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East Coast Main Line now under public ownership

Blimey, it's only 5 minutes since they took it over from GNER. Still, i'm glad the govt isn't bailing out another failing company. But as for First? Hmm.
 
ovaltina said:
I think the same thing happened with Southern and it was put back in the public sector
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Kind of. It was Connex who were kicked off but the franchise went to Southern who are owned by Govia so it's back in private hands.

Govia also own southeastern and London Midland so it's getting more like the days of the Big Four :D
 
The article I read the other day suggested the government were adamant that they'd loose all 3 lines they run rather then just the one that's not working for them. This one suggests the same but in less strong terms though.

I thought they were doing a good job (well I liked their adverts and livery at least :o)
 
their prices are ridiculous. they don't deserve to keep the lines. their response to less passengers appears to have been to increase the price so less people can afford to travel. there are about two cheap seats on each train and then the rest are more then £80. jokers.
 
Pickman's model said:
as long as such renationalisation includes a reversal of the beeching amputations.
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that would be good, but can't see that happening, but the slow march to public ownership continues, railtrack, private sector fucked up, metronet, ditto, now the east coast line - when the franchises are up for renewal, can't see there being too much interest given the current economic climate
 
GNER were good when I used them, but all this fucking about with ownership hits the consumer in the end. Who pays for the contant repainting of stock to the new owners' colours? All the red tape? Who pays the fat bonuses of departing failing bosses?

That'll be us, then.
 
editor said:
GNER were good when I used them, but all this fucking about with ownership hits the consumer in the end. Who pays for the contant repainting of stock to the new owners' colours? All the red tape? Who pays the fat bonuses of departing failing bosses?

That'll be us, then.
Click to expand...

And the rebranding of stations, literature, staff uniforms etc. etc. etc. Must cost a bloody fortune!

Agree about GNER, they were a good TOC imo.
 
PacificOcean said:
It's only temporary.

First have shown interest in the route before. I think they will get it.
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hope not..

i remember the old transpennine express from mcr to scarborough before first took over.

when they were purple and 158s:

158_TransPennine2.jpg


proper nice and comfy. now theyre horrible, overcrowded and like sitting on a bus :(
 
_pH_ said:
And the rebranding of stations, literature, staff uniforms etc. etc. etc. Must cost a bloody fortune!

Agree about GNER, they were a good TOC imo.
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Whereas they are the only TOC I've ever completely loathed. They tried to stiff me for a 70 quid surcharge on a ticket, and only backed off when I sent them photocopies of the ticket the guard had taken off me. Bunch of bastards.
 
editor said:
GNER were good when I used them, but all this fucking about with ownership hits the consumer in the end. Who pays for the contant repainting of stock to the new owners' colours? All the red tape? Who pays the fat bonuses of departing failing bosses?

That'll be us, then.
Click to expand...

You are right, but I'm in favour of a one off hit if this means it's gonna stay nationalised.


Doesn't benefit me, cos the cross country route is unaffected.
 
Does anyone think this will have any bearing on National Expresses other franchises?

I am on their East Anglia franchise and their punctuality is poor. But worse is that despite Enfield Lock being a Zone 6 commuter station, it's only a half hourly service to Liverpool Street during the week (and a very early last train to get back again), and a bizarre hourly service to Stratford, of all places, on Sundays meaning changing at Tottenham Hale to get into town.

When it was WAGN - it was a 15 minute frequency to Liverpool Street every day of the week :mad:
 
PacificOcean said:
Does anyone think this will have any bearing on National Expresses other franchises?
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beeb said:
In a statement, the government added that it believed it also had grounds to end National Express's two other rail franchises - East Anglia and c2c.

But the company said it felt the government had "no grounds" to do this and would challenge any such attempt in court.
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We shall see!
 
Oswaldtwistle said:
We are both wrong according to Wiki. It's Arriva

I knew that. So why did I think it was Nat Exp?

(goes for a lie down in a darkened room)
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Not that Wiki isn't the fount of all infomation, but I studied the Virgin network on a train to Stockport last year (nothing else to do, the buffet was closed), and Virgin had all the cross county routes from the very North of Scotland to Penzance.

When did Arriva get it? :)
 
It's been Arriva for a year or two now.

Hence the Xcountry trains not being in Virgin colours anymore...

08xc.jpg
 
Has the government taken over this contract or was it "handed back"?

This morning National Express ruptured that presumed compact between private and public sector – let us make money out of running the service and we'll shelter the taxpayer from financial risk – by announcing that it will hand back the keys. Furthermore, it said it was determined to hang on to its less onerous rail contracts, c2c and National Express East Anglia. Lord Adonis, the transport secretary, is adamant that National Express must exit the rail business altogether under cross-default guidelines.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/01/national-express-east-coast
 
editor said:
GNER were good when I used them, but all this fucking about with ownership hits the consumer in the end. Who pays for the contant repainting of stock to the new owners' colours? All the red tape? Who pays the fat bonuses of departing failing bosses?

That'll be us, then.
Click to expand...

In the case of the East coast franchise, possibly not us, as GNER and First have both lost money on it (this is because they pay a premium to the government to run it because it is quite a profitable operation.

They both overestimated the profitability - presumably the government was still getting the agreed premium during the time it was under the private operators' control. If they had been state run during that time, it would have cost us more, because we would be effectively losing that money rather than them. Unless a state-run operation could be more efficient/profitable. If you see what I mean.
 
If I am reading this correctly they were going to fail to make there installment payment for the franchise. Ive not had much time to read around.
 
I guess there's a big legal argument to be had about whether the parent company should be liable for the losses of the subsidiary (which presumably is what NXEC is).
 
teuchter said:
I guess there's a big legal argument to be had about whether the parent company should be liable for the losses of the subsidiary (which presumably is what NXEC is).
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When the subsidiary has been set up solely in order to operate the franchise that has lost money (or rather, has not provided the amount of cash that would have enabled it to pay the franchise fees), yes they should be held liable.

As for this, I rather think that this is more about a desperate Government scrambling for assets that it can sell on again than it is about renationalization (hence the grab for c2c and the other one) - if they genuinely wanted to renationalize the railways then they could either done so when they had the chance in 1997 (or when Railtrack died), or alternatively have invested during the downturn (actually, as opposed to the phantom investment so beloved of the PM) in an expansion of the rail network, which would have led to more jobs (directly and indirectly), more rail use and a more ecologically sound transport policy. Instead we have Heathrow being expanded.

One imagines they will sell it to someone more likely to guarantee cash than improve the service... Beardie maybe, who is (as the Guardian report said) already being paid off (with an oddly similar figure) so that he can pay us back for the WCML upgrade.
 
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