Thursday, May 07, 2009

Time to nationalise the trains?

Library file photo dated 12/12/2004 of two Midland Mainline trains at Kings Cross St Pancras, London. Transport group National Express said today it had exceeded expectations for this year after strong performances at its coach and bus businesses. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Monday December 18, 2006. Shares in the group, which runs rail services including Midland Mainline and Central Trains, rose 2% as it told investors that it had ended 2006 strongly.Read in The Times this am:
National Express wants taxpayers’ cash to keep running East Coast trains - Times Online

At a time where rail fares have been increasing faster than inflation, I was reading this and thinking it was a further proof that the rail privatisation did not work, in the UK or anywhere else.

Its results are:
  • a poor deal for the consumer with one of the most expensive transport system in the world, sending more people than ever on the roads (an overused infrastructure with little investment over the last 20 years)
  • little progress in upgrading and investments, with for instance no high-speed links between London, the Midlands and Scotland ; I mean Crossrail and HS1 are not much in 20 years
  • overall, the service is sort of improving but is running on many lines over-capacity 
In the meantime, the government continues with its double standards and taxes cars CO2 emissions while not taxing aviation fuel and not phasing out diesel train engines with electrified lines.




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1 comment:

Vengadachalam T said...

Indian Railway coming up..All the informations very easy to view.In the site we can book tickets online itself.I have visited the site www.indiantrains.orgfor checking the train ticket fare.very fast..