Get Britain Moving - Labour's plans to fix Britain's Railways

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

Good to see this confirmed again though....

That starts early next year, with a new ‘rail sale’ to coincide with the 200-year anniversary of the first passenger service.

It will offer up to half price Advance and Off-peak fares – to get Britain moving, to connect our communities and to give back to passengers, who for too long have paid more and more for less and less.

[Electric train]

Good to see this confirmed again though....

That starts early next year, with a new ‘rail sale’ to coincide with the 200-year anniversary of the first passenger service.

It will offer up to half price Advance and Off-peak fares – to get Britain moving, to connect our communities and to give back to passengers, who for too long have paid more and more for less and less.

What the Government also needs to address is unfavourable terms rail freight has to operate under compared to road hauled freight has highlighted in the Green Signals interview with Tim Shoveller

[TaplowGreen]

Good to see this confirmed again though....

That starts early next year, with a new ‘rail sale’ to coincide with the 200-year anniversary of the first passenger service.

It will offer up to half price Advance and Off-peak fares – to get Britain moving, to connect our communities and to give back to passengers, who for too long have paid more and more for less and less.

What the Government also needs to address is unfavourable terms rail freight has to operate under compared to road hauled freight has highlighted in the Green Signals interview with Tim Shoveller

Out of interest what are those unfavourable terms?

[stuving]

And the next step in the process is to be ... a consultation! Or rather, so far, a press release about a consultation that has not yet been set up. I did wonder, given how this is written, whether "smoke and mirrors" would have been more appropriate. The consultation, when it appears, will presumably have some factual content.

For example:

Outlined in a consultation launched today, the plans will smash a broken rail system, put passengers at the forefront of all decisions made on the railways, ending major failures and disruptions like the 2018 timetabling crisis.

Through this consultation, the government will be working with industry to rewire the railways and unite train and track, putting an end to outdated and inefficient processes which have resulted in poor performance, timetable chaos and complex fares and ticketing. It will also rightly be giving devolved leaders more of a say on the services that directly impact their towns and cities, working together to integrate transport making it simpler to travel and attracting more people to our railways. 

When I have something broken to get rid of, like a plate, I may smash it into smaller bits so it's easier to handle safely. I wouldn't see that as improving it, nor call it rewiring.

Further down we find:

In addition to this, our flagship Public Ownership Act, which achieved Royal Assent last year, will improve reliability and support the government’s number one priority of boosting economic growth, by encouraging more people to use the railway. This will also save taxpayers up to £150 million a year that will be invested straight back into the railways rather than the pockets of private shareholders.

So that - in truth quite modest - amount of money going to companies as profit will now (1) be returned to taxpayers and (2) be retained in the railways. Clever conjuring trick, that, if it works!

[ChrisB]

Patience now.....

The DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) says it will be unveiling plans today for the rail reform bill which will set up GBR^▸ (Great British Railways). The reforms also include the creation of a ‘powerful passenger watchdog’.

So that - in truth quite modest - amount of money going to companies as profit will now (1) be returned to taxpayers and (2) be retained in the railways. Clever conjuring trick, that, if it works!

They are saying it is costing £150m presently to in TIC^▸ (Tourist Information Centre) management fees. In future, once nationalised, these fees won't be paid, and thus are saved to the taxpayer funding them. They also say that *instead*, that £150m will be ploughed straight back into the railways, so saving that sum from having to be charged to the taxpayer when funding the railways other expenditure. It's only being saved once by the taxpayer.

[Western Pathfinder]

Sir Humphrey been at it again Chaps....

[ChrisB]

They sure have - happy consulting!

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a-railway-fit-for-britains-future

[Red Squirrel]

I thought the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) press release was truly egregious.

Maybe the unpaid intern who wrote it was making a point of avoiding the usual cliches about track, rail, steam and buffers, but (as stuving suggests) smashing something that is broken is only useful if you want to save a trip to the recycling facility by sneaking it into your black bin.

And talk of rewiring (or even wiring) would be great if it actually meant that! But I have a funny feeling it doesn't...

[TonyK]

Sir Humphrey been at it again Chaps....

I don't agree in full. The language is not that of the Civil Service, which wouldn't admit to a broken railway system, and if it did wouldn't suggest that the best way to mend something broken would involve smashing it. Nor would the civil servants talk about rewiring the railways except, as Red Squirrel suggests, in the context of replacement of OHLE or signalling. The language there is the language of the politician - bold, laden with rhetoric, full of buzz words.

The word "consultation" may also have been misunderstood. In common parlance, it suggests canvassing various views prior to making a decision. So, in a pub you have never visited before with friends who are regulars, one might think "I don't know any of these beers. I'll consult Jim, Bob and Dave", then listen to their recommendations, and decide on balance which to go for. This is not that sort of consultation, it's more like "I know exactly what beer I shall have, but I'll consult Jim, Bob and Dave  before ordering it to make them feel involved. They might even recommend it, which would be nice but isn't important". This is a statutory consultation, designed to add legitimacy to the forthcoming legislation and thereby fending off wrecking amendments in the House of Lords or possible court cases against the government by any of the companies about to have their raison d'être smashed removed. It is open only for a short time, and the timetable for the bill has presumably been planned already. It shouldn't slow things down much. That's what the committee stage is for.

Do not confuse this type of consultation with a public inquiry, a device normally used to consign any difficult or horrendously expensive matters to the long grass until the next election or when everyone affected is no longer around, whichever comes first.

[stuving]

Sir Humphrey been at it again Chaps....

I don't agree in full. The language is not that of the Civil Service, which wouldn't admit to a broken railway system, and if it did wouldn't suggest that the best way to mend something broken would involve smashing it. Nor would the civil servants talk about rewiring the railways except, as Red Squirrel suggests, in the context of replacement of OHLE or signalling. The language there is the language of the politician - bold, laden with rhetoric, full of buzz words.

I assumed it must be the work of politicos - mainly SPADs^▸ (Signal Passed At Danger) and such lifeforms. In this case drafted in from Big Trowel Communications.