Rail Franchising - The Future

[DVL418]

RE: Rail Franchising - The Future

(04/10/2012 14:39)507009 Wrote:  

(04/10/2012 14:32)DVL418 Wrote:  As highlighted earlier in this thread, judging a TOCs 'performance by relying on the PPM indicator, many factors of which are not within its own control, is extremely subjective and unreliable.

That doesn't answer my question - what other measures do you want to use? I've already outlined my views on Virgin aside from the cold, hard facts. Take Merseyrail for example - no doubt about it, a very punctual operator. Their performance figures are taken in exactly the same way as Virgin's and East Coast's, with absolutely no other measure to address their overall "performance" as an operator. I could point to overcrowded and dirty trains, for example, but none of this is relevant to the PPM or MAA figures.

No, I don't necessarily agree the railways are "inefficient" and "broken". I'll use Merseyrail again - despite their obvious capacity shortcomings - they are very reliable indeed and I wouldn't mind betting significantly more trustworthy than BR ever were when they operated the network. Virgin have done an excellent job for most passengers' money, and as a semi-regular user I'll agree. There are other examples of strong franchises such as South West Trains, Southern, ScotRail, London Midland. Hardly "broken".

They why does even the Prime Minister at the time of privatisation accept that the franchising model his Government introduced is 'perverse, inefficient and wasteful' - if that isn't a good indicator that something is broken - what is?

Merseyrail - other than the Isle of Wight the only vertically integrated franchise, and run by a nationalised railway organisation. A co-incidence perhaps that it works fairly well?

South West Trains - Stagecoach threatened to throw the keys back if they weren't released for £400,000,000 (yes that is 400 million £££s) of premium payments due for the remaining years of their franchise, this AFTER they had taken £350 million of public subsidies for the opening three years of the franchise?

Southern - weren't Connex 'sacked' from all/part of this franchise and the keys taken off them and it run by Govt for a year or so to get it sorted out ready for the current TOC?

Scotrail - for every £1 of subsidly in final years of BR now gets £3, even when allowing for inflation etc. This despite £100s millions of Scottish Executive capital investment as well.

London Midland - see another thread about its incompitence leading to having to cancell dozens of journeys a day because it can't recruit or retain enough drivers due to paying low wages.

Yes, other than some exceptions like GNER (sacked for refusing to match the crazy bid submitted by the winner - which threw back the keys within two years) and the Transpennine services, the franchising model is broken.

In fact it has never consistently delivered on the wild promises made by bidders or offered value for money for the benefit of anyone other that the City spivs, so why don't we stop than tinkering with it before it causes the railways to start disintegrating altogether.