East Coast main line nationalised -again.

[the_bloke]

https://www.ft.com/content/92161f16-58f3-11e8-bdb7-f6677d2e1ce8

 

'The government has appointed a partnership comprising engineering company Arup, SNC-Lavalin Transport Advisory and consultants to run the interim LNER franchise as an operator of last resort.'

 

Expect absolutely no investment in the East Coast line and stock until 2020 and it to be run as cheaply as possible to maximise the profit for the taxpayer, just like it was last time when people crow about it returning £1bn to the treasury. It'll be driven into the ground ready for the next private company to pick up the mess and sort it out, raising prices in order to invest in renewing stock.

[ENG601PM]

Quite how switching from a private monopoly to a state monopoly is going to improve things is beyond me.

 

What's needed is genuine competition for the same service, not monopolies, and especially not monopolies which lack profit incentive.

[Obelix]

https://www.ft.com/content/92161f16-58f3-11e8-bdb7-f6677d2e1ce8

 

'The government has appointed a partnership comprising engineering company Arup, SNC-Lavalin Transport Advisory and consultants to run the interim LNER franchise as an operator of last resort.'

 

Expect absolutely no investment in the East Coast line and stock until 2020 and it to be run as cheaply as possible to maximise the profit for the taxpayer, just like it was last time when people crow about it returning £1bn to the treasury. It'll be driven into the ground ready for the next private company to pick up the mess and sort it out, raising prices in order to invest in renewing stock.

 

 

I fear you are entirely correct....

 

I have a friend who's fairly high up in the management structure there, I'll wait for his comments on his third new email address in five years.. They are usually insightful.

[geared]

https://www.ft.com/content/92161f16-58f3-11e8-bdb7-f6677d2e1ce8

 

'The government has appointed a partnership comprising engineering company Arup, SNC-Lavalin Transport Advisory and consultants to run the interim LNER franchise as an operator of last resort.'

 

Expect absolutely no investment in the East Coast line and stock until 2020 and it to be run as cheaply as possible to maximise the profit for the taxpayer, just like it was last time when people crow about it returning £1bn to the treasury. It'll be driven into the ground ready for the next private company to pick up the mess and sort it out, raising prices in order to invest in renewing stock.

 

The rolling stock already needs a refurb, have taken the Virgin train upto Edinburgh recently and you'll get a numb bum after not long because the seats are so worn out.