Virgin loses Cross Country rail

[lilelvis2000]

Do you get the same train as me??!

My train this morning (if you can actually still call it a train) had 1 (one) carriage!!!! Hahaha how I laughed... until I had to smell several funky armpits at close range for 30 mins anyway...

This morning there were two carriages..but it was the ancient bus-train type..which don't have enough power to travel our line unless there are two carriages. Completely covered in grime - I coudn't see out the window!

That's what we get for a foreign owned franchise which is subsidied at £6 per £2 of fare collected.

[TheFaQQer]

Labour wouldn't want to offend it's buddies.

It would be interesting to find out how much National Express, Stagecoach et al. spend on lobbying. I'm sure we'd be quite shocked.

No - but it could have been an interesting relationship between him and Gordo!

[lilelvis2000]

This was one of the points put forward by Jon Cruddas in the recent deputy leader elections - if the state is subsidising the company, then there should be no profits paid to the shareholders. Sadly, he didn't get in.

Labour wouldn't want to offend it's buddies.

It would be interesting to find out how much National Express, Stagecoach et al. spend on lobbying. I'm sure we'd be quite shocked.

[TheFaQQer]

If it is a susidised service then the company should not be taking any profit then?
If the whole thing is being funded by the public then maybe it should be a nationalised industry where any profits go back into the business.
Instead we see company after company take subsidies to run the network, but hike fares and pay large divvies and bonuses to to shareholders and executives.

This was one of the points put forward by Jon Cruddas in the recent deputy leader elections - if the state is subsidising the company, then there should be no profits paid to the shareholders. Sadly, he didn't get in.

[MrRobin]

..like the train I take every day...crap.

Do you get the same train as me??!

My train this morning (if you can actually still call it a train) had 1 (one) carriage!!!! Hahaha how I laughed... until I had to smell several funky armpits at close range for 30 mins anyway...

[lilelvis2000]

The franchises are for far too short a period. TOC either hike fares and then buy new gear or just run with crap..like the train I take every day...crap.

And, any train company that declares a profit whilst recieving a subsidy must have used public money to declare that profit. How do they get away with that? ahhh...ain't Sir Richard a good buddy of Labour?

[Numptycorner]

The railways are one industry that should not have been privatised. The whole point of privatisation is choice. What choice does the consumer have?
None!

The privatised railways are soaking up just as much tax payer money for a sh1te service. The french manage to run a superb state railway system, why can't we?

[Old Greg]

If it is a susidised service then the company should not be taking any profit then?
If the whole thing is being funded by the public then maybe it should be a nationalised industry where any profits go back into the business.
Instead we see company after company take subsidies to run the network, but hike fares and pay large divvies and bonuses to to shareholders and executives.

Noooooo - I'm agreeing with you again.

[Burdock]

If the whole thing is being funded by the public then maybe it should be a nationalised industry where any profits go back into the business.
Instead we see company after company take subsidies to run the network, but hike fares and pay large divvies and bonuses to to shareholders and executives.

[The Lone Gunman]

I don't know about the size of the subsidy, buy nobody could run the trains unsubsidised - privately or publicly. And there'd end up being no (or almost no) train service which would cause other problems on the transport network.

If it is a susidised service then the company should not be taking any profit then?
If the whole thing is being funded by the public then maybe it should be a nationalised industry where any profits go back into the business.
Instead we see company after company take subsidies to run the network, but hike fares and pay large divvies and bonuses to to shareholders and executives.

[Cooperinliverp00l]

are Virgin still going for the GNER line ?

Must admit i have used the Cross Country and they do look a bit crap.

I then used the pendalino's for just over a year and they are very nice. Alot of money invested in those things.

[Old Greg]

Why are arriva getting a 1.05Bin subsidy? If they can't run the business then they should not have got the contract. OR they should not be allowed to take profits while being subsidised.

It is just plain wrong.

I don't know about the size of the subsidy, buy nobody could run the trains unsubsidised - privately or publicly. And there'd end up being no (or almost no) train service which would cause other problems on the transport network.

[The Lone Gunman]

Why are arriva getting a 1.05Bin subsidy? If they can't run the business then they should not have got the contract. OR they should not be allowed to take profits while being subsidised.

It is just plain wrong.

[gingerjedi]

Isn't this why the trains are so crap? The fact that they go up for tender so often means that no company wants to invest too much in rolling stock.

[Burdock]

Thank feck for that!

And they can take their overcrowded, sewage-smelling carriages with them!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6286904.stm

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