Wales set to nationalise railways as revenues plummet

[editor]

Let's nationalise the whole UK while we're at it...

The Welsh government is poised to nationalise its railways after bailout talks with the current operator broke down and Covid continued to hammer public transport.

Ministers are expected to formally announce the transfer of operations to state-owned Transport for Wales on Thursday morning, insiders said.

Transport for Wales will take direct control of travel on the country's 900 miles of railway, replacing a joint venture that includes French-owned firm Keolis, after passenger numbers plunged as a result of coronavirus.

The Welsh nationalisation comes amid a separate escalating row between London mayor Sadiq Khan and Whitehall, following a threat from Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to strip him of control of Transport for London (TfL).

Trains in Wales have been run since May 2018 by a joint venture between Keolis, a subsidiary of France’s SNCF, and engineering contractor Amey.

While the pair will continue to be responsible for tracks and other rail infrastructure, control of services will be handed back to the state.

Emergency measures were introduced in March in order to keep trains running during the first six months of crisis, with a replacement agreement finalised in England last month but no such deal struck in Cardiff.

The UK Government prepared for a number of operators handing back the keys to franchises by setting up a series of shell companies.

Wales’s “Operator of Last Resort” was hastily renamed “Transport for Wales Ltd” last week in anticipation of government officials in Cardiff stepping in.

Wales to renationalise rail as passenger numbers plunge

The crisis comes as Transport for London is days from running out of money

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[weltweit]

I suppose there is no choice because the private companies would go bankrupt otherwise. But I think it will be many months before traffic returns to the railways.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I suppose there is no choice because the private companies would go bankrupt otherwise.

follow the english government and just keep throwing money at the private sector?

 

[davesgcr]

I suppose there is no choice because the private companies would go bankrupt otherwise. But I think it will be many months before traffic returns to the railways.

A good few years to be honest. (assuming a massive reduction in social distancing) , the damage done by "key workers only - few in reality" , several lockdowns , massive disinclination to "encourage" tourism and general "fear" of public transport + not collecting fares , has led to a veritable and utter meltdown. In between the loss of long stretches of track due to flooding and derailments has led to an unprecedented situation.

 

[A380]

So have Ivor and Jones the Steam been furloughed?

 

[davesgcr]

So have Ivor and Jones the Steam been furloughed?

View attachment 235622

No , they will just be getting a new nameplate and badge , expressing the new "ownership" - hopefully the "non essential" trades will pick up after the hopefully mini-lockdown. There are concerns though about the long term future of coal flows to the Grumbly Gasworks , but Jones has in mind considerable new flows for hydro-generation and wind turbines.

 

[WouldBe]

No , they will just be getting a new nameplate and badge , expressing the new "ownership" - hopefully the "non essential" trades will pick up after the hopefully mini-lockdown. There are concerns though about the long term future of coal flows to the Grumbly Gasworks , but Jones has in mind considerable new flows for hydro-generation and wind turbines.

There's not much call for transporting wind by train.

 

[nogojones]

Does anyone know what happens after covid?

I'd like to think it stays in public hands, but I have absolutly zero faith in Welsh Labour and suspect they'll hand it back to operators once it's viable again. So nationalised losses and privatized profits. I hope someone can show me my cynicism is unfounded.