British Rail-Who wants it back

[Titanic]

Missing kick off on friday for a start.

And how would having a railway run by civil servants have helped?

 

[Simster]

So what significant change would we see if it were run by these 'train experts' again?

Read post #25.

We'd also get decent time tabling. We'd get proper pricing - not the current shambles where a season ticket from Redhill to London is more expensive than from Gatwick or Dorking to London, both of which can go through Redhill. We'd get bike carriages as part of a coherent transport policy. We'd avoid situations where connecting trains might actually wait for a slightly late train from another company rather than bugger off in order to look good for the stats.

Let's flip in on it's head. Given that there is no competition in this privatised set-up, what is so good about it?

And how would having a railway run by civil servants have helped?

That's not the question to be asked. "How would having a single nationalised railway have helped?" is what you should be asking.

 

[GT49er]

I used to travel every day and still do several times a week. I don't know what everyone is complaining out. It is a massively expensive service to provide, massively subsidised by the taxpayer, and serving more people travelling than ever before. So it is going to have some problems. But no idea why anyone thinks it would be 'better' if it was run by civil servants.

It never was run by civil servants. Wherever did you get that stupid idea from? It was run by RAILWAYMEN, who pretty much got side-lined when the privatisation bean-counters moved in. Trouble is, bean-counters only know how to count beans.............

 

[8ace]

And how would having a railway run by civil servants have helped?

Read Ernest's post on that thread.

 

[Titanic]

Read Ernest's post on that thread.

I have. I used to be able to buy 8 Black Jacks for a penny. So what? Life moves on.

 

[8ace]

I have. I used to be able to buy 8 Black Jacks for a penny. So what? Life moves on.

Great answer Quisling

 

[Simster]

I have. I used to be able to buy 8 Black Jacks for a penny. So what? Life moves on.

I can't take you seriously. You're a blue-rinse Tory, fair enough. So highlight the good things they've done on relevant threads. But where they've massively ****ed up, don't try and defend the indefensible. It is risible.

Anyway, I've answer your question. How about you answer mine - what is so good about a privatised rail network?

 

[Titanic]

I can't take you seriously. You're a blue-rinse Tory, fair enough. So highlight the good things they've done on relevant threads. But where they've massively ****ed up, don't try and defend the indefensible. It is risible.

Anyway, I've answer your question. How about you answer mine - what is so good about a privatised rail network?

Passenger numbers have DOUBLED between 2004 and 2014.

Massive investment, after decades of under-investment under state control, in the quality of track, stations and rolling stock.

 

[GT49er]

What about the early 1970's?

Yes, I was there. There was industrial action going on. Water still came out of the tap, and the gas cooker always hummed away merrily. What's that got to do with nationalisation? Nothing.

Yes, there was a postal strike in 1970, and to conserve energy for a while there had to be PLANNED power cuts,which were efficiently managed by the nationalised electricity industry to cause the least disruption that was possible in the circumstances. Next question..............

 

[ThePompousPaladin]

I think the infrastructure needs a lot spent on it if it's going to come up german/swiss standards.

 

[Titanic]

I think the infrastructure needs a lot spent on it if it's going to come up german/swiss standards.

I know it is Wikipedia... but this is interesting:

"The UK has the 18th largest railway network in the world; despite many lines having closed in the 20th century it remains one of the densest rail networks. It is one of the busiest railways in Europe, with 20% more train services than France, 60% more than Italy, and more than Spain, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Portugal and Norway combined.[SUP][2][/SUP]
In 2014, there were 1.65 billion journeys on the National Rail network, making the British network the fifth most used in the world (Great Britain ranks 23rd in world population). Unlike a number of other countries, rail travel in the United Kingdom has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, with passenger numbers reaching their highest ever level (see usage figures below)."

 

[Simster]

Passenger numbers have DOUBLED between 2004 and 2014.

The fact that passenger numbers have doubled is obviously a success, but this is largely because the off-peak advance fares are now so cheap, partly driven by low cost airline. That is the benefit of competition right there.

Massive investment, after decades of under-investment, in the quality of track, stations and rolling stock.

The biggest investment was made by the Blair Labour government when they injected massive amounts of subsidy into the industry in the late 90s and early noughties. Nothing to do with the companies themselves or privatisation. That would have happened had the industry been nationalised.

I'll just remind you how it works - a private company's first obligation is to its shareholders, not investing in rolling stock.

 

[Ernest]

One of the benefits of privatisation was the new TOCs immediately got rid of all the senior managers who had worked on the railways all their lives so knew exactly how to run a railway and more importantly in times of disruption could get back things to normal ASAP, SWT went one better and made loads of drivers redundant too which didn't quite work out once they realised that they had nobody to drive their trains.

The new managers were either university whizz kids complete with media studies degree or came from supermarkets and other retail businesses, at the first time of any problems or disruption they didn't have a clue and one fresh faced manager was discovered hiding under the stairs completely shot to pieces by it. Unlike the BR days when the station master would put on the bowler hat and have the authority and resources to be able to actually help people.

The railway needs to be one unit, track, stock, maintenance, signalling, staff etc and one run for one purpose and that is to get the passenger to their destination, on time, in a decent , clean train with plenty of room at a fair price.

 

[cunning fergus]

Show me someone who states privatisation works, and I'll show you someone who is mental (or has their snout in the railways trough)

For a long standing dyed in the wool tory, you are sounding like youare getting the hang of this socialism thingy..............

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/12/how-eu-making-nhs-privatisation-permanent

Jeremy knows who the culprits are...................

http://think-left.org/2015/07/12/jeremy-corbyn-speaks-against-ttip-at-durham-miners-gala/

Jezza's been a long standing euro sceptic..................let's hope he sticks to his principles.

 

[Ernest]

BTW Southern has just had another management purge with the new franchise so whether this had anything to do with Fridays chaotic scenes who knows ?

 

[ThePompousPaladin]

Are there any implications of TTIP on renationalisation?

 

[ThePompousPaladin]

Unlike the BR days when the station master would put on the bowler hat..

Link..

 

[Nibble]

There is only one objective to privatisation and that is to make money for shareholders. That's it. It tells you in a nutshell what is wrong with privatised services. They are their to create profit, not to service the consumer.

 

[Titanic]

There is only one objective to privatisation and that is to make money for shareholders. That's it. It tells you in a nutshell what is wrong with privatised services. They are their to create profit, not to service the consumer.

The latter is usually a necessity in order to deliver the former over a sustained period of time.

 

[Gwylan]

The latter is usually a necessity in order to deliver the former over a sustained period of time.

That's true in a competitive market but not in a monopoly. They can deliver appalling customer service and still make money - that's precisely what people are moaning about