Why is Labour being so timorous about
renationalising the railways? The public want them renationalised. It's easy to
do by taking the contracts back as they fall in. The nationalisation of East
Coast, after National Express chucked it in, shows that it can be done and can
make a profit. Most of them have already been renationalised, but by the nationialised
railways of other countries. The German, French, Dutch and Hong Kong state
railways are all running two thirds of our system and charging higher fares
than they do at home.
Result? Dog's breakfast railways with ever-escalating
fares in which the profitable lines, instead of producing a surplus to
subsidise the unprofitable, pay out their profits in dividends leaving the government
to subsidise the rest. Over £200 million a year is paid out in dividends while the state has had
to nationalise Network Rail and subsidise it to keep the trains running.
To complete the nightmare it's proposed to cut
right across it by creating HS2 – the
British White elephant train which will reach the North in 2034 and round it
off with a hypothetical HS3 across the Penine's. Labour supports both without
understanding either. Time to buy a bike.
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