The Green Party has said that the privatised rail industry has
reached the end of the line as FirstGroup’s contract to run
Transpennine Express comes to an end following months of
cancellations and delays on the main intercity rail line in the
North of England.
Earlier this month, Transport Secretary, , confirmed FirstGroup – which
runs the Transpennine Express – will be stripped of the franchise
when its contract ends on Sunday 28 May and services will be run
by an Operator of Last Resort.
Matt Edwards, Green Party transport spokesperson and Leader of
the Green Party on Bradford Council, says:
“The shambolic levels of service on this crucial rail line has
not only caused misery to passengers but has caused serious
economic damage to towns and cities across the North of England.
“FirstGroup has consistently refused to take responsibility for
the service and consistently used loopholes to try and hide just
how bad a job they were doing (1).
“The privatisation and fragmentation of our railways just hasn’t
worked. The government is spending more money now subsidising the
railways than it was in the 90s.
“Instead of delivering improvements, large amounts of money has
just been handed to private companies to give to their
shareholders whilst rail fares have gone up and service has gone
down."
The Green Party spokesperson also called for a complete rethink
of how the railways are operated and funded.
“For decades now we have talked about our railways like they are
a business that must be profitable. The truth is that our rail
network is a public service that needs to benefit everyone. To do
that it must be brought back into public ownership.
“Giving people affordable and reliable public transport as an
alternative to driving will reduce congestion on our roads which
will help tackle air pollution and reduce carbon emissions.
“We don’t expect our roads to make a profit. Why are the
railways different?”
– ENDS –
Notes:
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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/nov/27/revealed-north-of-england-train-line-vastly-under-reports-cancellations
