Posted 15th November 2009 | 5 Comments
Passengers quizzed about their priorities, as East Coast returns to public ownership
Picture: Brian Morrison
The East Coast Main Line intercity service is now being run by the state for the first time since 1996, but the Transport Secretary has been told that his plans to re-franchise the route within two years are too hasty.
Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker has reacted to the changeover at the end of Friday evening by calling for East Coast to be left in Government hands for much longer.
He said: "To provide stability for passengers and staff and demonstrate that the East Coast Main Line can be used to show passenger standards can be driven up across the network, two years is not long enough. We welcome the steps taken to put the passenger centre stage, but the franchise must remain in public ownership for three to five years.”
The Conservatives are also urging that franchises should be ‘longer, and more customer focused’.
The watchdog Passenger Focus has revealed that it has now interviewed over 6000 passengers about their priorities for East Coast, and will give its findings to the Department for Transport. PF chief executive Anthony Smith said: “Passengers will now want a commitment that their views and opinions will be key as decisions are made on the next franchise deal.”
The RMT union staged a demonstration at Newcastle yesterday, calling for East Coast to stay in the public sector permanently. It’s also demanding that other franchises be abandoned, starting with c2c and East Anglia, which are still currently operated by National Express.
The Chairman of Directly Operated Railways at the DfT, Elaine Holt, has insisted that the ending of the failed NX franchise does not amount to ‘renationalisation’. She has confirmed that the new operating subsidiary, East Coast Main Line Company Limited, will be paying premiums like a private sector franchise, although she has hinted that the level of payments will be lower.
Ms Holt and the Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis toured the main ECML route yesterday, starting from King's Cross. Lord Adonis said East Coast was not simply ‘a care and maintenance job’, and announced station upgrades worth £12m and a catering review, as well as the ending of seat reservation fees from 1 January.
He has also backed down on plans to install gatelines at York station. This highly controversial proposal has already been rejected once by the City of York Planning Committee, although National Express had just started an appeal. The move has been welcomed by campaigners opposing similar gateline schemes at Sheffield and Newcastle.
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
Martyn, Mcr
Among the calls for nationalisation where there were clearly benefits don't forget that BR under invested. Signals Passed at Danger (SPADs) are down significantly.....as are accidents and performance is it. Privatisation isn't all bad !
John, Edinburgh, UK
It would make sense to recreate the Inter City network under one company. However I think a partnership between private sector and government makes the best model 50:50 ownership. This would give the basis for long term investment. For the East Coast the main priority is to restore staff morale and customer service. The cuts in the booking offices need reversing. In terms of catering one thing that has never been tried is to pre-sell meals during booking. I am sure that on the Aberdeen and Inverness trains there is a demand for meals. If successful it could lead to a limited weekend full dining option.
mick Wild, Leeds, England
Why can't the powers that be just hold their hands up and admit that privatisation was a complete cock up?
Best way forwards - InterCity PLC - a private company delivering on all of the main lines. The regional bits that are left - keep in the hands of Directly Operated Railways.
Failing that - just bring back BR! It was much better than the farce of todays railways.
45110, northants, northants
If the goverment can run one line as a seperate company why can't they do the same with the rest. As stated above private companies are only there to make a profit. The public of the UK deserve a decent railway system that does not cost the earth to use, and what is accessable to all, not just the higher earners
Joel Kosminsky, London, Britain
National railways now cost taxpayers and farepayers more in private hands than when in public ownership. Part of this is all previous governments' unwillingness to invest in quality build and maintenance, settling for the wartime mentality of 'make-do-and-mend' long after 1945. Private ownership puts profits before investing in the service and its support systems. Up to 50% of investment never reaches the trains, tracks and stations as it goes in duplicated overheads and excessive profits to allegedly compensate for non-existent (economic) risk factors in running trains. New stock is costed over the life of the franchise, not the life of the train. The real issue is politicians who've never done a day's real work in their lives, whose dogma exceeds practicality.