A Public Future for Scotland’s Railways
28th November 2017 | Evidence
As part of the campaign for the Public Ownership of Scotland’s Railway, this report by our friends at Common Weal & TSSA highlights the failures of ScotRail’s private train operator Abellio and the opportunities for passengers for taking it back into public ownership.
A Better Railway for Britain: A Report by Bring Back British Rail
1st October 2016 | Evidence
Bring Back British Rail’s first report A Better Railway for Britain: Re-unifying our railways under public ownership was launched in the Houses of Parliament in London on 13 October 2016.
Print copies are available to order in advance for just £5 (including free delivery in the UK), with all proceeds supporting campaign materials and activities.
The Four Big Myths of Rail Privatisation
1st June 2015 | Evidence / News
Read this report from our friends at Action for Rail! It’s all the evidence you need that rail privatisation has failed to deliver what they promised it would in the ’90s:
• reduction in government subsidies (we now subsidise rail by nearly three times more than we did as British Rail)
• cheaper tickets (rail fares have risen by 24% in real terms since privatisation)
• innovation and investment (90% of the investment in the railways has come from public money)
Rail Privatisation: A Timeline of Failures
1st April 2015 | Evidence / News
A special edited and updated version of Rail Privatisation: A Timeline of Failures (below) – based on the design of British Rail’s 1979 ‘Go Direct by Inter-City‘ poster – features in A Better Railway for Britain: Bring Back British Rail’s first report, launched in October 2016.
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Today marks 21 years since the enactment of the Railways Act (1993), on 1 April 1994, which unleashed rail privatisation on the poor unfortunate public. Since then, Britain’s privatised railways have been beset by a series of failures, scandals and fatal crashes, each at great expense to taxpayers.
19 September 1997 – A collision between two trains at Southall kills seven people and injures 139. A passenger train running at high speed with defective Automatic Warning System equipment, a fundamentally important safety system, passed a signal at ‘danger’ and collided with a freight train crossing its path. Great Western Trains was fined £1.5 million for violations of health and safety law relating to this accident.
1 December 1998 – A report by the National Audit Office into the flotation of the national railway infrastructure company, Railtrack, found that taxpayers lost £1.5 billion because of the government’s decision to ignore the Public Accounts Committee’s recommendation to sell its shares in stages, opting instead to sell them all at once.
5 October 1999 – A near head-on collision between two passenger trains at Ladbroke Grove, outside London Paddington station, kills 31 people and injures more than 52. A signal with a bad safety record was passed at ‘danger’. A poor standard of driver training by Thames Trains was cited as a major contributory factor.
17 October 2000 – A train running at high speed derails at Hatfield when a rail affected by rolling contact fatigue fractures under its wheels. Four passengers were killed and 70 were injured. The crash exposed the major stewardship shortcomings of the privatised Railtrack plc and the failings of the regulatory oversight of the company (principally, failure to ensure that it had a good knowledge of the condition of its assets) which ultimately triggered its partial renationalisation. Following the crash, Railtrack imposed more than 1,200 emergency speed restrictions across its network, since it did not have the knowledge to predict where rolling contact fatigue might hit next.
24 October 2000 – Connex loses its South Central franchise after a decision by the Strategic Rail Authority to re-let the franchise following criticism of Connex’s poor customer service and poor financial management.
7 October 2001 – In the face of severe financial difficulties, Railtrack plc is placed into railway administration by the Labour government’s Transport Secretary, Stephen Byers. This leads to an explosion of costs and a severe drop in performance. Railtrack was subsequently replaced by Network Rail.
10 May 2002 – A train derails at Potters Bar, killing seven people and injuring 76. A poorly maintained set of points was to blame, the maintenance of which was the responsibility of the private sector railway maintenance contractor Jarvis (who had tried to blame the accident on ‘sabotage’). Eight years later, Jarvis and Network Rail (having taken on Railtrack’s liabilities) were both charged under the Health and Safety at Work Act. Network Rail subsequently took track maintenance back in-house.
27 June 2003 – The Connex South Eastern franchise is terminated by the Strategic Rail Authority, citing the company’s poor performance and financial management.
15 December 2006 – GNER is stripped of its East Coast franchise by the Department for Transport, having fallen into financial difficulties and unable to meet the terms of its franchise.
13 November 2009 – National Express gives up the East Coast franchise (which it had taken over from GNER) owing to financial difficulties, having accumulated more than £1 billion of debt. The failure of this franchise deprived the Department for Transport of between £330 million and £380 million of revenue.
15 August 2012 – The Department for Transport announces FirstGroup plc as the winner of the InterCity West Coast franchise, prompting the incumbent franchise holder, Virgin, to seek a judicial review of the franchise decision.
3 October 2012 – The government announces the cancellation of the InterCity West Coast franchise competition after finding significant technical flaws in the bidding process, rescinding its decision to award the franchise to FirstGroup. The Public Accounts Committee found that civil servants had made “fundamental errors” in the way that the risks for each bid had been calculated, leading to the default surety required of bidders being too low. The government reimbursed the four bidders for all costs incurred; this amounted to £39.7 million, with a further £4.9 million paid to FirstGroup as reimbursement of their mobilisation costs. In the ensuing shambles, numerous incumbent franchise holders were directly awarded extensions to their franchises instead of opening them up to tender. So much for competition!
17 December 2014 – A report from the Public Accounts Committee is severely critical of the Department for Transport’s inept handling of the procurement of new trains for the Intercity Express Programme and Thameslink. The DfT had chosen to break away from previous procurement arrangements and carry out the procurement by itself, despite having no previous experience in this area.
3 April 2015 – The private train operator West Coast Railways has its operator’s licence suspended by Network Rail amid concerns over the company’s ability to perform its safety obligations. This action followed an incident on 7 March 2015, when a steam-hauled train operated by West Coast Railways passed a signal at ‘danger’ after the driver had switched off vital train protection systems, narrowly avoiding a collision with a passenger train running at 100 mph.
Is it anyone wonder we’re all shouting Bring Back British Rail?
Spread the word! Link to this post using www.bringbackbritishrail.org/timeline and read more compelling evidence for Public Ownership here: www.bringbackbritishrail.org/evidence
Towards Public Ownership
31st March 2015 | Evidence / News
This TUC Report summarises research by Transport for Quality of Life, to show the high costs of running rail franchise “competitions” – estimated at £45million for every single one!
Given that there are 11 of these unnecessary “competitions” scheduled to take place before the next parliament ends in 2020, the Report shows how much we could save by then if we chose to run these franchises under a single publicly-owned railway company instead. It’s more than £600million!
The Arguments for Public Ownership are Overwhelming
1st January 2015 | Evidence / News
There are so many reasons why privatised rail is failing us and the environment. Check out this brilliant leaflet, supported by Bring Back British Rail, which will be handed out at the nationwide Protests for Public Ownership on Monday 5 January 2015.
All on Board
30th May 2014 | Evidence / News
Our friends at Compass have today launched their All on Board report detailing a vision for a publicly owned railway that is efficient, affordable and good for the planet.
Echoing what Bring Back British Rail has being saying for the last five years, the All on Board report demands a publicly owned railway “that constantly improves, innovates and responds to passenger needs, because it is accountable to all of us.”
The Great Train Robbery
7th June 2013 | Evidence / News
Today sees the launch of The Great Train Robbery – a new report by the Centre for Research on Socio-Cultural Change (CRESC) about the failings of rail privatisation in the UK.
It rightly describes the privatised rail system as “a serial shambles creating artificial profits for the franchise holders and hidden costs for the public.”
Together with the 2012 Rebuilding Rail report by Transport for Quality of Life, this provides yet more strong evidence for the Bring Back British Rail campaign that we need a re-unified national rail network run for people not profit.
The New Home Front II
3rd September 2012 | Evidence / News
Bring Back British Rail founder Ellie Harrison was invited to write a text on the public ownership of our railways for the Green Party’s The New Home Front II, which aims to look to the post-war period for lessons on how to tackle climate change now. Read the full text below.
Bring Back British Rail
It is essential to remind ourselves that transportation is not just a question of how an individual gets from A to B. It is a social question; an ethical question. For an outstanding public transport system (based on a fully integrated train, tram and bus network) offers the potential to help solve many of the problems we face – from climate change, to inequality and social unrest. Not only could it prove vital in reducing C02 emissions by supplanting many of the individual journeys made by car and plane, but it could also improve the living environment in our cities, offer us better air quality and assist with social cohesion, as people from all walks of life become accustomed to travelling together.
There is no better place to look for this reminder than post war Britain. It’s no coincidence that British Railways was inaugurated in 1948, the same year as our National Heath Service. Both were part of the Labour government’s revolution inspired and supported by the real sense of community engendered by the war effort, to ensure that government had control over the infrastructure it needed to provide the essential services that we all need to live happily and well (health care, transport, communications and fuel).
These huge initiatives were driven by a desire for moral success and progress, rather than financial. On opening the NHS, Nye Bevan declared that it made us ‘the moral leaders of the world’. Even in this stricken, bankrupt war torn country there was a clear future vision. The founding statement of our new publicly owned rail service proclaiming “Plans for modernisation and improvements are ready and are being carried into effect as materials become available. Difficulties will be overcome; the plan is to make British Railways the best in the world.”
Prior to British Railways, our trains were run by lots of privately owned companies. Although these had been responsible for building the foundations of the system as a means of facilitating the Industrial Revolution, they had left our country with a railway network that suffered from uneven regional investment and lacked an overall cohesive structure or long-term plan for development. This core public service had been left to the whim of private interest. And yet, since the misguided and opportunistic privatisation of our railways in 1993, we have allowed ourselves to retreat on the moral ambition of our ancestors and have been left with an expensive and dysfunctional public transport system as a result.
Think of the frustrations you have experienced buying tickets and travelling on our trains today and dare to imagine a radical policy – the creation of a fully integrated public transport system spanning the nation, run by proud employees as a service for the people. Imagine knowing that you could walk up and buy a ticket to go anywhere in the country at a fair price. Imagine a universal and comprehensive ‘National Rail Service’, providing the basic human need to travel to work and for leisure. How much less stressful would this be? How many more journeys would you choose to make by train?
The two commonly cited hurdles – public support for the idea and cost – are not in fact hurdles at all. The popularity of the Bring Back British Rail campaign (and others like it) shows that there is widespread dissatisfaction with the present system and a massive desire for a radical rethink of the way our railways are run. And there is clear evidence (in the recent Rebuilding Rail report and other influential / critical studies) that renationalising the system – removing the inefficiency and added bureaucracy caused by dividing it up into so many competing ‘franchises’, not to mention the private profits continually being leaked out – would actually save us billions each year. The only real challenge is convincing those in power that there are some things in life – some basic public services – which should remain ring fenced from the profiteers. We need to popularise the notion of nationalisation, so that it no longer a dirty word but rather plain common sense. Because this is the only way we can be sure that we – the people – have the control necessary to build that outstanding public transport system, which will make all our lives better in the future.
Ellie Harrison
Founder, Bring Back British Rail
www.bringbackbritishrail.org
www.facebook.com/bringbackbritishrail
Rebuilding Rail
2nd July 2012 | Evidence / News
Today sees the launch for the Rebuilding Rail report by Transport for Quality of Life.
The report highlights the “fragmentation and leakage of public money that characterise the UK’s privatised railways”, and lays out the all important realistic blueprint of how we could go about bringing them back into public ownership.
This is a brilliant key piece of evidence for the Bring Back British Rail campaign, clearly demonstrating the need for a re-unified national rail network run for people not profit.
Bring Back British Rail
3 days ago
Wondering what to get your favourite pissed-off passenger for Christmas? Bring Back British Rail T-Shirts, Jumpers & Hoodies in all colours and sizes available via Teespring until 5 December 2018 👕👚🧥 teespring.com/bringbackbritishrail ...
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will they arrive on time?
The Tories and the Train Operating Companies have been lying about this for more than twenty years: A new report by the Independent Transport Commission thoroughly debunks the notion that privatisation is the cause of rail passenger growth. www.railnews.co.uk/news/2018/11/19-most-likely-causes-of-rail.html
I do want the trains renationalised but don't call it British Rail, not a good brand name as it's one that conjures up old jokes about the standard of catering, blocked toilets and strikes.
Ordered ✅
Want!
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Bring Back British Rail
1 week ago
In Scotland? Please write to your MSP today to tell them to vote to end the ScotRail contract with Abellio early in 2020, so that our new publicly-owned train operator can take over. Otherwise we'll be stuck with these profiteers (owned by the Dutch government) until 2025! You can use the mySociety website to find your MSPs email address: writetothem.com ...
MSPs to vote on public ownership of trains
scotsman.com
A Holyrood move to bring Scotland’s trains back into public ownership amid anger about delays and overcrowding will come before MSPs this week.Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Google PlusShare on Linked InShare by Email
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This is why train travel in Europe is vastly cheaper than here at OUR expense so bringing it back into public ownership would in my opinion be the best course of action to take.
An efficient and cheap transport system actually pays for itself, just not in the accounts books.
Colin Barclay. What is the reason why you do not travel by Train? Due to the shear expense! End Privatization now!
Profiteers? Come on. ScotRail as a franchise is not profitable at the moment - Abellio are having to pour money in (as evidenced in the accounts of Abellio ScotRail Limited which are on Companies House). Why would a profiteer be doing that? A publicly owned operator will be the same people with a different “operated by” sticker on the door, what difference is that going to make? Publicly owned does not always equal better services.
Whilst at it, how about getting rid of Serco on the night train franchise? Compared to Serco, Abellio are really merely a generous charity.
Railways cost too much even Merseyrail day savers are reaching £6 or more now. Time restrictions suck especially when u can only use them from 9:28am (not the first train that’s roughly 10 to 6)
It does not make a profit so it would require even more of a subsidy. And the vast majority of the delays and cancellations are in fact caused by Network rail. So name one advantage of ending the franchise early.
End private all of these daft things look at all the grief they caused delays and other shit act now
Wee Nicola Krankie full of hot air. She'll be 'persuaded' by Den Haag to give NS one more chance.
Scottish people take ownership of trains, not people in grey suits in the City of London. Scottish People have pride in your country and your brothers & sister's.
Thing is, they have made a massive loss by buying ScotRail. Still I prefer public ownership.
People talk about losses on the railway, so why not on motor roads? They're both essential public services making a profit in the sense of being indispensable to the National Product. One clear example: the astonishingly efficient Just-In-Time system must save manufacturers a lot of money in storage, the cost shared with the public.
Ending franchises may not make rail travel cheaper, but why should people in the UK pay towards companies owned by foreign investors.
Without also having ownership and control over the tracks and other infrastructure public ownership of the trains won't make any difference as most of the delays have been caused by failures on the network not the trains
Yes please to ScotRail but NOT BritNatRail. Scottish railways should be Scotland’s.
Ruth
Glyn Jones
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Bring Back British Rail
1 week ago
Anyone else noticed the insidious pro-privatisation propaganda that is Virgin Trains’ talking toilet? Close the door and you’ll hear this blurting out: “Hello, it’s me the toilet! ...I used to be a public toilet and let me tell you, this is a step up!” We’re not so sure. The fact that we even have ‘talking toilets’ just about sums up the limits of ‘innovation’ on our railways since privatisation. Join us at: bringbackbritishrail.org ...
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They're taking the piss whilst you're having one.
When I hear "customers" in stead of "passengers" every day it reminds me we no longer own the railways.
It explains what comes out of Richard Branson's mouith every time he speaks ..
Can they stop evolving toilets you need a degree to operate, that open in front of the train carriage while you're having a piss? Just a sliding lock will do thanks, like public toilets used to have.
Had they been a bit more innovative or customer orientated, they'd have provided a button to silence the voice, labelled "I've heard it before" or "It wasn't funny the first time".
I would rather have a train service that I could afford to use instead of one that gives innovations I do not need.
When the bog starts talking to you it's never a good sign! :P
Absolutely spot on. I was left with exactly the same thought the first time I heard this nonsense. British Rail was genuinely innovative, but privatisation put paid to that.
How dare you call Richard Branson a "Talking Toilet"?
Innovation? U should check out Paragon Station, Hull toilets. A 4' space, with 3 urinals and no divider. Urine on the floor. It was 'moved' here to make way for 3 shop units. 2 of which are still empty. I made a complaint, and got fobbed off. Big surprise, eh?
Hold on now, I doubt it was really meant as pro-privatisation propaganda. I think it’s more how they’re trying to make it seem like the toilet changed jobs and got better quality of work (though I’m not sure being shat in really makes high quality work anyway). Take my post out of context even and it’ll probably still be funnier than the talking toilets anyway.
So a public toilet has become a private toilet? Do you need a pass to operate one?
No doubt the toilet is related to most of the VT management to get a job there. I see the resemblance :P
The toilet is an apt symbol of privatisation.
Is this a hint your going to have to put a £1 in a slot to open the door shortly?
Let's build robots with Genuine People Personalities, they said...
Have we travelled forward in time in some sci-fi movie?
Sounds like a load of shite. I have never travelled on a VT but my wife has and it wasn't a good experience.
It's a load of crap. Virgin must feel flushed with this. I rather have a bog standard loo. But a talking loo?
Please correct me if i am wrong here for assuming that Talking Toilets are designed for Blind and severely Visually Impaired people?
Talking loos!!?? Talking self-service tills are bad enough. Look, Virgin, and other train companies, all you need to do is make sure that the on-boards are: 1) fully working; 2) more numerous (not just one at each end of the train); 3) scrupulously clean. And a separate loo compartment, so that one can go in & out of the loo without an audience.
This thread shows how the Railway Industry has gone down the pan. PI.
On the up side they’ve created the opportunity for someone to hack the toilets and upload anti Branson propoganda/pro BR/ just general Humour. I’ll bet being talked at in the loo massively slows down some people’s ability to piss. It’d certainly put me off!
I used a talking toilet in Liverpool South Parkway once. Given the state I found it in, the instructions should have included "please piss in the toilet bowl, and not on the floor".
Sums up Souter and Branson's contempt of their passengers. All jokey and fluffy.
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Bring Back British Rail shared We Own It's photo.
2 weeks ago
This Saturday 10th November, we'll be at We Own It's conference Public Ownership 2.0: There is such a thing as society in London discussing the future of public transport. Please sign up here to join the discussion: bit.ly/2MwCjfJ ...
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Yes everywhere else in the country dont have the luxury of owning their own transport systems.
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Bring Back British Rail shared We Own It's post.
2 weeks ago
We're supporting the fightback against the profiteering private bus companies across the UK. If you're in the Manchester area, please join the Better Buses for Greater Manchester campaign, which officially launches its petition today! Sign and share: betterbusesgm.org.uk ...
We Own It
Want to see buses working for passengers not profit?REGULATION is the first stop on the journey and it could happen first in Greater Manchester.
Support this campaign! 🚌🚌🚌
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Re-nationalise the country's transport systems .
Signed
So is the tram network better than the bus service in Manchester?
Is there anything like this in Leeds? Our buses are hopeless too
Signed this worthy cause!!
Why just Manchester, campaign for it nationwide!
Services across the country are failing, the traveling public were warned what would happen but only saw cheap fares which they got for a short while, moral look before you leap.
look at Edinburgh the buses here are fab! owned by the council..at arms length
But you also nationalise the risk. This means council tax payers subsidise fares
I used to live in Greater Manchester. Yes the bus service was absolute rubbish.
www.rmt.org.uk/news/rmt-public-meetings-in-support-of-northern-train-guards/
Let me guess bet they are owned by first. Bloody bus cartel squeezing out small firms. If that's the case take the franchise away from them
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