Scrap inter-city franchising, say Virgin and Stagecoach

[ess1uk]

VTEC proved right?

[meil]

Surely this is an argument for a nationalised railway? 

 

Ed

To be pedantic the railway is already nationalised because all the companies operating the railway have bought concessions to do so. They can only have bought the consession from the owner of the railway and as I understand it that owner is the state as administered by Daft.

[jjb1970]

To be pedantic the railway is already nationalised because all the companies operating the railway have bought concessions to do so. They can only have bought the consession from the owner of the railway and as I understand it that owner is the state as administered by Daft.

 

The government and DafT have power without responsibility in that they make the important decisions but it is the TOCs that are held accountable by the travelling public. Power without responsibility seldom promotes good decision making.

[Mike Storey]

The government and DafT have power without responsibility in that they make the important decisions but it is the TOCs that are held accountable by the travelling public. Power without responsibility seldom promotes good decision making.

 

I agree with that if you substitute accountability, for responsibility in your final sentence.

[jjb1970]

I agree with that if you substitute accountability, for responsibility in your final sentence.

 

A fair point, I agree.

 

What makes it galling for me in a way is that whilst working for a marine classification society I was in a meeting with a DafT mandarin who was complaining that class societies (eg. LR, DNV-GL, ABS, BV etc) have power without accountability. Talk about the kettle calling the pot black.

[Dunsignalling]

Virgin East Coast is a gimmick as it is 90% Stagecoach!

 

It would appear that the Virgin brand has better PR value than Stagecoach!

 

Mark Saunders

All feeding off the gullibility of the consumer and living off a reputation earned in entirely different fields of business.

 

Personally, I'd much prefer to travel in a 444 as commissioned by Stagecoach/SWT than anything Virgin currently have on offer. 

 

John

[black and decker boy]

All feeding off the gullibility of the consumer and living off a reputation earned in entirely different fields of business.

 

Personally, I'd much prefer to travel in a 444 as commissioned by Stagecoach/SWT than anything Virgin currently have on offer.

 

John

But Virgin are only actually running 1 franchise, being 51% owner of Intercity West Coast (the other 49% being Stagecoach).

 

Intercity East Coast is actually 90% owned by Stagecoach (10% Virgin).

 

Virgin have no other franchises so which parts of the network they run don’t you like?

[Mike Storey]

But Virgin are only actually running 1 franchise, being 51% owner of Intercity West Coast (the other 49% being Stagecoach).

 

Intercity East Coast is actually 90% owned by Stagecoach (10% Virgin).

 

Virgin have no other franchises so which parts of the network they run don’t you like?

 

I particularly do not like their outer space franchise. My rocket has been delayed for several years so far, and I am very late for a meeting.