Virgin & Stagecoach join forces with SNCF
Sept 13, 2017 18:43:57 GMT
Hassaan and planesandtrains like this
Post by snoggle on Sept 13, 2017 18:43:57 GMT
Generally all TOCs aren't great in my eyes as the current way the railways are run isn't right imo. They are a public servive and should be nationalised. Service before profit not the other way around.
The problem is that no one has defined what a future "nationalised" railway system. How far does it stretch? A great deal of the engineering and technical functions that were in the old BR were split asunder and privatised into tens or hundreds of businesses. Some have closed down, others are extant and others are now part of large engineering consultancies. Are all the trains owned by the ROSCOs going to be bought back? Where does the money for that come from as that's billions of quid.
The temptation for Labour is to say that nationalisation will allow fares to drop. I don't believe that will be the case at all. If you are going to progressively bring the TOCs into direct public control you are looking at a process that takes up to 15 years. Otherwise you are talking about premature termination of contracts and buying out the private owners. That won't come cheap either. There are then decisions about who "runs" the trains - do drivers and train maintainers work for Network Rail or is there a new public sector operating company? What relationship does that operator have with Network Rail? How is Network Rail funded? How is freight handled given that's entirely private now? No prospect of nationalising that *at all*. There are then issues around "open access" operations plus those which are devolved such as Overground, TfL Rail / XR, Scotrail and Merseyrail. Can't see any of those operations wanting to be dumped back into a new "British Rail" given the local politicians will want to retain control. There are a million further questions beyond all of this and no-one has any answers to any of it. With no intellectual rigour behind the idea of "rail nationalisation" it would be hugely risky. It could be as risky and damaging as the ill considered process of rail privatisation was back in the 90s. The Major government basically made it up as they went along. I can see exactly the same basic mistake being made with nationalisation.