The future of British railways!! (1 Viewer)

May 8, 2016
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A cynic might say that if TSSA and their predecessors had not been on strike for higher pay most of the time, then perhaps the privatisation wouldn't have been necessary in the first place

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I if the working man has to strike to get a fair wage whats wrong with that, but paying for the lower fares in other parts of europe what a joke, still we dont need the profits from the railways.
NHS BUST, SCHOOLS BUST, CARE SERVICES BUST, to name but a few, what an indictment of the current government. Its so sad that there is not an alternative at the moment.
 

EX51SSS

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NHS BUST, SCHOOLS BUST, CARE SERVICES BUST
Unfortunately it's all we've got and I have to say that I know the press have bigged up the problems in the NHS but I've always had exceptional quality at the NHS.
Just as a comment, the press keep telling us that the NHS fails to reach targets and how bad the service is and it was better years ago but my thoughts are, how many more people (including all the migrants and so called visitors to this country) do the NHS now see and treat in comparison to say 10 years ago and how many less staff, doctors, nurses etc does the NHS now have in that time period? To meet targets then we need the NHS to have the right amount of employed staff.
Sorry, little rant.
 
Oct 2, 2014
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So what's in it for the Tssa?
A return to BR would be a disaster for rail. A return to national rail strikes, no productivity, no profit incentive = no customer incentive. A take it or leave it railway and the usual decline and high costs that BR managed to achieve in the dark years.
The trade unions have been crying ever since.
Award the franchises to British companies next time around.

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maxi77

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I remember the days of British Rail and travelled all over the country on it as a serviceman, and I would not wish a return to that system on my worst enemy
 
Aug 18, 2011
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A cynic might say that if TSSA and their predecessors had not been on strike for higher pay most of the time, then perhaps the privatisation wouldn't have been necessary in the first place

A Cynic might,,but on the other hand who doesn't want better pay,,and if you don't ask no employer is going to offer,,
 
Aug 18, 2011
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I remember the days of British Rail and travelled all over the country on it as a serviceman, and I would not wish a return to that system on my worst enemy
But all transport was shit years ago,,buses were freezing and slow,,,BR had no investment and terrible management. Who in their right mind would have built steam locomotives in the 50s when diesel and electric were being used elsewhere,,the clever managers of BR. BUSBY,,:D:D

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Ivory55

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Shame we could not build a modern steam engine, not standing shovelling coal . Coal powered but automated, as we have coal reserves in the uk.
 
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If my memory serves me correctly the railways of the UK were nationalised in 1948 because every private rail company was on the verge of bankruptcy after WW2.

British Railways inherited a run down and decrepit network that needed vast amounts of money to even keep it running at a time when it was a vital national resource.

BR existed from 1948 until 1994, 46 years, and has been partially privatised for23 years yet still needs subsidising from the public purse to exist, most of which apparently goes towards keeping the rest of Europe's nationalised railways going, a huge success story!!!.......all the fault of the greedy workers i suppose:)
 
Oct 2, 2014
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But all transport was shit years ago,,buses were freezing and slow,,,BR had no investment and terrible management. Who in their right mind would have built steam locomotives in the 50s when diesel and electric were being used elsewhere,,the clever managers of BR. BUSBY,,:D:D
Bit like London Transport developing Boris buses to retain a conductor on the back door. Don't let politicians and trade unions run anything unless you have very deep pockets.
 
Oct 2, 2014
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If my memory serves me correctly the railways of the UK were nationalised in 1948 because every private rail company was on the verge of bankruptcy after WW2.

British Railways inherited a run down and decrepit network that needed vast amounts of money to even keep it running at a time when it was a vital national resource.

BR existed from 1948 until 1994, 46 years, and has been partially privatised for23 years yet still needs subsidising from the public purse to exist, most of which apparently goes towards keeping the rest of Europe's nationalised railways going, a huge success story!!!.......all the fault of the greedy workers i suppose:)
You might have mentioned world war 2 at least in passing regarding the effect it had on the rail system. But ho never mind.
Some franchises are awarded with subsidy others produce revenue to the govt via franchise payments as the routes are profitable and worth running. By being a competitive tendering process (of sorts) at least some degree of commercial acumen is brought into an otherwise moribund public enterprise.

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Aug 18, 2011
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Shame we could not build a modern steam engine, not standing shovelling coal . Coal powered but automated, as we have coal reserves in the uk.

We won't even use that now to run our power stations,,,plenty imported though..BUSBY.
 
Aug 18, 2011
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You might have mentioned world war 2 at least in passing regarding the effect it had on the rail system. But ho never mind.
Some franchises are awarded with subsidy others produce revenue to the govt via franchise payments as the routes are profitable and worth running. By being a competitive tendering process (of sorts) at least some degree of commercial acumen is brought into an otherwise moribund public enterprise.

They cost more in subsidies today than BR did in its heyday..BUSBY
 
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Bit like London Transport developing Boris buses to retain a conductor on the back door. Don't let politicians and trade unions run anything unless you have very deep pockets.

I would rather my wife or daughter travelled home late at night on a bus with a conductor than on a one man bus,,BUSBY,,

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2657

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You might have mentioned world war 2 at least in passing regarding the effect it had on the rail system. But ho never mind.
Some franchises are awarded with subsidy others produce revenue to the govt via franchise payments as the routes are profitable and worth running. By being a competitive tendering process (of sorts) at least some degree of commercial acumen is brought into an otherwise moribund public enterprise.

"If my memory serves me correctly the railways of the UK were nationalised in 1948 because every private rail company was on the verge of bankruptcy after WW2."

Did you miss that bit:)
 
Feb 16, 2013
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Shame we could not build a modern steam engine, not standing shovelling coal . Coal powered but automated, as we have coal reserves in the uk.
Can never understand that, seems the easiest thing in the world to put a conveyer in to move the coal, even years ago it must have been possible (n)
 
Aug 18, 2011
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Can never understand that, seems the easiest thing in the world to put a conveyer in to move the coal, even years ago it must have been possible (n)

Nothing to do with do with moving coal,,Steam engines were so uneconomical..Needed steaming for two or three hours before they were ready to use,,It took hours at the end of the shift to clean boiler out,,they were filthy dirty and very expensive to maintain. I love to see them like i do a pre war car but not fit for modern life,,BUSBY:D:D
 
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Unfortunately it's all we've got and I have to say that I know the press have bigged up the problems in the NHS but I've always had exceptional quality at the NHS.
Just as a comment, the press keep telling us that the NHS fails to reach targets and how bad the service is and it was better years ago but my thoughts are, how many more people (including all the migrants and so called visitors to this country) do the NHS now see and treat in comparison to say 10 years ago and how many less staff, doctors, nurses etc does the NHS now have in that time period? To meet targets then we need the NHS to have the right amount of employed staff.
Sorry, little rant.

Don't apologise just consider a Hospital with 250 beds
in 1972 it was run by
1 matron
1 chief doctor
1 Secretary
1 Treasurer - who was probably the secretary
nurse equalled 1 for every 3 patients

in 2012 the number of management post in the NHS equalled the number of beds so now that 250 bed hospital would have 250+ managers
and Nurses equal 1 for every 10 patients

glad I'm out of it

and the Railways don't belong to Britain any more most companies are owned by European companies
DB the German company took over EWS (England Wales and Scottish Railways) which was American
Colas is Belgian
Arriva is German / Swiss
and even GBRf is part French
profits from the railways don't stay in Britain - and before anyone blames the Tories the Labour government were as much to blame for selling off the silverware of Britain

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Ivory55

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Nothing to do with do with moving coal,,Steam engines were so uneconomical..Needed steaming for two or three hours before they were ready to use,,It took hours at the end of the shift to clean boiler out,,they were filthy dirty and very expensive to maintain. I love to see them like i do a pre war car but not fit for modern life,,BUSBY:D:D
With all the clever people, could they not design a steam engine that could create steam quickly, and have it clean running ?
 
Aug 18, 2011
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With all the clever people, could they not design a steam engine that could create steam quickly, and have it clean running ?

Would have thought so but obviously the money men see no profit in it,,Think Steam Engines in the past only achieved something like 30% efficiency,,Think what 70% would be like,,BUSBY,,
 

Ivory55

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Yes money is the reason for most things. Not long ago we had big engine in trucks and cars but they are more efficient now , so they could do the same for steam.

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Oct 2, 2014
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First, Virgin and Stagecoach are British companies and there are smaller ones, when franchises come up invariably they will be bidding to get them back.
Virgin and Stagecoach jointly have the East Coast Main Line which is extremely profitable, always has been and pays the govt money, and Virgin has the West Coast Main Line.
Most of the things we buy are supplied by a mixture of British and foreign companies, think cars, food, banking, technology and energy in fact everything you ever buy.
 
Aug 18, 2011
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First, Virgin and Stagecoach are British companies and there are smaller ones, when franchises come up invariably they will be bidding to get them back.
Virgin and Stagecoach jointly have the East Coast Main Line which is extremely profitable, always has been and pays the govt money, and Virgin has the West Coast Main Line.
Most of the things we buy are supplied by a mixture of British and foreign companies, think cars, food, banking, technology and energy in fact everything you ever buy.

Think you will find that Virgin East Coast Line receives millions in Government Subsidies and their shareholders are the ones that gain a financial reward not the Government,,It stinks,,,BUSBY,,
 
May 8, 2016
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From the first day I went to school, the memory of the British Empire was still very much in the minds of our elders, the atlases were still dominated by the colour pink, plimsoles had "Empire Made" on their soles, we were told that British Railways was the best/most extensive/fastest on the planet, our mighty coal and steel industry dominated the globe and our NHS was the envy of the world

Most of which I quickly learnt was untrue, the Empire had gone, the atlases were old, the factories where the plimsoles had been made were staffed by Chinese child labour, with labels stuck on in Hong Kong, Beeching did for the railways what neglect, under investment and constant striking had started, our mines were inefficient and heavily subsidised, our steelworks unable to compete and our NHS was in the process of being stuffed to the gills with bureaucrats and bean counters to replace nurses and doctors. Despite all that, our economy remains mighty, but only thanks to the phenominal growth of the service sector, no thanks to our rapidly dwindling industrial output

But we have moved on, fifth largest economy in the world, second fastest growing economy in the G7, unemployment at record lows, inflation generally under control. We have one of the largest defence industries in the world, make more than our fair share of the world's jet engines, we are world leaders in genetic research, the worlds insurers, one of the top banking centres, great educational standards , fantastic engineering and the referendum has shown that we can still teach everyone a thing or two about democratic process.

So, we are attractive to foreign investors, the French have invested heavily in water and power, the Chinese are investing in nuclear power, the Germans in our railways. That doesn't concern me, it reassures me that other countries have seen fit to invest in this country, given our own government is so blindingly obsessed with unpopular infrastructure projects as HS2 to carry people to places they don't want to go, at prices they can't afford and at a speed that barely improves on what is available, or sponsoring the construction of "devolved parliamentary" buildings that they can't afford to put aircraft on the new carriers that are being built or restructuring the vastly inefficient NHS.

The way I see things, I would rather we had foreign investment than no investment at all. Must go out and polish my French M/H this weekend, after cleaning my German car

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