Protest at rail woes
RAIL passenger groups, union leaders and politicians will stage protests today demanding that the Government keeps Northern Rail under public control.
The franchise was taken away from Arriva Rail North on Sunday after complaints about poor levels of service.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said the franchise had “collapsed” after years of “mismanagement” by successive private train operators.
The union said it believed the forthcoming Williams Review into how the railways are run could move Northern back into the private rail sector within weeks.
RMT officials are joining politicians, passengers and campaigners at train stations across the north of England to send a “clear message” to the Government that the private franchise model is “broken” and should be replaced by an integrated, publicly owned railway.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “Private speculators have driven Northern Rail to the brink and its return to public ownership, joining the East Coast Main Line, should not be seen as a short-term fix whilst we wait to see what scheme this Government comes up with next.
“This has to be a permanent move followed up with the investment and planning needed to deliver the rail services that passengers deserve after years of privatised chaos.”
Emily Yates, co-founder of the Association of British Commuters, said: “Rail franchising is collapsing all over the UK due to toxic rela tionships between government and private companies.
“Northern passengers deserve a transparent and accountable system going forward, which means democratic public ownership with passenger and worker representation at its heart.”
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We... will look to provide local leaders with more powers over local services, timetables, fares and stations, to provide more control over their railways.
“This franchise underlines how the franchising model needs to change, which is why the Williams Review is looking at reforms across the railway to ensure passengers are put first.”