Publicly owned rail services?

infoman

at the end of the day what ever the rail company calls itself, changes its colours on the coach's, and supply new uniforms
it will be the same staff,

although there MIGHT be SOME new Managers.
Nothing will change.

Well, infoman, the first time that the East Coast mainline railway was taken back into public ownership it ran at a profit (which was returned to the Treasury) and had a high degree of customer satisfaction. Whether it had exactly the same personnel as when it was privatised I don't exactly know, but I would think that most of the staff were retained, with some management changes. So maybe new managers have a positive effect.

I don't know how it is performing in its second 'renationalisation' but I haven't seen any complaints.

Yes, Dr Beeching was given a very restricted brief. If he had been asked to look at transport overall, then the outcomes might have been very different.

I think infoman is saying same staff, same unions.

Yes thankfully I might get a train with no problems because how they run now is a joke. I used to get a direct train to sons now it’s 3 or 4 and having to go to complete different routes that’s if they turn up in the first place

Marples would never have asked Beeching to look at transport overall - he had too great an interest in road construction.

I use LNER to go to London and it is a great service now it is Gov run again. I fall foul of Northern Rail and Trans Pennine Express ( at the moment) both companies are inefficient, under staffed and constantly late or non existent. I know which model I would prefer.
Why do European rail companies succeed and ours are disastrous????

Germanshepherdsmum

I think infoman is saying same staff, same unions.

The staff appear to do an excellent job. infoman appeared to be implying that the services were rubbish because of the staff. I suggested that he was nor correct. He didn't mention unions.

Funny how people can read things completely differently...

Hilarious, yes. Same staff who do a good job when they’re not on strike?

I travel from the NW to the SW every month to visit my elderly mother. Once upon a time the CornishScot train ran, so I could get on the train at Crewe and get off at Truro, no changes. It is now a nightmare, with so many different ticket prices and up to three changes depending on which route. To get cheaper tickets often there is very little time to change trains. It is not fun, I rarely take much luggage with me, so that I can change platforms quickly. Another observation is that there are far more trains from the SW than there are up to the North. As the journey takes about seven hours minimum, I think that you have to have stamina for long distance train travel these days!

Not a popular view but I just think ALL public services, ie water, rail and bus travel, gas and electric should be nationalised, run and funded by the govt with properly budgeted and managed services and managers. I have no issues with “choice” and with private health and private schools, I don’t have issues with private enterprise BUT just don’t think this should apply to services as forementioned - what sort of govt sells off public services and allows foreign countries to run and managed them ?? The situation with our local rail and water services is dire.

Competition is good but these “sell offs” have benefitted only shareholders not paying customers.

We did that once before and the Unions held the Governement to Ransom and TOLD them what to do. No Democracy - No elected officials as the Unions used theri block votes to make sure that all their leaders weree Communists. I didn't like Thatcher BUT she did stop the Unions holding all the people to Ransom.

I agree with Oppsadaisy on the railway issue. It was not Dr Beeching that axed the railways - the government of the day used the report to achieve what it wanted.
I'm not sure about the reason for the utilities though. My memory is that Mrs Thatcher sold off the assets of the country to get funds. Hence the fact some people think she was a good MP, as the country became relatively rich - yet now there are no assets to fall back on. Profits are given to shareholders rather than reinvested .
The break up of railways and bus firms has let to many villages being cut off .

Well, public railways may be an advantage - the German and Spanish companies work well certainly, but the Danish State Railway is expensive and frankly not all that good.

It depends very much on who is actually running the company whether private enterprise or public is best.

It depends very much on who is actually running the company whether private enterprise or public is best.

Absolutely true, grandtanteJE65 but all those privatised industries don't seem to be making much of a fist of it these days. Energy companies profiteering, sewage in our seas and rivers, chaotic railways.

Which ones are a sparkling success?

Yes please. I'll be brief - nationalise trains so hopefully we get a decent service (how do Europe do it? - on time regular etc) If you want to get people off the roads you need decent transport. Do the same with buses - where I live in Cheshire the bus company decided they weren't going to run services - they blamed covid but were rubbish too. Someone else has taken some routes. Scrap HS2 and the horrific costs and damage to the country side - just improve the trans pennine route. While I'm at it, lost all faith in Royal Mail - don't get mail for days. Please take that back too and give us a decent service - Rant for the day over thanks.