First Great Western Options

[Biker1]

Must admit tend to agree. Would a 'not for profit' vertically integrated model be in order? Perhaps based, with modifications on the 1923 arrangement - this time perhaps without the commercial common carrier restrictions.

How would you get private investors / company's to get involved in a "not for profit" organisation?
What's in it for them?
If you are not going to make money then surely nationalisation is the only path to take?

[On the edge]

How would you get private investors / company's to get involved in a "not for profit" organisation?
What's in it for them?
If you are not going to make money then surely nationalisation is the only path to take?

John Lewis and Ove Arup seem to be doing quite well. Raising the money to pay for the assets doesn't seem to sit well with the 'for profit' firms either - as well evidenced by the railway mess and the water industry. Look at August's Harvard Business Review; food for thought. There really is another way.

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

Don't John Lewis make a nice profit though?

I remember when FGW used to be pretty good about 5-7 years ago. When, if I booked a train to London, I know it'd be clean, fairly ontime, etc. However the last time I've been on a train was about...3 months ago. It was covered in graffiti and smelt of wee.

And the time before that I was stuck on the tracks for over 6 hours and had to be escorted half a mile down the tracks by the (health and safety) police and emergency services when some (presumably hooded) youths placed scaffolding across the tracks on a high speed rail line on my way back from Leeds.

Trains are rubbish. I say completely remove commuter-type trains, place the funding from that into buses and car sharing incentives. Only use the high speed, long haul trains (for example exeter-paddington line) and perhaps increase the frequency of these trains or utilise more rail-based freight transport.

Trains are exactly the same as buses except they are more cramped (I can't sit in a normal seat with the 2 inches of legroom you get in a regular commuter train) and while buses are generally for poor people, at least they take you quite close to where you actually want to be and you have the option to get on/off pretty much wherever you want.

[Biker1]

I remember when FGW used to be pretty good about 5-7 years ago. When, if I booked a train to London, I know it'd be clean, fairly ontime, etc. However the last time I've been on a train was about...3 months ago. It was covered in graffiti and smelt of wee.

Not the railway's fault then but the scum who use them?

And the time before that I was stuck on the tracks for over 6 hours and had to be escorted half a mile down the tracks by the (health and safety) police and emergency services when some (presumably hooded) youths placed scaffolding across the tracks on a high speed rail line on my way back from Leeds

.Not the railway's fault then?

Trains are rubbish. I say completely remove commuter-type trains, place the funding from that into buses and car sharing incentives. Only use the high speed, long haul trains (for example exeter-paddington line) and perhaps increase the frequency of these trains or utilise more rail-based freight transport.

Completely remove commuter trains?

Trains are exactly the same as buses except they are more cramped (I can't sit in a normal seat with the 2 inches of legroom you get in a regular commuter train) and while buses are generally for poor people, at least they take you quite close to where you actually want to be and you have the option to get on/off pretty much wherever you want.

Try going to Reading by bus then and see how long it takes you - and no cheaper!
Are buses less cramped? I don't know I don't use service buses.

[Richard Garvie]

A mutual would be great!!!

[On the edge]

A mutual would be great!!!

Would agree with that - how could we get this on the national agenda? To be honest, given the state of the railways suspect all major parties would support a different solution.

[On the edge]

A mutual would be great!!!

Would agree with that - how could we get this on the national agenda? To be honest, given the state of the railways suspect all major parties would support a different solution.

[Richard Garvie]

The unions want nationalisation, the tories want privatisation (more than now with stations being leased off for 99 years each) and I don't suppose anyone knows what Clegg thinks. Labour are half and half between nationalisation and privatisation, it just needs somebody to start banging the mutual drum and I reckon a lot of people would fall in behind it.