Political Crossfire Forums

Isn't it about time we re-nationalised the trains and the railways?

Soaring ticket prices, overcrowded carriages and an ageing network have crippled the UK railways ever since they were privatised in the 90's. Yes things were not perfect before nationalisation but privatisation has proved that it is no solution, it just increases the problem. Subsidies directly help private companies to profit while they provide us with a horrendous network.

We should look to the French model and the SNCF as an example to follow.

On a side note, I read all your posts in Boris' voice.

The actual network is state owned anyway isn't it?? So most of the costs for upgrades etc fall on the taxpayer anyway regardless of nationalisation.

Part of the reason it was privatised in the first place was because Trade Unions were taking the piss, so why not let them bid to run it. Make them put up or shut up.

The lines are owned by Railtrak right? How I understand it is Railtrak lease the lines to private rail operators. When talking about nationalising the railways people seem to forget that originally they were privately built and run & as far as I'm aware did a fine job. I personally think they shouldn't be subsidised at all. There's this notion that they were better when they were nationalised; but when I'm in the UK I always use the Midland mainline and it's so much nicer these days than it was when I was a lad pre-1997. Since privatisation there have also been more stations opened (Corby near me for example), I'd rather market forces dictate where trains go than some jobsworth bureaucrat.

Maybe if they had never been nationalised in the first place things would be even better now.