Political discussion regarding Labour's rail nationalisation promise

[RPI]

The very fact people still argue over who is better between blue bum cheek and red bum cheek shows how blinkered we all are, I've always been politically conservative and my dad quite the opposite, it was a subject that couldn't be discussed between us (mostly because he'd start ranting lol), but now it's a subject we both laugh at. I realise I leave myself open to being branded a "conspiracist" blah blah, but if voting made any difference, they wouldn't let us do it, we have two cheeks of the same bum to get the masses arguing between ourselves and distract from the Westminster cozy club, where they're all pretty much working to the same agenda.

 

[irish_rail]

The very fact people still argue over who is better between blue bum cheek and red bum cheek shows how blinkered we all are, I've always been politically conservative and my dad quite the opposite, it was a subject that couldn't be discussed between us (mostly because he'd start ranting lol), but now it's a subject we both laugh at. I realise I leave myself open to being branded a "conspiracist" blah blah, but if voting made any difference, they wouldn't let us do it, we have two cheeks of the same bum to get the masses arguing between ourselves and distract from the Westminster cozy club, where they're all pretty much working to the same agenda.

This kind of apathy is very sad. People have fought and died for the vote. I personally disagree with your view as I think if the Tories are booted out we will see some positive changes, not least ending the strikes by offering the drivers a reasonable payrise without unrealistic strings attached.

 

[RPI]

This kind of apathy is very sad. People have fought and died for the vote. I personally disagree with your view as I think if the Tories are booted out we will see some positive changes, not least ending the strikes by offering the drivers a reasonable payrise without unrealistic strings attached.

That's your opinion, we'll agree to disagree

 

[officewalla]

We can all look forward to harmonised pay across the industry and the same T&Cs when this is settled can't we? Didn't think so as the headline £2billion+ savings will of course never materialise when the cost of such a venture is factored in. Not sure how they will get around the equal pay laws if the intent is not to bring every employee up to the highest common denominator. Can't see the unions or its members taking pay cuts to come down. Current pay offer for drivers will cost approx £100 million to implement before backdating is calculated. Multiply by 5 and £1/2 billion is reached before the other industry workers are included. It will cost c£15million on GWR alone. Then there is the pension costs that are about another £5million pa for GWR drivers. Can't see any savings yet so no nationalisation is not a good idea. Arms length GBR should work out. DfT butting out is essential but impossible under the current management contracts and the ToC SLT will not be interested in anything at all towards the end of their contract which will make everything worse that it is now.

 

[WAB]

ToC SLT will not be interested in anything at all towards the end of their contract which will make everything worse that it is now.

Many of whom will still want jobs on the railway and will need to prove themselves?

 

[Harpers Tate]

Just a suggestion to anyone whose voting choice is determined to any significant extent by this promise, and who lives in "Northern" land.

Your Railway is already nationalised. And since that happened it has
a) improved significantly
b) deteriorated noticeably (ask those who wish to use Gainsborough Central for one perspective on this)
c) remained unchanged.

Is this evidence of things to (potentially) come? I have no idea.

And, just a suggestion to anyone likewise who lives in "ECML" land.

Your railway is already nationalised.
Elsewhere in this very forum, a member has found it cheaper, with LNER's fare structure (is this now in place, or proposed? I don't know or care much) to fly via Schipol rather than go by rail and refers to the fares as "rip off".

Is this evidence of things to (potentially) come? I have no idea.

 

[Masboroughlad]

So would we see comeback of long distance, through service (and new ones)?

Would we get Intercity and others? Eg Regional, NSE etc.

Ticketing must be simple, consistent and transparent.

 

[Class450/4DES]

So would we see comeback of long distance, through service (and new ones)?

Would we get Intercity and others? Eg Regional, NSE etc.

Ticketing must be simple, consistent and transparent.

I think I remember saying in another post about how things may work.
Here is a quick rundown of my predictions.

All commuter lines out of London when they lose their franchise contracts will get absorbed by southeastern.
southeastern or what I am going to put it as "SouthEastern" will become the spiritual successor to NSE.

For inter city trains LNER will be renamed to InterCity and will absorb all inter city services in the UK.

Other commuter services outside of Wales, Scotland and the Southeast will become apart of Regional a rebranded Northern.

Its quick and easy and simple to rebrand, specially with the similar signage at SWR and SE.

 

[John Bray]

The NR/TfL fare discrepancy in SE London is bizarre. Anyone who knows catches a train using the contactless TfL fare, and if you to the national rail site you are told the Orpington-London Bridge single fare is £9, but fairly prominently it also mentions the £5 TfL one. I guess its just visitors who get stuffed.

Of course it blatantly unfair that Bromley council tax is used to subsidise tube fares, and Kahn trumpets how he's keeping fares down for all Londoners. This reflected in the local election results just in of course, not that you'd want a Tory mayor.

 

[Dai Corner]

An interesting article in today's Daily Telegraph

No Labour plan for rail fare app

The Daily Telegraph - SaturdayBy Christopher Jasper



LABOUR has ruled out plans to introduce a state-backed ticketing website that would simplify rail fares and guarantee cheaper tickets for millions of passengers.
The decision was revealed yesterday in a trading update from Trainline, which generates earnings as a third-party retailer through commission and fees on ticket sales.
The likelihood of a national website promoting cheaper fares had called Trainline’s business model into question. But Labour spokesman said: “We will not revive the current Government’s previous proposal for a national retailing app for train tickets.
“We see an innovative and competitive third-party retail market as a key part of delivering a simplified ticket system.”

That's a statement that you could be forgiven for assuming came from a Conservative transport minister.

Older readers may have a sense of deja vu and Blair's strategy of adopting Conservative principles but having his candidates wear red rosettes.

 

[Jack Hay]

(Deleted - out of sequence.)

 

[yorkie]

Ticketing must be simple, consistent and transparent.

Market based pricing isn't going to disappear, if that's what you are suggesting; it would be damaging politically for Labour to abolish the 'complex' cheaper fares, while it would be considered politically unacceptable to increase taxpayer subsidy further to support the lowering of the more expensive fares to the cost of cheaper fares.

Just a suggestion to anyone whose voting choice is determined to any significant extent by this promise, and who lives in "Northern" land.

Your Railway is already nationalised. And since that happened it has
a) improved significantly
b) deteriorated noticeably (ask those who wish to use Gainsborough Central for one perspective on this)
c) remained unchanged.

Is this evidence of things to (potentially) come? I have no idea.

And, just a suggestion to anyone likewise who lives in "ECML" land.

Your railway is already nationalised.
Elsewhere in this very forum, a member has found it cheaper, with LNER's fare structure (is this now in place, or proposed? I don't know or care much) to fly via Schipol rather than go by rail and refers to the fares as "rip off".

Is this evidence of things to (potentially) come? I have no idea.

So far, state-run LNER are trying desperately to be as controlling and manipulative as possible (from closing entrances to stations for no valid reason, to abolishing Off Peak fares), while Northern are about as 'mickey mouse' as you can get (and are more interested in prosecuting and threatening people than providing a good service) while TPE display utter contempt for passengers (from claiming trains are a minute under the relevant delay repay threshold, to thinning the timetable as much as they can get away with) while simultaneously annoying their staff as much as possible.

Being state run is not a panacea, and if anything means the service is going to be more reflective of the type of Government we have at any given time (which could be why things are so dire at the moment!)