Trains are a rich man's toy, says transport secretary

[Flamingo]

Good points. I suppose the DfT are going for the easy option.

 

[phil8715]

I thought the whole idea of privatisation was to increase competition with other tocs. What I now believe is it's a competition alright, a competition to who can charge the highest fares.

How can you pay say £200-£ 300 for an open single or return and not be guaranteed a seat yet you can pay £10 single for the same journey and your seat is guaranteed?

It makes no sense at all.

I would firmly believe if we were still state owned under British Rail even with inflation train fares would not be as high as they are now under privatisation.

 

[Zoe]

I thought the whole idea of privatisation was to increase competition with other tocs. What I now believe is it's a competition alright, a competition to who can charge the highest fares.

The companies compete for the franchises and the government will often select the bid that is the best deal for the taxpayer. As a result the fare payer will pay more. Even if it was still BR it's possible that the government could have decided that the majority of the cost of running the railway should be funded by the fare payer.

 

[phil8715]

Everybody knows that the privatisation is an abject failure. Railtrack went out of business National Express handed their franchise back to the government, Connex south East was the 1st company to not have their franchise renewed.

There has been more rail accidents under privatisation then ever before, because Railtrack subcontracted work to cowboy 3rd party companies who's employee's have no experience in doing the kind of work rail contractors carry out. It's also a known fact that people could buy a PTS card from some dodgy bloke down the pub.

 

[jon0844]

I am sure that the workers for private firms will include many workers who would have remained within BR if it hadn't gone private.

You may change the management, but most staff will simply transfer over (TUPE regulations). Even when National Express finally go, most staff for the new franchise will be the exact same people.

 

[phil8715]

I know that whoever takes over the franchise all staff who were employed by National Express while be employed by the new company.

My brother worked for British Rail then when it was divided into business sectors in this case InterCity West Coast as he was a Senior Conductor based at Euston, now he works for Virgin Trains but he did have break of service he left to work a for charter company but the company went belly up. He then got a job at Virgin Trains based at Manchester Piccadilly.

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