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
38 Degrees Petition: Don’t break-up & privatise Network Rail
10th December 2016 | News
Christmas 2016
22nd November 2016 | Merchandise / News
Looking for the perfect present for the pissed-off passenger in your life? T-Shirts and Hoodies – all sizes and colours – available to order online until 5 December 2016.
All proceeds go towards campaign materials and activities.
BBC Radio Scotland
21st November 2016 | Media Coverage / News
The day after Scotland’s Transport Minister Humza Yousef announces plans to set up a public sector operator for ScotRail, Bring Back British Rail’s Ellie Harrison debates rail re-nationalisation on The Kaye Adams Programme on BBC Radio Scotland.
Report Launch in Parliament
13th October 2016 | News
Launching A Better Railway for Britain: our first report in Parliament today – Bring Back British Rail’s Oliver Lewis (second left) with the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Andy McDonald MP (second right), Baroness Jenny Jones (right) and Ian Mearns MP (left). Have you got your copy? Order here! bringbackbritishrail.org/report
A Better Railway for Britain – Report Launch
10th September 2016 | News
On 13 October 2016, we’re very pleased to be launching Bring Back British Rail’s first report A Better Railway for Britain: Re-unifying our railways under public ownership at 9:30am in Committee Room 5 at the Houses of Parliament in London.
Entrance is free. Please ensure you print this invitation and contact Oliver Lewis for details: oliver@bringbackbritishrail.org
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.
SouthernFail crowdfunding campaign
5th September 2016 | News
The irony of rail privatisation is that the Department for Transport now has more direct control over our railways than they ever did with the arms-length British Rail. And, yes, they are certainly making a mess of it!
Bring Back British Rail is supporting our friends at the Association of British Commuters who are crowdfunding to take the DfT to court over the fiasco with Southern Fail.
Please support them at: crowdjustice.co.uk/case/southernrail
The Today Programme debate
27th August 2016 | Media Coverage / News
Bring Back British Rail’s Ellie Harrison debates rail re-nationalisation with Pete Waterman on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Bring Back British Rail shared a photo.
23 hours ago
Check out this display from the Museum of Neoliberalism, showing all our country's rail franchises now run by different foreign governments. Time to Bring Back British Rail! Join our campaign at: bringbackbritishrail.orgPrivatised UK train operators owned - in full or in part- by foreign governments. A display from the Museum of Neoliberalism, which we're crowdfunding on Indiegogo in order to open it in London next month. 11 days left and we're at 34% of our goal 😬. Still a way to go! There's a bunch of rewards for backers so please check it out: www.indiegogo.com/projects/museum-of-neoliberalism#/
Neoliberal theory presumes that the state should not intervene in or direct the free operation of markets. Yet in reality when new ‘free’ markets are created, they find themselves at key points subsidised, maintained, propped up or bailed out by national states. The display above shows which foreign states own significant amounts of British rail services since they were privatised.
In effect, since privatisation, our expensive but underinvested rail networks subsidise more efficient and cheaper public train services around Europe.
www.museumofneoliberalism.com
#museumofneoliberalism #neoliberalism #classicalliberalism #hayek #thatcherism #reaganomics #privatisation #nationalisation #privatization #privatisedtrains #privatisedrail #networkrail #britishrail #nationalised #bringbackbritishrail #virgintrains #arriva #crosscountrytrains #UKrail ...
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Our railways, whoever runs them, are still better than those in the US. My American friends told me that but I didn't believe them till I tried them for myself. As for 'dinner in the diner, nothing could be finer than to have your ham and eggs, etc' oh no...terrible food on AMTRAK...we had an inedible chicken burger on our way to Chicago, and we joke about British rail sandwiches! Our local station provides free bottled water during the summer months and we have book exchange shelves.
An absolute national disgrace thanks to the greed and irresponsibility of the Tories. WE should own it😡
WE want our country back. lest own our own railways again
Absolutely ridiculous that the taxpayer subsidises rail travel for other countries state-owned railways to make a profit. Complete madness! If there is room for profit, then it should be used to lower ticket prices and improve quality of service
Tory privatisation in the 1980s was accompanied by the statement that to compete in the world we had to follow EU rules by privatising assets, as apparently the EU wouldn’t let State owned organisations compete abroad. Hence selling our assets off. Which proved a) they lied about the EU, and b) we got well screwed by the Tories. Again, and again, and again......
At least they are state-owned, unlike e.g. VTWC.
We have literally sold ourselves off. This is just one aspect and it has happened in many other industries.
Oh dear oh dear no train operator/franchisee owns the their part of the rail, they have a licence to run the trains for the area... trains are leased by ROSCOs/finance companies and the DfT has the ultimate say what can be done or not.
My dad worked for BR back in the day. Im so glad he is not here to see this, it would have killed him. Just mortifying. Time to renationalise once and for all.
No need to list LNR and WMT as two different franchises, it’s one franchise with two different “brands”. WMT being the franchise with LNR & WMR as the brands. Oh and Stansted Express doesn’t need to be listed either as it’s part of the GA franchise.
Forgot to say, a lot of this was done before the last Labour government came into power and they just sat on their arses.
This is totally unacceptable that we cannot have a state ran railway but other EEC countries do and take massive UK tax handouts to run their own state railways. This is another EU tax on the UK.
Let's make Britain British again, and take Britain's transport into public ownership and all the rest that have been privatised!!
Tories believe that the British railway network may be operated by any government... except the British government. Apparently, that's anti-competitive. Why should the British government have a monopoly on British public services? It's not as if it's elected by the British people to fulfil those sorts of duties, or anything like that...
Failure of British Senior Management and Directors. Johnny Foreigner appears to be able to do a better job...
I don’t care that a foreign govt runs our railways as a business - I care that our own govt can’t be bothered to run it as a service. Which is what most of these govts do with their own railways in their own countries. They tend to be much better (in my experience) to travel on as a result.
Very odd - I thought the Tories were patriots and didn’t like Europe? Oh yes of course, they’re hypocrites...silly me! They’d rather another country ran our railways instead of this country running them as public services. The organisations mentioned are all publicly-owned in their countries of origin. How does that work? They must consider us a laughing stock. 🐀
Privatisation was favoured by people who didn't want state control of the railway. The result has been ownership by foreign states over whom we have no democratic control.
This is so so wrong if when we get out EÚ the government need to take back our railways , as we paying for other countries get cheap train travel ..
No wonder the prices are high for tickets . There making money from our trains and subsidising there s in the eu ..and of course trains and buses must become if they are to ward off 40 million cars on uk roads coming soon
Re nationalisation of the whole component parts of the rail system WITH COMPENSATION TO THE SHAREHOLDERS ON THE BASIS OF PROVEN NEED.
Who owns Great Western? They're not on the list
I blame the EU they made our government sell off the railways. L o l
Yet people think Brexit will "bring back control". The EU was never the problem, privitisation is!
A solution (will probably offend some, I know) - the government could buy Arriva from DB, then they would get money from the other countries (DB did want to sell it at one point, although the Arriva HQ is still in Sunderland - even though DB owned)
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Bring Back British Rail
1 month 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.
We already know it's not going to recommend renationalisation. It's just another Beeching report.
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!
Not a chance. They wouldn’t have commissioned it if there was even a chance of it.
Sadly not.
I wonder what the average age of UK trains are
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
One finding will be the urgent need to replace ageing rolling stock with new kit we just don't have
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!
NO it won't BUT we wish it would!!!!
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
1 month 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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Bring Back British Rail shared a post.
2 months 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.
2 months 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.
everybody should publicly own keith.
Is the chao called Beeching still around to help?
🤬
Who is Keith?
Yes
Keith?
Sam Hayward
Sorry I couldn't make it yesterday.
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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