East Coast Main Line Nationalised.

[ROUGH TOR]

I see reports this morning that National Express are having their franchise for the ECML taken away, seemingly because they are no longer prepared to subsidise the route.
Hmm.
Wonder if they will keep their other routes then?
Any thoughts people?
I can,t say I am surprised, I think it is probably only a matter of time before several other bus companies throw in the towel.
Hopefully it will stay publically owned now, and just maybe we can get the rest of the network back bit by bit and see an end to this most unhappy pirateisation?
Not holding my breath though.

[BARNHAM]

Originally Posted by ROUGH TOR

I see reports this morning that National Express are having their franchise for the ECML taken away, seemingly because they are no longer prepared to subsidise the route.
Hmm.
Wonder if they will keep their other routes then?
Any thoughts people?
I can,t say I am surprised, I think it is probably only a matter of time before several other bus companies throw in the towel.
Hopefully it will stay publically owned now, and just maybe we can get the rest of the network back bit by bit and see an end to this most unhappy pirateisation?
Not holding my breath though.

I think they did not look at the vast diferance in operating costs between trains and coaches in a time of recetion,

[BARNHAM]

Whoops thats not how you spell resetion

[ROUGH TOR]

It will do, I know what you meant!

[davat]

Whilst bus and coach operators want to ruin (yes ruin) the railways it has proven to be a costly way of going about it.
One of the other main players seems to think that they should be run like airlines, and that anyone who doesn't book in advance, or wants to travel point to point locally shouldn't be allowed to travel on their long distance services but wait for local services which may mean some long waits.
Were we really so bad as British Rail?


Davat

[sleeper]

British Rail was like so many great British institutions, largely ignored and derided when active and sorely missed when they were gone.

[viaamtrak]

Originally Posted by sleeper

British Rail was like so many great British institutions, largely ignored and derided when active and sorely missed when they were gone.

I was over in the UK back in 1992 and it was pretty good from what i remember.

The '225" s for the East Coast mainline were/are still the best trains going. Oh i also forgot the IC 125's are also great to.

The DMU'S & EMU'S trains are so inferior to diesel hauled trains. Please bring them back!!!

With all the money that has been given/subsidized (sp?) to the private sector companies ie: Virgin, Cross Country etc...British Rail could have done just as good job if it had been given the funding and a chance...

Just my two cents from Canada!!!

[ROUGH TOR]

Were we really so bad as British Rail?


Davat[/QUOTE]

Oh well said that man!
The short answer is "no" BR was everything today,s "Micky Mouse Railways " are not.

[John_142]

I personaly think that MR>Branson could be a favorite to takeo ver th franchise along with Forst Group..

But is it just the East Coast Franchise or the Anglia Franchise as well ?

[pavorossi]

It's just the East Coast at the moment, but I believe there was talk about removing the other two franchises held by National Express as well. I'd be interested to see what happened if First got it. They seem to be quite good at running the Transpennine route, but I've heard a lot of bad things about there franchise on the Wwestern Mainline. Virgin have proved themselves capable of running a major mainline very well with the WCML franchise, but I feel it would lead to a lack of choice for passengers heading to Scotland from London, which may cause a drop in quality, or worse, a hike in prices. Good to see you back on the forum by the way John.