Jeremy Vine on bringing back British Rail
20th September 2018 | Media Coverage / News
Following the Office of Rail and Road finding that ‘systemic failings’ have been the cause of the huge problems with new timetables on the Northern and Govia Thameslink Railway franchises, Ellie Harrison was invited to address the question ‘should we bring back British Rail?’ on BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine show.
‘Privatised rail just doesn’t work’ – Ellie Harrison
20th September 2018 | Media Coverage / News
Bring Back British Rail campaign founder Ellie Harrison was interviewed by Johanna Ross for Sputnik News, following Chris Grayling’s acknowledgement that ‘systemic failings’ are the cause of the many problems on our privatised rail network. Isn’t that what we’ve been saying for the last nine years?
Success! Or is it?
1st June 2018 | Fundraising / Media Coverage / News
On 16 May 2018, one month after we launched our Crowd Justice campaign to take Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to court over his handling of the Virgin Trains East Coast franchise fiasco, it was announced in the media that the route would be ‘re-nationalised’, as LNER (London North Eastern Railway) from 24 June 2018.
Success! Or is it? It later emerged that the new LNER franchise (unlike ‘East Coast’, which ran the line from 2009-15 and was wholly publicly-owned by the Department for Transport), would be run by a consortium of private companies: Arup, Ernst & Young and SNC-Lavalin.
Our legal action continues. Our lawyers have now written to Government for a forth time: to request further information about the new LNER arrangement, as well as the ongoing review of the suitability of Stagecoach and Virgin to retain their franchise ‘Passports’, given the dramatic failure of their Virgin Trains East Coast operation after just three years.
Thanks to all 907 people who have so far pledged support on Crowd Justice. Together we have already had a huge impact on events. Please continue to join this historic action.
Pledge and share our case page today: crowdjustice.com/case/eastcoast
Our Lawyers’ Letters
• 5 March 2018: Leigh Day to Department for Transport
• 16 April 2018: Leigh Day to Department for Transport (Pre-Action Protocol)
• 15 May 2018: Leigh Day to Government Legal Department
• 1 June 2018: Leigh Day to Government Legal Department
• 17 July 2018: Leigh Day to Government Legal Department
Our Case in the News
• 18 April 2018: The Canary (Interview with Ellie Harrison of Bring Back British Rail)
• 19 April 2018: BBC News
• 19 April 2018: ITV News
• 19 April 2018: City AM
• 16 May 2018: Financial Times
Help us take Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to court!
17th April 2018 | Fundraising / News
Enough is enough! Our East Coast mainline was a brilliant success in public-ownership and should never have been re-privatised in 2015. Now it has failed for the third time at the hands of private operators: GNER in 2007, National Express in 2009 and now Virgin Trains East Coast in 2018.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has admitted that Virgin Trains East Coast “got its numbers wrong” and breached “a key financial covenant” in their franchise agreement. Yet, he is allowing its owners – Stagecoach and Virgin – to walk away and continue running and bidding for other rail franchises. We can’t let them get away with this.
We’re now working with public law experts Leigh Day to bring Chris Grayling to court to account for these decisions. We expect this to be a landmark Judicial Review case; exposing the farce of rail franchising for the shameful waste of public money that it is, and paving the way to a re-unified national rail network run in the public’s interest once again.
Please pledge and share today: crowdjustice.com/case/eastcoast
Please help us reach more people by sharing on Facebook or Twitter!
Commemorating 70 years since Nationalisation
29th March 2018 | Merchandise / News
New Embroidered Patches available for 2018!
2018 year is bittersweet. We’re commemorating 70 years since our railways were unified and nationalised as ‘British Railways‘, as well commiserating 25 years since the disastrous 1993 Railways Act, which paved the way to the fragmented mess of privatisation that we have now.
These contrasting anniversaries show that times can, and do, change. In the last nine years since our campaign was founded in July 2009, we have been central in transforming the national debate, taking the re-nationalisation of our railways from a taboo topic to mainstream policy. Now we’re sure it’s only a matter of time until we realise our dream.
Make East Coast Public!
1st February 2018 | News / Petition
The Virgin Trains East Coast rail franchise is close to collapse, making it the third private sector operator, after GNER in 2007 and National Express in 2009, to fail.
We’re working with our friends at We Own It and many other partners to campaign for our East Coast mainline to be brought back into public ownership, permanently.
Please sign the petition here: weownit.org.uk/east-coast
Stop Privatisation Merchandise
28th November 2017 | Merchandise / News
This Christmas we’re working with Teemill on some new Bring Back British Rail merchandise, available as jumpers, hoodies, t-shirts, tote bags and tea towels! All ethically sourced organic cotton with proceeds going to support our volunteer-run campaign for rail re-nationalisation founded in 2009.
Order at: bringbackbritishrail.teemill.com
With free delivery if you order by midnight on Sunday 3 December 2017
A Public Future for Scotland’s Railways
21st November 2017 | News
This summer Bring Back British Rail contributed ideas to this new Report by TSSA and Commonweal as part of our ongoing campaign for the Public Ownership of Scotland’s Railway launched in September 2014.
Please support the Report Launch on Tuesday 28 November 2017, 11am-1pm
Serenity Cafe Meeting Room
8 Jacksons Entry
Edinburgh
EH8 8PJ
Don’t Scrap the Electrification of our Railways!
12th October 2017 | News
This summer, the Department for Transport scrapped plans to electrify railways across South Wales and the north of England, meaning we’ll be stuck with filthy diesel trains for years to come.
Bring Back British Rail supports our friends at 10:10 Climate Action and Campaign for Better Transport in demanding investment in cleaner, greener public transport.
New Year Actions for the Public Ownership of our Railways
1st January 2017 | Demonstration / News
On 3-4 January 2017, commuters return to work as train fares continue to rise. We’re teaming up with We Own It and Action For Rail to organise two nationwide days of action (in England on 3rd, Scotland on 4th) to protest against higher fares, reduced staffing and demand the public ownership of our railways now!
Protests are taking place at more than one hundred stations up-and-down the country. Please see the Action for Rail website for details and come out and join us!
Main England Actions
Tuesday 3rd January 2017, 8am
• London King’s Cross Station
• Manchester Piccadilly Station
Main Scotland Action
Wednesday 5th January 2017, 5pm
• Glasgow Central Station
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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