Great British Railways

[Spartacus]

Labour are proposing to nationalise the railways, (passenger trains but not fright) 

Whilst it removes them from shareholders control, and potential profit chasing, is it workable or will it end up costing tax payers more in the long run? 

On paper the idea is interesting but does it also need the profitable freight arm included to help reduce fares,? 

Edited April 25, 2024 by Spartacus

[malumbu]

I know a lot of experts in the field and getting a franchise was a license to print money, that is why Virgin were so happy to spend lots of dosh challenging government ten years ago when they lost the West Coast franchise.  This will not be overnight, rather than when the franchise has come to the end. Government had previously taking over the operator of last resort when some TOCs screwed up.

Good, at last some clear blue water between the parties.  Tories said they were going to do a halfway house, but I've not noticed.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_British_Railways   :

"On 19 October 2022, Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan announced that the Transport Bill which would have set up GBR would not go ahead in the current parliamentary session.^[15] In February 2023, Transport Secretary Mark Harper re-affirmed the government's commitment to GBR and rail reform.^[16]

The 2023 King's speech announced the progression of a draft Rail Reform Bill which would enable the establishment of GBR, although it has not been timetabled in the Parliamentary programme.^[5] The Transport Secretary Mark Harper later told the Transport Select Committee that the legislation was unlikely to reach Royal Assent within the 2023-2024 parliamentary session.^[17]"