The government wants to renationalise railways. Will it be any better this time round? Two public transport experts on how to make it work | Marcus Mayers & David Bamford
The government wants to renationalise railways. Will it be any better this time round? Two public transport experts on how to make it work
Hopefully working WITH the RMT rather than against it.
Apart from the obvious issues of delays, cancellations and overcrowding, a key priority absolutely has to be getting rid of the impenetrable, ludicrous and ticketing “system”. I don’t have a problem with different fares depending on time of day or advance purchase, but if I have an …./1
Thing is, the nationalised railways were actually really well run and were making a profit just before Thatcher sold them off to the lowest bidders. If we can return our railways to those days...
If the rolling stock isn’t brought into public ownership then nationalisation will falter as that is where the profit seems to be. Labour’s plan seems to exclude ROSCOs and will therefore continue to leech money to private sector and keep fares too high.
There are huge infrastructure issues to resolve, power supply issues, track, electrification, ageing and faulty rolling stock, lack of future diesel cascades. The slowness and bean counting of DfT ministers and civil servants. Lack of parts, lack of skills, lack of employees, lack of investment.
You simply have look across the border to answer that question, where the Scottish Government has already done so. ScotRail was recently deemed to be most efficient in the UK.
It's a national embarrassment. Surely it can't be any worse.
Surely can't get any worse lol 👀😂