this post was submitted on 25 May 2025
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[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 weeks ago (10 children)

Renationalaizing and extending rail would solve so much in basically every country in Europe. There is soo much demand for it and rail companies everywhere are just cranking up prices without expanding at all.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (9 children)

Well UK renationalisation is happening. Or pretty darn close to it.

We will see news like this again and again. As all the rail contracts come up for renewal. Labour plans to either nationalised or accept community coop like bids.

Expectation is all will be moved by 2027.

Honestly. It is more interesting how little of this plan is commented on in the news like this.

It was in the manifesto. And Starmer has confirmed it multiple times in parliament.

Yet we keep seeing articles talking about single company changes. And a few about accepted coops. Yet no talk about the long-term plan. Given how popular the calls for renationalisation is. It looks a little questionable that the media seems to be minimising the one left leaning thing labour is doing.

Little odd the call this the first. At least 2 other private contacts have been in the news as moved to GBR when they expire. Plus at least 2 community groups accepted as bids.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (4 children)

They're nationalising the train operating companies, right? Not the company that owns the lines, which seems the wrong way round to me. The tracks and stations are the vital resources.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

The company that owns the lines (Network Rail) is already nationalised. Its privatised predecessor (Railtrack) collapsed spectacularly all the way back in 2002.

All stations are owned and managed by either Network Rail or a train operating company, so this will bring all stations into nationalised ownership.

The only thing that isn't being nationalised as part of this plan is the existing rolling stock, which is owned by yet another set of companies. But there's no reason why new rolling stock won't be under direct ownership, so that should sort itself out eventually.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

All? Not all. One ~~village of indomitable Gauls~~ station remains in private ownership, and that’s St Pancras. All other stations are owned by Network Rail and have been since 2002.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Technically St Pancras is still state owned, but it's on a long-term lease to a private consortium. Once the lease expires it'll revert to direct state ownership too, it's just that that's got quite a long time horizon on it compared to the TOC franchises (still another 15 years away yet).

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