East Coast line to be taken back into public ownership again

[Deleted member 27897]

Last time the ECML was in public ownership, it put £1.2bn into the treasury. Stagecoach and Virgin bid more than the franchise was worth but it’s the publics problem? They should be made to pay the franchise cost.

Playing truant on the Sunderland council meeting! tut tut!

 

[pavarotti1980]

I’m up for that...you quote some facts and so will I

So which bits are incorrect then. Apparently private operators run their own infrastructure (with the exception of stations). This is not the case. There is a fact. Care to rebut it?

 

[Boris Bear]

So which bits are incorrect then. Apparently private operators run their own infrastructure (with the exception of stations). This is not the case. There is a fact. Care to rebut it?

Seaburn Station...managed by Arriva

 

[pavarotti1980]

Seaburn Station...managed by Arriva

Yeah try reading again. With the exception of stations. Although network rail run quite a few too.

Is arriva responsible for the track, Bridges and tunnels on that line?

 

[Hair Flick]

So the Gov should have done some duedil and said no.

Surely it's the franchisee who has to do the due diligence?

 

[Boris Bear]

Yeah try reading again. With the exception of stations. Although network rail run quite a few too.

Is arriva responsible for the track, Bridges and tunnels on that line?

I read it a couple of times and it made no sense.

Arriva are responsible for the ticket machines, network, WiFi, electrics, station screens, etc, etc, etc.

They also have to pay to use national rail’s systems. They also have to put networks on trains and a shit load of systems that hang off that. They have to guarantee to spend millions every year specifically improving the customer journey (e.g media and information deliver). There’s a hell of a lot of expensive infrastructure behind that. Pretty much every operator is similar.

There’s a few facts for you.

How long have you worked in the transport industry marra?

Surely it's the franchisee who has to do the due diligence?

Both

 

[Hair Flick]

Virgin provided assurances it was viable. If they can't add up then they shouldn't be in the business

The same people who would jump all over Diane Abbott for getting a few numbers wrong in the heat of the moment seemingly can't get their own figures right after weeks of running their models through their spreadsheets.

 

[Boris Bear]

The same people who would jump all over Diane Abbott for getting a few numbers wrong in the heat of the moment seemingly can't get their own figures right after weeks of running their models through their spreadsheets.

Maybe they did and they inserted an exit clause

 

[pavarotti1980]

I read it a couple of times and it made no sense.

Arriva are responsible for the ticket machines, network, WiFi, electrics, station screens, etc, etc, etc.

They also have to pay to use national rail’s systems. They also have to put networks on trains and a shit load of systems that hang off that. They have to guarantee to spend millions every year specifically improving the customer journey (e.g media and information deliver). There’s a hell of a lot of expensive infrastructure behind that. Pretty much every operator is similar.

There’s a few facts for you.

How long have you worked in the transport industry marra?


Both

I will make it dead easy for you. Does Arriva look after the track or anything else that the trains runs on or under? I specifically said with the exception of stations......

 

[Boris Bear]

I will make it dead easy for you. Does Arriva look after the track or anything else that the trains runs on or under? I specifically said with the exception of stations......

Why are stations an exception?

How long have you worked in the industry marra?

 

[Hair Flick]

Maybe they did and they inserted an exit clause

So they skimmed the cream off the top then legged it into the sunset then?

 

[pavarotti1980]

Why are stations an exception?

How long have you worked in the industry marra?

Because operators and network rail run them. We have already established that.

So only people who work in the industry are able to read what network rail are responsible for?

 

[Boris Bear]

Because operators and network rail run them. We have already established that.

So only people who work in the industry are able to read what network rail are responsible for?

Ok, to be clear, network rail also devolved the management of some other infrastructure (track and track-side) last year following policy changes in 2016.

So if you don’t work in the industry how are you so certain in your ‘facts’?

 

[pavarotti1980]

Ok, to be clear, network rail also devolved the management of some other infrastructure (track and track-side) last year following policy changes in 2016.

So if you don’t work in the industry how are you so certain in your ‘facts’?

Publically available information. Unless of course network rail lie on their website?....

 

[Boris Bear]

So they skimmed the cream off the top then legged it into the sunset then?

Do we know that they did that?

 

[Hair Flick]

Ok, to be clear, network rail also devolved the management of some other infrastructure (track and track-side) last year following policy changes in 2016.

So if you don’t work in the industry how are you so certain in your ‘facts’?

He might know someone who does and, you know, talk with them

Do we know that they did that?

I thought ending a sentence with a question mark usually indicated that you were not sure of something and were asking a question.

 

[Boris Bear]

Publically available information. Unless of course network rail lie on their website?....

I don’t know...do they lie on their website?

I think you’re saying that operators don’t manage infrastructure other than stations. That’s incorrect, so let’s have the next fact.

 

[maghater]

They did a canny job last time. Vital Infrastructure like this should always be publicly owned and operated.

Branson blames failure by network rail to implement improvements to the infrastructure that would have increased passenger numbers and thus profitability were not carried out as promised. Lord Adonis admits to this. Dont know how much this has screwed the figures, but as a fairly frequent user I found the service far superior to the likes of Virgin Cross Country and Tp express. Delays are however too frequent (usually due to factors beyond the operators control), and this must be having a negative impact on rail travel.

 

[pavarotti1980]

I don’t know...do they lie on their website?

I think you’re saying that operators don’t manage infrastructure other than stations. That’s incorrect, so let’s have the next fact.

Looking after the railway

So which operators do maintain track infrastructure?

 

[AB22 Easy Tiger]

Last time the ECML was in public ownership, it put £1.2bn into the treasury. Stagecoach and Virgin bid more than the franchise was worth but it’s the publics problem? They should be made to pay the franchise cost.

This.