It’s high time Londoners got a real rail service choice

TWENTY-FIVE years ago one of the most unpopular and poorly planned privatisations passed into law. The subsequent failure to get rail policy right has amplified calls for re-nationalisation and consistently put ministers on the defensive. I have a solution which should work and is long overdue.

The then Prime Minister John Major’s plans for the railways had lofty ambitions — privatisation would deliver “more competition, greater efficiency and a wider choice of services more closely tailored to what customers want.”

Compared with the old British Rail behemoth it replaced, there have been some impressive achievements including record safety, a doubling in passenger numbers, new stations, and huge innovations in ticketing. However, real choice for passengers, and competition between train operators is still missing on any significant scale.

Faced with plunging passenger satisfaction and soaring complaints, ministers have announced yet another rail review, but this time it should be different. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling’s pledge to put its recommendations into a White Paper next year is welcome but this must be followed up with legislation in 2020.

The key to this latest review must be to leave alone what works and fix what doesn’t. Encouragingly, it will be led by Keith Williams, the deputy chairman of John Lewis and former chief executive of British Airways. This should mean passengers will, at last, be put at its heart. The benefit of strong competition for passengers in aviation is overwhelming — so why not in rail? It would not only provide choice for passengers but would also keep fares down and deliver a more modal shift from road to rail. Take London’s mainline stations, most of which, apart from London King’s Cross, are the preserve of one large monopoly train franchise. King’s Cross is the only station where some direct on-track long distance competition has been allowed with clear evidence that passengers have really benefited.

By comparing walk-on standard single fares at 8am tomorrow for the same direct journey distance — 185 miles — from London Euston which has no competition, and King’s Cross, the fare differences are stark. From Euston to Manchester the fare is £169, but over the same distance between King’s Cross and York, the maximum fare is £131.50, with one as low as £50 from a rival train firm.

Competition here has led to lower fares and more choice. The successful model of train competition at King’s Cross is now well established and provides an aviation-style solution where high-speed train companies should bid for slots to run on the same tracks.

The new review is an opportunity to get it right, deliver choice and restore passenger trust.

⬤ Tony Lodge is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Policy Studies