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A guard on a Virgin East Coast service
A guard on a Virgin East Coast service at London’s King’s Cross. ‘Properly designed franchises can be part of the solution to the UK’s rail problem,’ writes Ian Jones. Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian
A guard on a Virgin East Coast service at London’s King’s Cross. ‘Properly designed franchises can be part of the solution to the UK’s rail problem,’ writes Ian Jones. Photograph: Murdo Macleod for the Guardian

The private-public model is still the best option for our railways

This article is more than 5 years old
Longer franchises are key to reforming the railways, says Ian Jones; Paul Plummer of the Rail Delivery Group wants to evolve the role of the private sector; and John Bird says we must protect small businesses in railway arches

John Harris (The solution to our transport crisis? It’s got to be local, 11 June) still gives credence to the view that renationalisation of the entire railway system offers some answer to current problems in the sector. In fact, what is needed is a radical reform of the current passenger rail franchising model, and an end to the highly damaging separation of track and train operation.

This could be achieved through the creation of a set of vertically integrated franchises along each main line of route, with a single entity responsible for management and operation of both fixed and mobile assets. These “vertically integrated” franchises would be awarded for terms of 20 to 30 years, to encourage franchisees to take a longer-term view of their businesses, and the financial terms would be subject to periodic review and adjustment, to address the problems that have arisen with the east coast franchise. Properly designed franchises can be part of the solution to the UK’s rail problem.
Ian Jones
Fownhope, Herefordshire

Recent disruption on the rail network has been unacceptable but it is not a result of the existing public-private model (Just look at housing to see the true cost of privatisation, 12 June). Since the mid-1990s, the rail industry has transformed the services and finances of Britain’s railways. Then the system ran at a £2bn a year loss for taxpayers. Now it generates an operating surplus of £200m, freeing up public money to improve vital public services. Britain faces many challenges – not least the need to build more homes. What’s needed is the best of the public and private sectors working together. 

Investment in rail has stimulated house-building across the UK. Our long-term plan to change and improve the railway will secure over £85bn of additional economic benefits, boost communities and improve journeys. But we want to go further, which is why we are bringing forward new ideas to evolve the role of the private sector in rail to unlock even greater investment.
Paul Plummer
CEO, Rail Delivery Group

This week, small businesses descended on parliament to halt the sale of one of our publicly owned crown jewels, the railway arches (Small firms face extermination due to Network Rail asset sale, 2 June). The arches have long been places where small businesses have flourished, but despite being the lifeblood of Britain’s economy, devastating rent increases and the proposed sale of the properties means that the future of these businesses hangs in the balance.

At a time when the government is increasingly concerned about a sustainable future for the UK high street, this is the moment to shelve short-term opportunism and work with the arches tenants by valuing, enhancing and capitalising on their social and economic impact.
John Bird
House of Lords

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