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You know it makes sense.

H Christine Allott, Exeter   + Share

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Your Views

  • Railways aren’t a market. If I don’t like, say, the London to Bristol train, I can’t choose a different train company. Capitalism without competition is just profiteering.

    Tom Morris
  • Privatisation was the death blow to this country’s railways.

    Alex Alexandrowicz
  • And re-nationalise all other public transport while you’re at it.

    David Makin, Colwyn Bay
  • I am so sick of greedy corporate cats making money from what is an essential daily need for the vast majority of people. Other countries put people before profit.

    Jane King, London
  • They should have been brought back years ago.

    Robin Banks, London

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Bring Back British Rail

3 weeks ago

Bring Back British Rail

What a brilliant win for Better Buses for Greater Manchester today! โœŠ Letโ€™s hope this is the beginning of the end for Britainโ€™s profiteering private bus companies ๐ŸšAfter years of work from campaigners across the region, Andy Burnham has just announced that buses in Greater Manchester are coming back into public control!

YOU WON!!!!!!! โœŠโœŠโœŠ๐ŸšŒ๐ŸšŒ๐ŸšŒ๐ŸšŒโœŠโœŠโœŠ

We're so happy! Well done to everyone involved!!
...

What a brilliant win for Better Buses for Greater Manchester today! โœŠ Letโ€™s hope this is the beginning of the end for Britainโ€™s profiteering private bus companies ๐Ÿš
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Please remember: you can still catch a bus or train if it is late. You would probably miss a train or bus if it was early. ๐Ÿ™‚ (An arguement I use when car owners tell me that "the train/bus is always late")

How, exactly, will this bring better buses to Manchester?

Let's just wait and see what the fares are, there already a rip off.

At a cost of £135 million before any changes happen. Where is the money coming from? The bus operators certainly can't afford it.

I always find it interesting that when there's a post about something good or kind or decent and is of benefit there's always at least one twit who clicks the laughing smiley.

Wait for the bill to need paying!

A few people have asked "how will it be paid for?" Easy, you slash the wage bill, get rid of the unproductive people called 'shareholders of a private company'.

Co-ordinated services and ticketing instead of separate operators running around after the juicy bit and trying to outdo each other. Transport isn't sweet shops trying to outbid the one down the road but something that needs to be organised for the greater good of the metropolitan conurbation.

Grew up in Manchester. Selnec busses were orange, cheap, regular and reliable. Well done Manchester!

great! now lets get the NHS & THE RAILWAYS BACK!!

Well done Andy. West Midlands next please Andy Street (or possibly Liam Byrne after May).

Cheap, frequent buses hopefully. Taking a taxi shouldn’t be cheaper than a bus.

I’m sure Boris will pay one of his mates a billion pounds to put a stop to this nonsense whilst also smothering anything within 20 miles in the union flag ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฎ ๐Ÿ˜ก

Bout time

I think we need a bit more information before the euphoria begins!

See Burnham Dan.

Great work nice to see and now for the rest of the country

so are they going to buy all operators buses to do this

XX

Does this mean the classic orange buses are coming back?

The money earned if the railways are wholly nationalised would have to come from the profitable operating sectors like Inter City.

Now sort the lanes out, it is a nightmare driving around our city centre. They make so much money out of diabolical routes. Needs looking into to ensure it is not just a money making scam. Parking, bus lanes, dropping off and collecting from coach and train station. NIGHTMARE!!!

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Bring Back British Rail

1 month ago

Bring Back British Rail

Amazing news for Scotland today! ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ Michael Matheson MSP has finally announced that the ScotRail franchise will be brought back into public ownership when Abellio's contract ends next year ๐Ÿš† Thanks to everyone who signed our #MakeScotRailPublic petition, first launched in 2014. It was a long fight, but we did it! ...

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Public Ownership of Scotland’s Railway

you.38degrees.org.uk

Public transport is an essential public service. It facilitates the smooth running of our local and national economies, it helps cut the carbon emissions caused by car travel, and it enables everyone to participate in our society โ€“ to visit friends and family, to attend appointments, events or go ...
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Well rather than stupidly taking it back 6 years ago and paying Abellio even more millions they waited till the franchises ended... which was the vaunted plan of Jeremy Corbyn... but aye.. you won.

I stand for the campaign to Bring back BR - but taking the credit for this "success" is a bit of a cheek - the only reason the Gov have brought it back to public ownership is the deficit caused by the pandemic. When the time comes, it'll be back in the private sector faster than it is taking the tories to give NHS staff a decent payrise.

I saw the Scottish Daily Mail ran on its front page today its oh so predictable faux outrage that this was "Back To The 70s". How I love to watch that hate rag squirm when things don't go their way....

More money than sense dept. Was BR a success?

Sam Hayward

Excellent news. Back to the future hurrah hurrah hurray!

British rail is the future

Fantastic news for Scotland, Railways operated as they should be for the passenger, not the shareholder. Just like they did for prescriptions. unlike England where people have to decide whether they can afford life saving prescription of nearly £10

Is this just the franchise, ie rolling stock and train crews? Scotland still won't own the track or rolling stock so the same exorbitant hire fees will get milked

At last B.R next I hope

Excellent news!

Scot rail is state owned just not the British state it is part of N.S or the Dutch State Railways.

Hooray. Let’s hope England follows suit

And once it gets there, leave it there. Change the name of OLR to summat simple like SR.

Thats 3 of 4 of the home nations now permanently back in public operation isn't it?

Even america has a state owned rail network

๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐Ÿ‘

That’s great news.

Afraid I'm sceptical about this.

๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ

It might work like Regional Railways but how did it function?

Abellio got skinned

Just like the British Govt has been pushing for the UK through all his bodies.

NO if the wicked witch o' the north has onything tae dae wi' it. it will hand Scotrail ower tae the eu.

Read the breaking news: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-56432919

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Bring Back British Rail

2 months ago

Bring Back British Rail

On the day rail fares rise by a whopping 2.6%, we've launched a new online action with our friends at We Own It. Please take 2 minutes to write to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to demand he seizes this moment to end rail privatisation altogether.
๐Ÿ“๐Ÿ‘‰ weownit.org.uk/demand-public-ownership-our-railway
...

PlayRail fares are going up by a staggering 2.6%
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I thought it was the rail companies who imposed fare increases, not the gov.

By the time HS2 is finished no one will be able to afford to use it.

Even if you don't use the trains you are still paying for them out of your and my taxes. So if you want a rail service that is worth its money get it back into public ownership and gas, electric, water, and oil. Britain was great at one time.

Coverage of our action in The Canary: www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2021/03/01/campaigners-criticise-broken-privatised-system-as-rail-fares-...

Coverage in Left Foot Forward: leftfootforward.org/2021/03/rail-fares-rise-by-2-6-as-government-set-to-freeze-fuel-duty-for-10th...

So true werst thing they ever did just like they did when they closed a lot of the lines

Well us British Rail workers told everyone not to privatise the railway and everyone laughed at us, well now you’re paying !

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-56361129

it was the same under BR price rises and the same shit service ,except its worse under franchising

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Bring Back British Rail

2 months ago

Bring Back British Rail

On the day rail fares rise by 2.6%, please take 2 minutes to write to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to tell him:

๐Ÿ’ท Scrap the fare hikes.
๐Ÿ“‰ End the contract chaos.
๐Ÿš† We need public ownership now!
...

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Demand public ownership of our railway

weownit.org.uk

Passengers are being hit with a huge fare hike
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YES!!!!

Coverage of our action in The Canary: www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2021/03/01/campaigners-criticise-broken-privatised-system-as-rail-fares-...

Coverage in Left Foot Forward: leftfootforward.org/2021/03/rail-fares-rise-by-2-6-as-government-set-to-freeze-fuel-duty-for-10th...

What a disgrace the railways have become, after scaring off 95% of regular users during the pandemic, they are now about to increase fares by 2.6%. They have risen by 40% in the last ten years, meanwhile, fuel duty on cars has been frozen for 12 years, is it any wonder we have clogged up roads.

More profit for the bosses and shareholders, who dont give a damn about us. We are the mugs who just keep paying and they know it

Signed

I joined BR (Southern Region) in 1970, Fare rises were an annual unwelcome event then, and the main reason was not to invest but to suppress demand so that investment became unnecessary, The Mandarins of Masham Street ruled fiercely then!

In public transport terms the tories have always been a disaster as the pander to the greed of their cronies. Buses and trains are a disaster across most of the country. Marples was bane enough but this shower are the worst of the lot.

How would a publicly owned (Government), railway prevent price hikes like this that are set by the Dft (Government)?

Sent off a letter, no doubt it will be ignored...

Don't just stop with trains gas electric buses nationalise the lot

Signed

Bring back the British Rail we use to have before privatisation such as Virgin Trains etc.

What the point it’s private profit for shareholders customers don’t care

I'd love to sign but your computer won't accept my EU postcode. Pity cos I'm a UK citizen and have a continuing interest in UK affairs.

Sadly, would the Government pay heed to the way privatisation has caused overheads to spiral out of control?

Good luck, we're approx 100,000 billion miles off from having anything like a socialist left wing agenda anywhere near Number 10 with Kier Starmer being an absolute wet wipe. Great stuff. Can't wait to get back to commuting and spending 3/4 of my wages on rent and travel. FUN FUN FUN.

Nationalise the lot. Privatisation of Rail has failed dismally.

The current situation is totally unacceptable, it's time it was scrapped.

Signed and sent

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Bring Back British Rail

2 months ago

Bring Back British Rail

Privatisation costs more! ๐Ÿš๐Ÿ’ท๐Ÿ’ธ For passengers and for tax-payers, so itโ€™s no wonder it exacerbates poverty. Hear former UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston talking about his research into the human rights impacts of the UKโ€™s deregulated bus system at Get Glasgow Movingโ€™s public meeting tonight at 7pm ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿ‘‡ ...

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Public Transport: Privatisation & Poverty w/ special guest Philip Alston

www.eventbrite.co.uk

Register here for Get Glasgow Moving's Public Meeting & Annual General Meeting, w/ special guest Philip Alston
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What's the problem with saying Special Reporter? We are not in France ๐Ÿ˜

The whole railway should be brought back into public ownership under British rail. Railways are supposed to be for the average people not the rich

www.facebook.com/199676720083396/posts/3951806331537064/ Cut costs with jobs so the greedy profiteers can make more money!!! I knew the tory scum wouldn't get rid of privatisation, too much money in their pals pockets at stake!!!

Yeah and they still plan to continue to freeze fuel duty for the private motorist in the next budget.

All this government efforts in trying to make rail privatisation work have proved to be unsuccessful yet they always seem to try again.

Privatisation was an EU directive so that they could buy into our industries. Now we are out we should be able to sort out what we have left.

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    Our Supporters

    • Research into privatisation… boils down to one key finding: the only way Branson and the vast majority of train barons make their profits is through handouts from the taxpayer.

      Aditya Chakrabortty, The Guardian
    • Now is the moment to re-nationalise the railways and it has never been cheaper or more possible.

      Andrew Gilligan, journalist
    • In 1948 Labour nationalised rail to rebuild Britain after a world war. Today bankers and speculators use privatised trains for tax scams. Time to bring back British Rail.

      Alex Gordon, former RMT President
    • East Coast shows us that publicly owned rail works better for passengers and taxpayers. We need a railway fit for the future – it’s got to be in public hands.

      Cat Hobbs, We Own It
    • Only a publicly owned railway can deliver affordable fares, good services, high customer satisfaction, properly staffed stations and a profitable return to the public purse.

      Charles Secrett, The ACT! Alliance
    • The privatisation of the railways was a scandal that created an unworkable and expensive structure which should be replaced with a national unified network.

      Christian Wolmar, transport commentator
    • Like most people in Britain, I think that a railway is a natural function of the state, and so ought to be run by the state – for the sake of coherence, transparency, continuity, accountability and national pride.

      Andrew Martin, writer
    • Taking our railways back from private profiteers will mean better services, fairer rail fares and more than ยฃ1 billion a year in savings for the public purse.

      Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP
    • Privatisation is only progress, if you mean progressing towards an apocalypse of injustice. Bring back British Rail!

      Josie Long, comedian
    • Something as important and necessary (and enjoyable) as train travel should be in the hands of the people, be affordable and safe, not making money for shareholders.

      Nina Power, writer
    • The UK public wants a publicly owned railway, and so do we. Lush calls for an end to the failed experiment of privatising essential services.

      Tamsin Omond, Lush Campaigns
    • Let’s make the case for democratic social ownership, fit for the 21st century, ensuring our railways are run in the interests of passengers, not profiteers.

      Owen Jones, writer
    • Privatisation has delivered… a system in which train operators and energy firms compete not on service โ€“ but on how many tariffs they can bamboozle customers with.

      Aditya Chakrabortty, The Guardian
    • To be able to reduce C02 emissions, by persuading people to leave cars at home, we need a fast, efficient subsidised railway system that’s run for people not profit!

      Ellie Harrison, campaign founder
    • Privatisation of the railways has failed. Its time to make a virtue of public ownership, and the public service provided by state employees.

      Charles Secrett, The ACT! Alliance
    • Transport is an essential public service and ought to be publicly owned and publicly controlled. We need an enormous expansion in the investment in our railways and that is the best way of achieving it.

      Tony Benn, politician
    • At its heart privatisation in Britain was never about selling public networks but about selling the rights to tax those who are obliged to use them.

      James Meek, writer
    • There is no good excuse left for rail privatisation beyond enriching wealthy elites. Public ownership delivers for social and environmental needs over private profit.

      Professor Andrew Cumbers, University of Glasgow
    • If the private companies that took over the national railways are cutting back and eroding services at a time when the climate crisis demands expanded low-carbon transportation alternatives to keep more of us out of planes, then these services too must be reclaimed.

      Naomi Klein, writer
    • A good public transport system should be the foundation of a fair, just, happy, low-carbon world.

      Ellie Harrison, campaign founder

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