The Secretary of State for Transport ():...Public ownership will end
the gravy train that sees the taxpayer footing the bill for more
than £100 million each year in fees to private operators, which
ultimately benefits their shareholders, not passengers and not
the taxpayer. It will allow us to strip out inefficiency and
waste and will pave the way for the creation of Great British
Railways ending the fragmentation of the failed
franchising system and bringing together responsibility for track
and train under single, unified leadership with a relentless
focus on those who use the railway...
Mr (Wimbledon) (LD):...A
statement of the Bill's primary purpose would not add any
significant costs, place extra demands on the Secretary of State,
or impose any new burdens on Great British
Railways It would, however, provide a foundation
on which her decisions might build, and act as a guiding
principle whenever she uses powers under the Act. As my noble
Friend in the other place argued, a requirement on the Secretary
of State to improve passenger standards at every turn should not
be controversial, and is surely not something with which she
disagrees, so I am surprised that she seeks to excise the
statement from the Bill, and I urge Members from across the House
to vote against the Government motion to disagree...
(Gateshead Central and
Whickham) (Lab):...As I said, rail privatisation has been a
failure. The Lords amendments do not seek to overturn the
decision of this House—of course not—but they would cause
considerable delay. However, rail changes made by this Government
will be meaningful, unlike those made by the previous Government.
Does anyone remember Great British
Railways which the former Member for Welwyn
Hatfield was incredibly proud of? Except there was a problem: the
railways were not great, and quite often they were not owned by
British companies, although I suppose we do at least have to give
him the fact that they were railways. Under this Government,
there will be Great British
Railways with one single train operator, and we
will deliver a fundamentally better service...
:...My hon. Friend the Member
for Burton and Uttoxeter () gave a passionate account
of the impact of the poor performance of the railways that we
have inherited. It cuts entire communities off, and he outlined
the importance of having an accountable railway system, which
these reforms will deliver by having a single point of access
to Great British
Railways through which Members across this House
and, crucially, local people through their local leaders can hold
the railways to account...
To read the whole debate, OPEN HERE
