Re: the railways
 

No just trying to keep the Jocks on the top side of the Iron Bridge.:D

Re: the railways
 

Is the problem with the railway the TOC's and FOC's, the government, Network Rail, the banks who buy and lease the rolling stock and/or BR & railtrack legacy?

Re: the railways
 

Know where you can get razor ribbon, part used, some bloodstains, care must be taken installing and idiots impaling themselves should make sure they have had tetanus shots:eek:

Re: the railways
 

ohh look another price rise. yes privatizing the railways really worked,, BBC News - Rail fare rise of 2.8% comes into effect

Re: the railways
 

You are like a broken record. Your lovely Labour government never did anything to nationalise it again.

Re: the railways
 

Gordon and Tony didn't want to turn their shares in Neil:D

Re: the railways
 

true but hopefully our ed will bite the bullet. we have wasted at least £300 billion on stupid ideology of giving private firms billions to pay a dividend. this is really a waste of money.

Re: the railways
 

If you believe that, there's no hope for you. :rolleyes:

Re: the railways
 

There never has been Wyn;)

Re: the railways
 

That'll be difficult, unless he can turn his head through 180! :idunno:

Re: the railways
 

we will never know how much was paid for the dividend Why is outsourcing shrouded in secrecy? - Telegraph

Re: the railways
 

What record does the local Accrington MP have on transport?
Does he ever raise any questions to the secretary of state for transport?

Re: the railways
 

Always - until I became the whip for the transport team and therefore can't. Strangely whips in government can't speak at all on anything. I asked Jack Straw to ask my last question at the last transport questions. I write to the SoS all the time and there's an interesting snippet in my ob column this week.

I have been very vocal on all transport issues in the area.

Labour. There's a policy review on rail. We have opposed the privatisation of East Coast so far.

Re: the railways
 

G Jones,
I presume you are the local MP?
My question was not meant as a slur, far from it.

I agree, Labour have played it right to oppose changing east coast from direct operated railways (DOS).
For once Labour is winning the economic argument against the coalition that DOS operating the east cost franchise is making profit for the tax payer while providing a better service than the previous contractor who failed.
Labours support for DOS retaining east coast is also helping to demonstrate to the voters the conservatives are wanting to re-franchise based on nothing more than ideology.

As Network Rail's debt is now officially on the government books (lets not forget it was a Labour policy to keep it off), is there not a strong argument to bring the relationship between Network Rail and DOS closer together?
Is there not an economic argument due to the heavy taxpayers contributions, that better financial value would be achieved to move towards a 'in house' asset management and operation?
There are many benefits which would result from such a move.

Re: the railways
 

I'm not an expert on this and by the sounds of it you know lot more than me. I have only just joined the transport team.

As I understand it the trains are not nationally owned assets but leased. The TOC and rail network are.

You're absolutely right in another sense too. ECML is a complete change in policy by any party in 20 years and in a sense a new debate on future options has been opened up.

Re: the railways
 

There would appear to be a middle ground which the east coast franchise has highlighted.
A none for profit train operator alongside a none for profit railway asset steward and we have a better (not perfect) solution than the current status quo found on all of the other franchise deals.

Regarding the government backed train lease via the banks and financial institutions, this is the biggest scandal of the lot.

Re: the railways
 

InterCity 225 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia they were given away a pure scandal.

Re: the railways
 

well i kind of like what ed milliband has put forward. it would mean the British infrastructure service's would be able to bid to run over seas infrastructures . a good way to raise money to invest in British infrastructure.

Re: the railways
 

They can't run our own properly, do you think Jonny Foreigner will want them messing up theirs as well?

Re: the railways
 

ya know i kinda wish he would as well after emptying the other chambers of the gun into a few of his MPs before he does of course :)

Re: the railways
 

we could take ideas from the dutch;) up here in sunny jock land the trains down the west coast are tremendous. every time i hear anybody moan i laugh. electrified lines, new trains , punctual apart from a few signal problems. nice clean train stations visible transport police booze, ban after 9 pm and before 10 am .

Re: Re: the railways
 

So please feel free to explain these lowland ideas.

Re: the railways
 

The railway is ran ok, its the cost which are not ok.
Alot of the cost is due to the fragmented nature of the industry, and often the fragmented nature of some of the industry stakeholders such as network rail and the TOC's.

the railway does not help itself with its short term vision and planning.
Network rail working on 4 yearly government funding cycles is not the most effective or efficent way to run a company.
TOCs being provided with franchises that are 'loose' in terms of investment, fare charges and time table requirements does not work in the best interest of the public.