Rail freight on Ireland

[Junctionmad]

Whatever you think, privatisation was the best thing to happen to BR. UK railways are busier now then anytime in their history.

You've got to be joking!

 

The railways cost us over TWICE as much in subsidy in real terms as they did in BR days. Are you a UK taxpayer?

 

They can't renationalise the railways a day too soon!

 

 

Passenger numbers are up not due to privatisation, it is natural growth spurred on by an ever more gridlocked road system. Your railfreight figures puzzle me, in the 1950s, surely there were many times the number of freight trains that there are today?

 

I've just looked it up: see -

 

http://www.metadyne.co.uk/D_ml_freight_km.html

 

it's HALF what it was in the 1950s.

 

 

Firstly that data stops at 2010.

 

Based on projecting 2014 Q4 forward , at just under 6 kgtm and showing growths of 5-6% suggest 2015 will be around 26 kgtm. Not far off 50s early 60s given that the accuracy of the data pre 1990s is suspect. Q4 was a record year since accurate kgtm records were maintained. Freight lifted ( ie carried) is at record highs. This all compare with approx 13 kgtm in the 80s under BR

 

http://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/12189/freight-rail-usage-2013-14-q4.pdf

 

 

Network Rail have forecast a doubling by 2030. Which would bring uk freight to potentially its highest ever numbers.

 

As for passengers. It matter not WHY they are using rail, simply that they are.

 

Subsidies were way too low under BR. are now at realistic levels to enable rail network replacement , which is occurring apace

 

Re nationalising the railways would be a disaster and NO political party of any merit has it in its agenda.

 

Irrespective of what you feel about nationalisation politically, the current system is invigorated compared to a moribund system pre privatisation. I'm not saying mistakes weren't made but today you just can't argue with the freight and passengers carried. Lines are being reinstated , track doubling and quadrupling , gwml electrification , reading etc. even steam has got a major boost as it formed into TOCs and has commercial access rights , and doesn't have to go begging to BR.

 

The actual quantitative amount of subsidy is irrelevant, the end result is that rail activity is growing not declining. The uk can easily afford the subsidy and it's a fraction of overall road infrastructure costs , especially accumulated costs.

 

Network rail recently stated that the uk rail network overall activity is greater now then any time since 1920 , arguably the zenith of private steam

Edited May 8, 2015 by Junctionmad

[Warbonnet]

Interesting that you're willing to believe fact/propaganda from one side and dismiss the other side. But sure that's your business. Especially when it comes to things quoting 'projections' and dismissing figures from the other side as 'suspect'.

 

The east coast franchise was a testimony to what can be achieved under public ownership in current conditions. It took an abandoned Franchise ballsed up by a private operator and made it profitable to the extent that there has been uproar when it was re privatised. Forget the past and BR, East Coast shows the template for what renationalisation could be like.

[Garfield]

Re nationalising the railways would be a disaster and NO political party of any merit has it in its agenda.

 

Just a reminder... before anyone thinks of delving further into a political debate, keep in mind that such discussions are not allowed on this forum.