UK railway services are now almost entirely state-owned – by foreign countries
Could there be a better argument to support Labour’s call for train services to be re-nationalised?
British rail commuters pay the highest prices in Europe to use trains that are almost exclusively run by European state operators.
We are subsidising services in their countries.
If our railways were re-nationalised, the money we pay would flow into UK state coffers. From there it could be used to, possibly, improve the service and reduce prices.
Don’t you think that would be a better way?
With rail fares set to rise again by as much as 2.8 per cent, the debate over whether the UK should renationalise the railways – which Labour made a 2017 manifesto pledge – has already reared its head.
This week the Trades Union Congress renewed its call for renationalisation, saying doing so would lead to lower ticket prices.
“We’re already paying the highest ticket prices in Europe to travel on overcrowded and understaffed trains,” the organisation’s general secretary Frances O’Grady said.
[But] extensive state-ownership exists among UK rail operators, it just doesn’t involve the British state.Here’s the full list:
c2c: Italian state
Chiltern: German state
Caledonian sleeper: PRIVATE
CrossCountry: German state
East Midlands: Dutch state
Eurostar: French state
Gatwick Express: French state
Grand Central: German state
Great Northern: French state
GWR: PRIVATE
Greater Anglia: Dutch state
Heathrow Express: PRIVATE
Hull Trains: PRIVATE
LNER: British state
London Northwestern Railway: Dutch state
London Overground: German state
London Underground: British state
Merseyrail: Dutch state
Northern: German state
Northern Ireland Railways: British state
Scotrail: Dutch state
South Western Railway: Hong Kong state
Southeastern: French state
Southern: French state
Stansted Express: Dutch state
TfL rail: Hong Kong state
Thameslink: French state
TransPennine Express: PRIVATE
Transport for Wales: French state
West Coast: Italian state
West Midlands Railway: Dutch state
Source: Trains on UK railways now almost entirely state-owned – by foreign countries | The Independent
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The Tories’ claim that EU rules prevent the UK running a nationalised rail network is utter bunk. Most of our rail franchises are run by mostly EU state railways i.e. DB (Deutsche Bahn), Abellio (Dutch state railway).
Definitely should re-Nationalize. It would be interesting to see what the Brextremists have to say about that in the light of this information.
Amazingly all those who voted remain are against the renationalisation of the railways, because under Eu legislation we can’t do that.
Yes we can. Please stop peddling lies.
This is what almost all media have led much, most of the public to believe.
This might enlighten you: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-eu-railways-eu-rules-nationalise-single-market-restrictions-labour-a8968691.html
£ike many of our formerly state run businesses. I understand.
An excellent point about how so much of the British rail system is run by government/state enterprises. BUT they are hardly good examples of Socialist practise. After all, it is the dire, expensive nature of the British rail system that motivates us to want it re-nationalised. One day soon, some free-market fanatic , writing in the Mail or Telegraph, will explain that British trains are so bad BECAUSE of so much foreign state intervention. And they will add a dash of xenophobia to the mix, as well!
So we need to argue for re-nationalisation but also, explain how we will do things differently.
Bring it all back home
From the list, it would appear that the French are the worst service providers.