Will there be no private train companies (eg Greater Anglia) after Great British Railways takes over Network Rail (like in the 1980s)?

[JonathanH]

I would welcome any private competition against a state operator in the form of open access services continuing to operate.

Why? Doesn't the majority of the population want the (passenger) railway to be fully nationalised?

 

[zwk500]

I would welcome any private competition against a state operator in the form of open access services continuing to operate.

There is no suggestion of OAOs being banned. However there's equally not been any suggestion I'm aware of that the Revenue Abstraction rules will be eased, so I don't foresee direct competition any time soon.

Why? Doesn't the majority of the population want the (passenger) railway to be fully nationalised?

For me, OAOs are good for preventing institutionalised groupthink from becoming all-consuming. They are willing to take risks that the state-backed companies are either unwilling or not allowed to. A public sector baseline with private sector top-up is not a bad theoretical model if you are willing to abandon ideological preconceptions (although it needs a very carefully thought out fare structure).

 

[islandmonkey]

For me, OAOs are good for preventing institutionalised groupthink from becoming all-consuming. They are willing to take risks that the state-backed companies are either unwilling or not allowed to. A public sector baseline with private sector top-up is not a bad theoretical model if you are willing to abandon ideological preconceptions (although it needs a very carefully thought out fare structure).

You've explained it better than I could. If a well-established company has a good idea that the future state operator won't implement for whatever reason, and that service proposition idea is feasible (probably pathing is the biggest issue) and financially sustainable, and the ORR thinks the same, then long live OAOs.