privatised. Not that I'm saying it guarantees any quality over there, but wonder why that was the case.

[theleader82]

China is leading the world now with Japan in terms of train technology . We’re even behind France

[Hillman avenger]

Why didn't a party put this in its manifesto in 2019?
Oh

BTW this is a copy of how Merseyrail is run. The most prompt and highest customer-rated rail systemin the UK. The authority owns the fleet, and has just bought 75 new trains. This approach avoids the problem of the operator not investing because of the duration of the franchise.

[shabbado]

Selling off public services and products was supposed to be for the benefit of the user, to provide competition and better choice but the whole lot as been a disaster with companies acting like cartels with shareholders the only winner. Rises in rail fares v degradation of service has been a disgrace.

Never thought I'd say it, but Re-natonialise and invest in the lot.

Zambo the socialist

[Holden Mcgroyne]

Why didn't a party put this in its manifesto in 2019?
Oh

BTW this is a copy of how Merseyrail is run. The most prompt and highest customer-rated rail systemin the UK. The authority owns the fleet, and has just bought 75 new trains. This approach avoids the problem of the operator not investing because of the duration of the franchise.

Not the same thing, but you already knew that.

[Zambo]

Selling off public services and products was supposed to be for the benefit of the user, to provide competition and better choice but the whole lot as been a disaster with companies acting like cartels with shareholders the only winner. Rises in rail fares v degradation of service has been a disgrace.

Never thought I'd say it, but Re-natonialise and invest in the lot.

Zambo the socialist

Social capitalist more like.

[Hillman avenger]

Why didn't a party put this in its manifesto in 2019?
Oh

BTW this is a copy of how Merseyrail is run. The most prompt and highest customer-rated rail systemin the UK. The authority owns the fleet, and has just bought 75 new trains. This approach avoids the problem of the operator not investing because of the duration of the franchise.

Not the same thing, but you already knew that.

They knew they would have to end up subcontracting operation because as in so many things now the public sector does not have the resources or expertise to do that.

[hitlersboots]

The enormous increase in usage of the railways over the last 25 years has shown that the part-privatisation of the railways has been a mild success. Of course it does vary around the country and bizarrely the more that the use the railways the more it can be a bugger. Oh for the time when I had an underground carriage to myself in the 80s.

As for Merseyrail this is an enclosed system with very few junctions and that helps operations. The Nottingham Skegness service has its best ever rating for the same reason. Whilst Brighton Victoria is as shit as ever because there are too many junctions and too many trains and of course toooooo many people.

[Hillman avenger]

Partly true.
But the ownership of the infrastructure by the state, has meant that it can take a long-term view of investment.
It is very doubtful now that the state would have the resources or expertise to conduct much in the way of industry operations. That's why Serco and co know that essentially however much they cock up they will keep getting contracts.

[The Tick]

A nice little story among the gloom.

A passenger rail service is being resurrected between Newcastle upon Tyne and Ashington in Northumberland. It was axed as part of the Dr Beeching cuts but the rail line survived and served as a freight line so the infrastructure is already in place.

This will help people living along the line travel easier and reduces reliance on road transport. Service expected to expand in scope soon. A small but significant boost to public services in a much neglected corner of the country.


https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... ins-return


‘Proper exciting’: passenger trains to return to Northumberland Line after 60 years

[Zambo]

Nationalise it and whilst you are at it, do the same with energy.

[Vespa]

Selling off public services and products was supposed to be for the benefit of the user, to provide competition and better choice but the whole lot as been a disaster with companies acting like cartels with shareholders the only winner. Rises in rail fares v degradation of service has been a disgrace.

Never thought I'd say it, but Re-natonialise and invest in the lot.

Public transport needs to be subsided by the government, the model the UK has appears to have built a very expensive poorly run model. Renationalised the service and lease out the stations seems a good idea.