How to sort the bloody railways out...
My plan for the trains.
1) Split the rail operators into companies that own rolling stock and those that operate the trains and provide services. The latter would rent trains from the former to provide those services. For companies that wish to do both, enact legislation to prevent them from favouring themselves (similar to how the energy-supply market is structured).
2) Issue the licenses to operate a given route on a short timescale (e.g. 2 years).
3) At the midway point (1 year) into the license, commuters elect a board. Eligibility for both standing and voting is determined by having held season tickets for the route covering 10 of the previous 12 months. Board positions are not paid.
4) The rail operators then tender bids for the upcoming license. These detail how much they'll charge, what rolling stock they'll use, what the timetable will be, what penalties will apply for delays and cancellations, etc.
5) The board then decides which operator should be granted the license for the route.

Competition only works if it is ongoing. The commuting public needs a way of awarding rail licenses to the companies that best meet their needs, rather than companies sitting on a 15 year cash-cow franchise.
(Mr T, Wed 28 Sep 2011, 22:35, 5 replies)

sorry i thought you were takings the piss. The only sensible option is re-nationalisation and the fat controller put in charge. Who is going to stand for election to these boards you talk about when its not paid?
(Pere Ubu, Duke of Lithuania, Thu 29 Sep 2011, 0:56, closed)

Yep,
return them to public ownership, so all profit can be reinvested in the system, rather than paid out to shareholders. Will never happen, more's the pity.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Thu 29 Sep 2011, 8:39, closed)

I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking this.
Quite why anyone thought that privatising the railways was a good idea is still a mystery to me.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Thu 29 Sep 2011, 11:05, closed)

Even Fatcha reportedly baulked at the idea, calling it "one privatisation too far" apparently
I cannot get my head around the notion that it's cheaper to get a private company to run a railway and pay it's shareholders than to simply bring it under the wing of government and get it done that way.

Fucking cunts.
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Thu 29 Sep 2011, 12:11, closed)

I'd certainly
be keen to invest £90 million in setting up a train operating company, so I can bid for a 2 year contract.

Great idea.
(username failed moderation, Thu 29 Sep 2011, 10:04, closed)