"Here we go again"- the saga of the East Coast Franchise

How much has it cost the tax payer to date.? Probably could have it back into public ownership 3 Times over.

This is all about dogma, and no care for the public purse

I agree with wws conclusion. It is all about dogma. It would cause too much loss of face for this insecure government to bring it back into public ownership. So they'll continue to covertly subsidise 'private' companies and taxpayers' money will continue to go towards paying dividends to their shareholders.

I'll post this yet again:

The Great Train Robbery

hummedia.manchester.ac.uk/institutes/cresc/sites/default/files/GTR%20Report%20final%205%20June%202013.pdf

I agree MaizieD The Government would lose too much face if they had to admit that under public ownership the East Coast Railway was contributing to the public purse instead of draining it under privatisation. They probably feel that it would encourage the public to think that perhaps more services should be run by the public, for the public.
But that would mean admitting that their dogma of "public bad, private good" would be exposed as flawed.

I'd be interested to see what Michael Holden thinks is the right solution. He's uniquely placed to have a qualified opinion on the best way forward for East Coast.

A little off topic, but rail related. Northern Rail are to get new trains, and about time too, but the Newcastle to Carlisle line, oh no. We are to get refurbished trains.

Interesting to see that no-one has come on here to support the idea that privatised is better. Do you suppose that means that the light is beginning to dawn, and recognition of what a disaster and con trick privatisation of the railways was, and continues to be, is becoming widespread? You can fool some of the people........