Williams Rail Review
18th March 2019 | News
Today Bring Back British Rail and We Own It met Keith Williams, head of the Williams Rail Review, the biggest review of our railways since privatisation.
We agreed with Keith, rail franchising is broken and told him public ownership is the answer!
Please take time to #TellKeith your views before the deadline on 31 May 2019
📝 gov.uk/government/consultations/williams-rail-review
We all want British Rail
18th January 2019 | Media Coverage / News
Coverage in the Daily Mirror of our Care2 petition hand-in with more than 120,000 signatures, at the Department for Transport on 18 January 2019. We’re demanding that the public ownership of our railways is properly considered in the Williams Rail Review.
Add your name here: care2.com/renationaliserailways
Rail Revolution: Day of Action
11th December 2018 | Demonstration / Media Coverage / News
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
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
• 21 May 2019: Leigh Day to Government Legal Department
• 26 June 2019: 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
Bring Back British Rail
1 week ago
Keith Williams' Rail Review is due to be published this autumn. Will it recommend we Bring Back British Rail? ...
UK rail industry reaches key political junction
Overcrowded trains, especially when strikes add to disruption, are a common complaint by those who must use British railroadsShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email
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i hope so.
Well we live in hope, I despair at the state of our railways since privatisation..........
And...Electric/Gas/Post Office/Pilot training for the RAF/Water/buses...in fact everything that has gone to private companies. However...we need proper and knowledgeable managers to run them...NOT POLITICIANS!
I WISH .....
The way we are going it will probably recommend bringing back rationing.
Keith William's was a appointed stooge, with the whole point of the review being done for the prime purpose of stopping calls for re-nationalisation and thus 'Bring back British Rail' calls. It could not have been anything else whilst it was commissioned under the Tory's and during Greyling's watch. It will not be worth the paper that it is written on, leave alone the cost of producing a piece of rubbish!
We already know it's not going to recommend renationalisation. It's just another Beeching report.
One finding will be the urgent need to replace ageing rolling stock with new kit we just don't have
Not a chance. They wouldn’t have commissioned it if there was even a chance of it.
NO it won't BUT we wish it would!!!!
I wonder what the average age of UK trains are
Sadly not.
Fares rising by as much as 2.8% while our railways suffer further in the hands of politics since John Major's White Paper was imposed.
Don't think it will bring British Rail back. Look more likely more money and more maintenance for many years. As long as the Tories stay in power, privatsation likely to continue.
No unfortunately ☹️
Should do privatisation has failed well done Mr major even Maggie wouldn't touch it
Even if it did why on earth do you think they would listen. Post an example of where the right wing Conservative party have listened!
Just because an industry is nationalised does not mean that it has to be run by politicians.
It will if it's not 'stymied' by political interference!
No
No
No.
No. It will say what the Tory government told him to say.
Of course not. Williams is another ten-a-penny private business idiot consultant whose primary interest is financial... "how can I squeeze every drop of blood from this stone?".
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Bring Back British Rail
2 weeks ago
Two thirds of people in Scotland want ScotRail nationalised says a new YouGov poll. The Scottish Government were awarded powers for public ownership in the Scotland Act 2016. Why are they not using them? ...
Two thirds want state to take over ‘shambolic’ ScotRail
A significant majority of people in Scotland want to nationalise ScotRail, with persistent complaints of delays, cancellations and overcrowding, a poll for The Times has suggested. The YouGov...Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email
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Here is a bridge in Brum, an absolute disgrace - I remember in the days of BR these were superbly maintained. Ok it supposed to be back in 'our hands' being Network rail, but clearly not as good a set up as the BR days.
You need to think on a very high Political level here. Scotland wants independence and to remain in the EU. If Abellio are shafted by the Scottish Government, it is not only an attack on Dutch State Railway but also on the Dutch Government. If the Dutch Government get upset, they are in a powerful position to veto any attempt by Scotland to remain in the EU. The Scottish Government need to act carefully and with caution.
Just think of the cost of the Forth Bridge maintenance alone !! , or do they want to do it half measures only and still have Network Rail look after the infrastructure?
Shambolic has been used quite a bit in various subjects these days. But using it in the same sentence as "ScotRail" is no surprise.
Isn't it already owned by the Dutch government??
We should re nationalise all utilities!
Re nationalise without compensation!
That could be the problem
Give the SNP a break they are very busy at the moment taking advantage of the brexit situation for independence to worry about such mundane things as Scotrail.
If it is...That will upset the Scottish witch Sturgeon and independence drive! 🤣
Only 2/3rds?
It has to pass The SNP policy test. Will it promote independence? Will it have a knock on effect to any other policy that promotes independence? Unless the answers are Yes then No then it won’t happen
Is that independent Scotland ,or do they want England to pay for it ?
Independence Rail ! Run by Nicola Crankie and the rest of her cabinet....
Aye cause it worked out perfectly fine when it was public owned before
Sam Hayward
Craig Hildersley
Why? Twice as many trains running now.
The SNP are fake Socialists Like Blair their promise to renationalise public services was a lie If it wasn't, like the poster said, why haven't they done it?
Same in Wales. But ''Welsh'' Labour are Thatcherites.
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3 weeks ago
More great detective work from our friends at the Association of British Commuters. Private train companies will do anything to protect their own interests... ...
Three consumer rights issues every rail passenger needs to know about - Association of British Commuters
Last week, we learned that the Rail Delivery Group failed to communicate changes to penalty fares legislation to train operating companies, leading to the overcharging of up to 10,000 passengers. The overcharging follows a similar scandal revealed in 2018, when the Rail Delivery Group failed to upda...Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email
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Bring Back British Rail shared a post.
1 month ago
End the Rail Rip-Off! protests are taking place at stations across Britain today against rail fare increases of 2.8% from January 2020. As the Department for Transport announce First Group are to take over the West Coast rail franchise from London to Glasgow from December, join us at 5pm at Glasgow Central Station for a Protest for public ownership of rail! 🚆Just in: Passengers are to be hit by a 2.8% rail fare increase.
We've just been outside Kings Cross to say loud and clear that the public have had enough of the rip off. We need Keith Williams, head of the government's rail review to recommend public ownership now! ...
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www.theguardian.com/business/2019/aug/14/firstgroup-consortium-to-replace-virgin-on-west-coast-ma...
How can adding 2.8% too fares be fair. When Transport for Wales services are even worse than when Arriva Trains Wales ran the service with cancellations galore, dirty and in kept rolling stock.
Be good to see some collated benefits vs year on year fares increase "reasons given" for say the last 10 years. I also believe theres much jam tomorrow schpiel wheeled out by each subsequent "head of communications" of these money grabbing companies. Soon we will all be working just to a) keep the roof over our heads and b) paying to get to work to cover a). This country is going backwards. Cut cut cut in services (not just railways) but increase increase increase on prices.....
Keith should definitely be under public ownership. It’s clear Bring back steam, slam door carriages and strikes. The good old days
The other side of this is that the Government needs to explain why fuel duty has not risen in line with RPI for the last 7 years. This represents a significant subsidy to the motorists. And, indeed, does the Government have any strategic transport policy?
Railways are for public transport not for private profit.
benefits either frozen or up only by CPI, fares up by RPI. A national scandal
A video I took on Friday of last week This is not acceptable
As I am very unwell.
Is the chao called Beeching still around to help?
Who is Keith?
everybody should publicly own keith.
Sorry I couldn't make it yesterday.
🤬
Yes
Sam Hayward
Keith?
Utterly ridiculous, I'm from Rotherham South Yorkshire and a disabled manual wheelchair traveller here is what BBC ceefax say's in my area. Northern has admitted that some of it's heavily - criticised Pacer trains will be used in South Yorkshire next year, despite a pledge to remove them. The rail firm began rolling out it's new trains in June, saying it would take all Pacers out of use by 2020. It later said some of the trains - which no longer comply with disability access rules - would be around for longer. A spokesman confirmed " a small number would be used in South Yorkshire" So according to the head of the railway system has said, as he said after this year's ticket price hike, it will mean more public and private money generated from the price rise will be invested in better trains, less delays, less crowded trains and less cancellations, how come year on year ticket price increases have, from my experience, had little, if any, effect on all the above issues and further as a Northern Rail disabled user if Pacer trains no longer comply with disability access rules surely using Pacer trains where tickets and Passenger Assistance has been booked for a disabled person like me is breaking disability access rules and therefore disabled passengers should have a right to take Northern Rail to Court where their scheduled journey is on a Pacer train. I have booked, in advance, to travel from Rotherham Central to Sheffield this Friday and I have absolutely no doubt that it will be a Pacer train when I am at Rotherham Central and when I return from Sheffield to Rotherham Central I will upload pictures of the trains that turn up. This price hike like all the past price hikes has little to do with improving the trains and all the continuous over crowded, late and indeed cancelled trains more I firmly believe it is in the interests of shareholders.
you don't own nothing all sold off by the tories to foreign governments
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Bring Back British Rail shared a photo.
1 month ago
Today our new Transport Secretary Grant Shapps MP cancelled the Southeastern rail franchise competition, which had been open to tenders since November 2017. What a waste of time and money. It's time to End the Farce of Franchising altogether and Bring Back British Rail! Join us at bringbackbritishrail.orgEND THE FARCE OF FRANCHISING
Print your own Bring Back British Rail placard!
bringbackbritishrail.org/materials/placard-black.pdf ...
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Read the story here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49262115
I worked for BR and saftey and time keeping along with customer care were paramount. Best of training, working conditions and a general rule that the service MUST work. This is a shite system now.
I cant see it. Would love it if we went back to excursions and reliefs and diversions with an end to the rail replacement bus but imagine the legal costs involved in paying off all the existing moneygrabbing shareholders.
All public services should be renationalised! Public transport, water, gas, electricity! 😤
But it will never be the same. BR was all about safety safety and safety. Not PPM profits and money. Bringing back BR. Has to include standard raising instead of lower and lower. Job for the boy's and if you do anything for the money.
"It will also allow the government to ensure that the recommendations of the review being conducted by the former boss of British Airways, Keith Williams, in to the railways, are taken into account. Williams Review will be published in the autumn but he has previously told the BBC government involvement should be limited to overall policy and budget decisions, and the Department for Transport should not manage the system." Here we have another outsider, like Beeching was, telling us how the railways should be run.
End of the day those of us that worked under BR and who can be objective about the past openly admit it wasn't perfect. There were many areas that could gave been improved but generally it was a damned sight better overall than the shite were forced to work with now.
As Eric Morecambe said, i am playing the right notes but no necessarily in the right order. So it was with british rail they ran the trains but not necessarily when the table said. So the only difference is that now a private company makes a profit for the failures, so bring it back into public ownership.
There was such pride in working on the railways.
Football specials and BR sandwiches and Jimmy Saville? No thanks!
Southern Fail even got its charter renewed and the fares go even higher. No wonder they have separated themselves from inter-rail - Naples to Rome return for £20 which won't even get you the 60 odd miles to London ....
Every other (successful) railway in the world is just one big integrated company that does the whole lot. That's what we had with BR and by and large....it worked and it's only problem was that it was starved of investment by ideological politicians.
Not to mention the complexity of our rail network/ pricing almost certainly had a hand in shafting our participation in Interrail. Every other European rail network can apparently handle it, but we’re special (and not in a good way). FFS!
Grant Shapps-what on earth does he know about transport? Answers on a post card.
If renationalisation is illegal, as some here say, then how come the Scottish government have just nationalised the Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow??
Currently travelling behind 60163 Tornado in original British Railways livery, en route from Edinburgh to Aberdeen :-)
I say yes to BRS
Absolutely, save a lot of money on legal/consultation nonsense to prevent the same franchise wheel with a few tinges of improvement or removing improvements of the past...
Franchises are a waste of time and money. May we see the return of NSE.
I hate rail privatisation, but who honestly believes anyone in this country could run a national rail network? We don't know how to build a nuclear power station (Hinckley Point) so we farmed it out to the French. Why not invite them (SNCF) to run the railway network? Or the Dutch, who already run parts of it. Or the Germans...and so on.
Be interesting to know whether this has anything to do with the pensions saga (see Stagecoach bid being thrown out). Cynic in me suspects DTp have something to hide.
All very nice but people want to wake up to the fact that this useless lump of rock in the north sea will never have another state owned rail system.
Nationalise industry and the banks...take 'em back from the cronies they were sold off to in various fire sales!
To be fair to Southeastern a little, atleast their not cutting and running like Stagecoach are especially on East Midlands trains where they've been running it into the ground before exiting.
Of course if we remain in the EU this site will be irrelevant
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