Network Rail privatisation 'on the table'

[Tangled up in Blue]

that's exactly what i've just said:dim:

They've built this vast huge expensive train network which isn't particularly convenient and unsurprisingly is under-used and extremely expensive to develop and maintain.

It is not expensive for travellers (as long as you buy tickets well in advance).It's only inconvenient if you want to stay in the centre of town (in which case you can always take a slower TER train).

I don't have any comparitive figures but I doubt if any more "expensive to develop and maintain" than rail networks in other leading European nations.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Some here: http://www.sncf.com/ressources/reports/sncf_2014_financial_report_-_02.12.2015.pdf

Haven't got the time or the willpower to go through it all but they seem to have 10 x the staff of NR, made an 8% profit and have a much, much smaller debt. Tres bon.

 

[Pubey]

It is not expensive for travellers (as long as you buy tickets well in advance).It's only inconvenient if you want to stay in the centre of town (in which case you can always take a slower TER train).

I don't have any comparitive figures but I doubt if any more "expensive to develop and maintain" than rail networks in other leading European nations.

Expensive for the government/taxpayers if it's used less than was predicted. Stop being obtuse, I've repeatedly said that it's a good service (even when the train stations can be inconvenient). The point is that France has a massively overengineered and underused train network.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2014/08/france-s-tgv

 

[Pubey]

Some here: http://www.sncf.com/ressources/reports/sncf_2014_financial_report_-_02.12.2015.pdf

Haven't got the time or the willpower to go through it all but they seem to have 10 x the staff of NR, made an 8% profit and have a much, much smaller debt. Tres bon.

The point is it isn't sustainable. More lines are making a loss and air travel is picking back up again. See the economist link I've just provided.

 

[united we stand]

]It is not expensive for travellers (as long as you buy tickets well in advance).It's only inconvenient if you want to stay in the centre of town[/B] (in which case you can always take a slower TER train).

I don't have any comparitive figures but I doubt if any more "expensive to develop and maintain" than rail networks in other leading European nations.

Or to look at it another way - It is inconvenient if you don't want to book in advance and do want to stay in the centre of town . Still I doubt many people meet that criteria :winking:

 

[united we stand]

Big drive on mental health here at NR, trying to break the crap that people like SB24 spout as it makes things 10 times worse. I heard yesterday, off hand, that deaths on the railways (though not just suicides) are 5 per day - and there are very, very few railway workers (NR or contract) in that figure. Shocking, it's becomming on a par with road deaths.

What you are saying about NR's drive on mental health can only be a good thing, however I would question the numbers you have quoted, did you mean 5 a week?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33605154

 

[MK Shrimper]

What you are saying about NR's drive on mental health can only be a good thing, however I would question the numbers you have quoted, did you mean 5 a week?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33605154

It was told by a colleague who may have got his facts wrong, so you may be right. Hope so.

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VvsxaaFNAs


Now France should have gone with this and not the TGV but backhanders won the day.

 

[MK Shrimper]

It was told by a colleague who may have got his facts wrong, so you may be right. Hope so.

Oddly enough saw this today:

http://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/2fc1ca62-029a-4d0d-86e5-cfbd8bcf4cf9

332 deaths on the railway 2014/15 so still bloody high, but hardly 5 per day.