Enough is enough – return our train rails to public ownership (From The Argus)

Enough is enough – return our train rails to public ownership

3:15pm Monday 8th February 2010 in

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I agree with the article by Adam Trimingham that suggests rail services need to get back on track (The Argus, February 3) and that Lord Adonis should strip First Capital Connect of its franchise. But I don’t think they should be given any more chances – as I’m sure many commuters will agree, enough is enough!

The desperately poor service and the bone-rattling carriages make for an unreliable and uncomfortable journey. Many commuters who might use this service have given up, opting instead to travel on Southern trains and then take the Tube across London.

One woman told me that FCC’s inefficiency has added an hour a day to her journey, giving her problems with childcare, whilst others tell me they have all but given up on enjoying evening leisure time.

The best solution for Britain’s railways is a return to public ownership and a reintegration of track and train. While Mr Trimingham claims British Rail was “almost universally reviled”, we should remember it survived on a shoestring budget compared with the Government subsidy paid to today’s franchises. If the railway is to realise its full potential in delivering a greener and more sustainable future, we must have a more reliable, affordable service.

Nancy Platts
Labour parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion