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East Coast Main Line.
Derek1952
Posts: 779
With the takeover of the East Coast Main Line in to State ownership,I was wondering why this line has had so many problems and The West Coast seems relative free,apart from a few hitches when Virgin took control. I have traveled the West Coast several times and you could not wish for a better service. After all both Line,s are Virgin backed,so why all the hassel with The East Coast.
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You ain't proper Charlton if you don't know the answer to that!!5
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What,s proper Charlton to do with how trains are run?1
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They were given an 8 year contract, and forecast increases in revenue based on track upgrades (which would have meant they could run extra trains). The track upgrades have not happened due to government cut backs; revenue has not increased as expected. Not making money so Stagecoach dump it.0
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I do not live in Charlton,but my first game was in 19510
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Have I got this privatisation thing right?
Run a successful business and make lots of money = congratulations you are now rich(er) as a result of providing a necessary public service for which the basic infrastructure was there anyway.
Run an unsuccessful business and fail to make lots of money = cut your losses and hand the problem back to the government. You aren't expected to make a loss you know. Let the public take the hit.10 -
Yes this is correct and has successfully worked for the banking sectorStig said:Have I got this privatisation thing right?
Run a successful business and make lots of money = congratulations you are now rich(er) as a result of providing a necessary public service for which the basic infrastructure was there anyway.
Run an unsuccessful business and fail to make lots of money = cut your losses and hand the problem back to the government. You aren't expected to make a loss you know. Let the public take the hit.3 -
The East Coast line is potentially the most profitable line in Britain.
So companies are quite reasonably asked to pay a lot of money if they want to run the trains which use it.
Unfortunately it is very difficult to estimate exactly how profitable it will be so the franchising process leads to some companies overbidding. Almost by definition the highest bidder will have misjudged it slightly and offered too much while the lowest bidder would have made an enormous profit if they had got the contract!
Twice the government has accepted the highest bid which is doomed to fail even if the line itself is making a reasonable profit.
For me the whole franchising system is just politically motivated fuckwits in the government playing with trains to prove a vague philosophical point about competition always being best. They hope this will justify why they have so much money and other people don't. Personally I wish they'd just piss off and let normal people get on with running the railways!5 - Sponsored links:
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I dunno...I thought it was pretty personal and vindictive and basically uncalled for.Curb_It said:
Because we are nicknamed trainspotters Derek. So he was just making a little in joke. No offence meant.Derek1952 said:What,s proper Charlton to do with how trains are run?
There's history between the 2 posters that's been bubbling over for months and has sadly come to a head in this bitter exchange.
Completely uncessary IMO and has soured royal wedding week for me :-(13 -
Sorry Derek, it was a poor attempt at humour. It was a train question and as Charlton fans we like nothing more than to talk about and share our vast knowledge of trains (or so we're told).Derek1952 said:What,s proper Charlton to do with how trains are run?
Hope I haven't upset you.1 -
He's gone right loco.Brendan_O_Connell said:
Sorry Derek, it was a poor attempt at humour. It was a train question and as Charlton fans we like nothing more than to talk about and share our vast knowledge of trains (or so we're told).Derek1952 said:What,s proper Charlton to do with how trains are run?
Hope I haven't upset you.0 -
Fair play Brendan takes a big man to hold up his hands after such a scandal. Well played.Brendan_O_Connell said:
Sorry Derek, it was a poor attempt at humour. It was a train question and as Charlton fans we like nothing more than to talk about and share our vast knowledge of trains (or so we're told).Derek1952 said:What,s proper Charlton to do with how trains are run?
Hope I haven't upset you.
I think a forum ban of 1 month should suffice and we can all move on and put this whole sorry episode behind us and embrace Saturday's joyous occasion with peace of mind.
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One of the reasons why Corbyn's Labour are supporting Brexit, is that they have a manifesto commitment to nationalise the railways, but assert that this would be disallowed under EU single market rules. Yet he and his sidekick were busy applauding this move yesterday.
Of course they are talking bollocks and they know it. They know perfectly that Deutsche Bahn, which is both track operator and dominant train service provider, is 93% owned by the German State, and that the "N" in SNCF stand for National. Berks.
The Single Market Directive simply calls for private operators to be given access to provide competition, which is happening in both Germany and France.5 -
Its ok no one has upset me sorry I did not get the joke. When its written it is difficult to read the true meaning. Not having a business brain I could just could understand why the West Coast is ok.up to a point and the East Coast has problems.1
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not undestand.
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Too late mate.....the damage has already been done!Brendan_O_Connell said:
Sorry Derek, it was a poor attempt at humour. It was a train question and as Charlton fans we like nothing more than to talk about and share our vast knowledge of trains (or so we're told).Derek1952 said:What,s proper Charlton to do with how trains are run?
Hope I haven't upset you.0 -
Have you seen the silly name the government are now going to call the east coast franchise, L.N.E.R. I mean, whoever dreamt up a name like that, what does it stand for. Let see what we can make out of those initials. The east coast main line starts in London, so the L could stand for London, now the line runs north, so possibly the N may stand for North, E, lets leave that one for a moment, while I think about it, as it's a railway, the R should mean Railway, the railway uses the east coast main, so the E must have something to do with the East, so how about, Eastern Railway. Now we are getting somewhere, if we joined all these suggestion up, we could come up with, perhaps, the London North Eastern Railway, well that as gooda name for a railway as any, I suppose. Then, they could then employ an engineer called Nigel Gresley, (Sorry, not another Nigel, but I can't think of another name at the moment) and he could design the fastest steam engine in the world, but, being a Nigel, he will name the fastest steam engine in the world after a common wad duck. Well my idea on it, and that's why Charlton supporters are called "Trainspotters"1
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