East Coast rail franchise 'to be scrapped' by transport secretary

[mercalia]

East Coast rail franchise 'to be scrapped' by transport secretary

so it is just days away. Good bye Virgin cant book bikes on trains easily any more? maybe not?

"Chris Grayling is expected to make a decision “within days” to end the existing East Coast rail franchise operated by Stagecoach and Virgin Trains.
The transport secretary was said to be preparing to either renationalise the London to Edinburgh line or negotiate a “not-for-profit” arrangement with Stagecoach and Virgin Trains before the end of the week. "


Maybe let Tfl run it they do a good job in London?



https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/may/14/east-coast-rail-franchise-to-be-scrapped-chris-grayling?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_terEast%20Coast%20rail%20franchise%20'to%20be%20scrapped'%20by%20transport%20secretary%20m=274845&subid=7646217&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2

[pete75]

Grayling is ending the franchise four years early because under it's terms Virgin and Stagecoach were due to pay the government about 2 billion quid over the last four years. He's effectively robbing the taxpayer of all that dosh to benefit a pair of private companies. Typical Tory attitude.

[thirdcrank]

Yes. I think it should say he's accepted a "not for loss" exit by the franchisees. Heads they win, tails taxpayer/ fare paying passenger loses.

[reohn2]

Wonderful Tories

[MikeF]

The whole rail privatisation is a complete sham. It should be a completely integrated system, not with "parts" being provided by separate companies in isolation.

[horizon]

Grayling is ending the franchise four years early because under it's terms Virgin and Stagecoach were due to pay the government about 2 billion quid over the last four years. He's effectively robbing the taxpayer of all that dosh to benefit a pair of private companies. Typical Tory attitude.

If I'm not mistaken they did the same thing with First Great Western (amounting IICR to £3 - 400m).

[mercalia]

so it has happened
"Rail services on East Coast Main Line to be brought back under UK government control, Stagecoach Group says" hehe why not say it man - has been renationalised

seems like he wants a new ppfi? - I thought those schemes were now regarded as flawed?

I would have thought there is every incentive to work out how to run nationalised services well as then any profit can either go back into the system or mean lower costs to the consumer or go into govt finances.

[atoz]

Grayling would do better by scrapping himself. Everything this man touches turns to *****

Saw a documentary about the high speed trains last night. Couldn't imagine anything like that happening now- revolutionary new service setting the standard, done by inhouse BR staff. And guess what, when the ailing class 90's and wobbly Pendolinos need to take a break- yes, the 40 plus years old antique HST's get the job. I know, it's happened to me. Those old stagers can cope with anything. They even run them over Settle Carlisle when they need to divert trains. So much for the much maligned 1970's.

Apparently the plan under BR was that some HST's were to be cascaded down to the Transpennine Leeds- Huddersfield- Manchester route. Unfortunately under private ownership this never happened, and all we get now are overcrowded DMU's and less seats than 30 years ago. Back then you got a better service even though the locos were due for scrapping, proper coaches and a buffet car.

I''ll take my chance with the legendary BR sandwich if it means getting a seat, affordable ticket prices- and oh yes, no problems with bikes on trains. All aboard with Jez on the nationalised railway...back to the future..

[reohn2]

The whole rail privatisation is a complete sham. It should be a completely integrated system, not with "parts" being provided by separate companies in isolation.

Nooo,you've got it all wrong.
The market will decide everything,someone once said

[reohn2]

Grayling would do better by scrapping himself. Everything this man touches turns to *****

Including car door handles

I''ll take my chance with the legendary BR sandwich if it means getting a seat, affordable ticket prices- and oh yes, no problems with bikes on trains. All aboard with Jez on the nationalised railway...back to the future..

That's all far too left-wing for comfort

[mjr]

Updated news page about the bailout at http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Current+Affa ... East+Coast

Is the Operator of Last Resort still the consortium of Arup, Ernst & Young and SNC-Lavalin (formerly Interfleet, formerly BR Intercity Fleet Engineering division) that was created under Cameron to replace the Brown-era embarrassingly-successful wholly-owned Directly Operated Railways? So this isn't renationalisation as much as changing another franchise into a management contract.

[MikeF]

The whole rail privatisation is a complete sham. It should be a completely integrated system, not with "parts" being provided by separate companies in isolation.

Nooo,you've got it all wrong.
The market will decide everything,someone once said

Ooh!
"The market" doesn't seem to be doing very well if that's the case.

[atoz]

Grayling would do better by scrapping himself. Everything this man touches turns to *****

Including car door handles

I''ll take my chance with the legendary BR sandwich if it means getting a seat, affordable ticket prices- and oh yes, no problems with bikes on trains. All aboard with Jez on the nationalised railway...back to the future..

That's all far too left-wing for comfort

No it isn't. It could take us back to a time when we had "Cyclists' Specials"- nothing left wing about that famous BR film you can see on Youtube. I mean, is it really likely that the famously reactionary Harry England, Cycling Weekly's then editor who features in the film, would be manning the barricades and issuing in a workers commune? Somehow I doubt it.

Oddly enough, I don't remember too many problems getting my bike on a train in the premiership of Maggie Thatcher, although I detested her and her policies. She was wise enough not to go near privatising BR- unlike her successor. And unlike Tony and his cronies, do did nothing to reverse it.

The question is- what are Cycling UK going to do? They need to be a lot more feisty about campaigning for bikes on trains. The great and the good who like to think they run Cycling UK can start earning their money. I've looked on the website and what I can see at the moment is this document at https://www.cyclinguk.org/campaigning/views-and-briefings/taking-cycles-on-trains ;which states "We are currently revising and updating our views on cycle-rail and these will be published in due course"- and then quotes a document from 2004. Big deal. I have news- it's the year 2018.

A helpful hint- less obsession on logos and navel gazing, and more active campaigning. A bit more momentum, if you please..

[mercalia]

putting it all into perspective of Neoliberalism --

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/16/carillion-scandal-neoliberalism-public-services-profit?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=275135&subid=7646217&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2

‘Recklessness, hubris and greed’ describes the entire system of delivering public services through profit-driven companies - eg Carillion
"it would be as a good an epitaph for neoliberalism as any."

on the other hand -
The success of the state run east coast line -Directly Operated Railways
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/apr/18/east-coast-rail-line-taxpayer-subsidy
"East Coast makes one of the highest payments to government, receives the least subsidy and is the only route on which all profits are reinvested in services."

[The utility cyclist]

I was on a 'Virgin' HST on the East Coast in April, for bikes they are pants, 3 spaces and you have to lift them up sans bags and hang them by your front wheel.
the whole debacle shows the government up for what they are, a bunch of shysters just like the Carillion execs.