New legislation to renationalise the railways

17th July 2024 | News / Media Coverage

 

Ellie Harrison from Bring Back British Rail was interviewed by Steve Holden on LBC News about new legislation announced in today’s King’s Speech to renationalise the railways.

Extract from The King’s Speech 2024:

“A Bill will be introduced to allow local leaders to take control of their local bus services [Better Buses Bill]. My Ministers will bring forward legislation to improve the railways by reforming rail franchising, establishing Great British Railways and bringing train operators into public ownership [Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill, Rail Reform Bill].

Taken together these policies will enhance Britain’s position as a leading industrial nation and enable the country to take advantage of new opportunities that can promote growth and wealth creation.”

Passengers Rise Up! National Day of Action

20th December 2019 | Demonstration / Media Coverage / News

Passengers Rise Up! Day of Action

On Thursday 2 January 2020, rail fares go up again by another 2.8%.

The rail franchising system is broken and it’s passengers that are paying the price.

We’re joining forces with our friends at the Association of British Commuters and other passenger groups across the country to organise a National Day of Passenger Action demanding an end to the farce of franchising and fair fares now!

They’ll be a central demonstration at London King’s Cross Station at 8am. Details of other actions will be listed on the Facebook event page and below.

Thursday 2 January 2020:
07:00-09:00 King’s Lynn Station
08:00-09:30 London King’s Cross Station
09:30-10:30 Chelmsford Station
10:00-12:00 Norwich Station (organised by NOR4NOR)
11:30-12:30 London Liverpool Street Station
16:00-17:30 Burton-on-Trent Station
16:30-19:30 Bolton Station (organised by Northern Resist)

Please get in touch if you’d like to organise an action at your local station and we can help promote it: info@bringbackbritishrail.org

Media Coverage from 2 January 2020

 

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps vows to strip Northern Rail of its franchise as furious commuters say they are ‘being priced off the railway’ after fares rise 2.7 per cent across UK, Daily Mail
Train fare increase 2020: protesters gather at London’s Kings Cross warning of ‘decade of misery’ for rail commuters, I News
Rail fares rise by 2.7%, hitting millions of commuters, BBC News
Commuters in mass protests as 2.7% rail fare hike hits, Inside Croydon
Railway stations to be hit by more strikes against fee hikes, Morning Star
Northern to be stripped of rail franchise – Shapps, Wimbledon Times
Commuters gather at Bolton station in protest over increased rail fares, The Guardian
‘Enough is enough!’ Furious commuter rages at railway ‘carnage’ amid fresh fare hikes, Daily Express

BBC Radio Scotland ScotRail debate

19th December 2019 | Media Coverage / News

Following Scottish Transport Secretary Michael Matheson’s announcement that he would be ending Abellio’s contract to run the ScotRail franchise three years’ early (on 31 March 2022), Bring Back British Rail’s Ellie Harrison was invited onto BBC Radio Scotland’s Jackie Brambles show to discuss ScotRail’s future with rail journalist Philip Haigh and Rachel Jackson, actress and comedian.

Rail Revolution: Day of Action

11th December 2018 | Demonstration / Media Coverage / News

Rail Revolution: National Day of Action

Sick of rising rail fares and chaotic commuting?

Tired of the endless tinkering with our broken privatised railway system?

It’s time for a #RailRevolution.

On Wednesday 2 January 2019, as our rail fares rise again by 3.1%, we’re joining forces with our friends at We Own It, the Association of British Commuters and NOR4NOR to organise a national day of action calling for radical reform.

Coinciding with the public consultation for the government’s new ‘root and branch’ review of rail: the Williams Rail Review, we’re calling on passengers all over the country to respond in favour of a re-unified national rail network run for people not profit.

On Wednesday 2 January 2019, protests will take place at stations across the country (see full list here), with a central one at London King’s Cross from 7:30-9:00am (photo call at 8:00am). See the Facebook event page for details, print a Bring Back British Rail placard and come join us!

Sign the Petition

Then on Friday 18 January 2019, to mark the deadline of the Williams Rail Review public consultation, we’ll be delivering our Care2 Petition to Re-nationalise our Railways signed by 118,039 people to the Department for Transport to demonstrate the sheer weight of public support for public ownership.

Make sure you add your name before then: bringbackbritishrail.org/care2

Media Coverage from 2 January 2019

 

Furious passengers protest price hikes, Daily Mail
Anger at ‘disgraceful’ rail fare rises as stations hit by protests, Sky News
Chris Grayling blames unions for rail fare hike, BBC News
Rail passengers stage ‘national day of action’ in protest at fare increases, Evening Standard
Rail users to mount ‘national day of action’ over 3.1% fare rise, The Guardian
Rail season tickets to jump by £100 for many commuters, Metro
Train price hike: Jeremy Corbyn calls for public ownership of railways, Independent
Rail fares rise 3.2% TODAY despite trains chaos, Mirror
Protest in Birmingham over rising rail fares, Birmingham Live
Protests at Sheffield railway station as rail fares rise by an average of 3.1 per cent, The Star
York protest over national rail fare hike, The Press