Latest news with #HullTrains
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
We don't need to nationalise our railways to fix them
One of the new Labour Government's first acts was to hand a big wedge of taxpayer cash to already well-paid train drivers, along with a promise of more as rolling rail renationalisation steadily tightens its grip over the next few years. But it hasn't worked. Train strikes have carried on regardless, and now The Telegraph reports there are calls for even more taxpayer subsidies too. It's a grim comment on how bad our railways have become that going back to the 1970s now seems like a good idea. It doesn't have to be this way. There's a proven alternative that passengers are already using, and which they prefer to the big and increasingly state-run monopoly services which let them down so often. Open Access operators like Lumo, Grand Central and Hull Trains are hugely popular and successful because they're cheaper, more reliable and have happier staff with fewer strikes than their government-mandated rivals. The same is true for rail freight too, which has thrived and prospered under an entirely Open Access regime for years. Rather than renationalising, we should boost Open Access services by allowing them to take on more and more of the timetable, and to add new services as well. The state monopolies would be left running a steadily-shrinking rump of services which Open Access providers hadn't yet replaced with something passengers liked better. Even loss-making services could be covered if Open Access firms bid to run them for a lower subsidy than before. This new approach would transform Britain's railways. Rival rail firms would compete for passengers on each route, offering a variety of different prices, quality and styles of service. This would be driven by the knowledge their customers could switch to a rival's service at any time if it was better. The new world would be more resilient too, because when things went wrong with one provider's services other firms would keep operating. And it would be more future-proof with fewer quangos and less red tape as well, because firms could launch new services quickly, at their own risk, without having to wait and see if officials or politicians would approve. Most fundamentally, it would turn Network Rail from a loss-making, subsidy-hungry public bureaucracy into an efficient, commercially-successful and valuable business, because they'd earn their living from rail firms paying a fair price to use the tracks. Suddenly, Network Rail staff would have strong incentives to boost revenues by using safer new technologies to run more services than today, and to cut bloated costs so they could maintain, improve and expand the network far more efficiently in the future as well. Last but certainly not least: the Chancellor of the Exchequer would like it too. Rail subsidies have mushroomed since the pandemic, creating major headaches for a Labour Government that's facing mounting tax and spending pressures almost everywhere they look, with a particularly vicious public spending settlement due in the next few weeks. But switching to Open Access would cut subsidies for the first time in years, creating much-needed headroom in the Treasury's figures. In spite of all this, Labour won't do it. Partly because they're ideologically wedded to renationalisation anyway, but partly because the last Conservative Government allowed nationalisation to become politically entrenched as the only alternative to the timetable meltdowns and strikes that destroyed the old rail franchises. That was a huge mistake, particularly when Open Access was – and still is – a proven, popular alternative that's standing at the platform and ready to depart. It's an argument which we made repeatedly in the dog days of the last Conservative Government, but failed to prod our successors into action. If we'd successfully established Open Access as the practical, growing alternative to renationalisation, Labour's prejudices might have had closer scrutiny. We would no longer have been offering electors a ghastly choice between dreadful 1970s British Rail or failed noughties franchising. Instead the question would have been: 'do you want our railways to move forward or back?' For anyone who's travelled on an Open Access train, or is just plain fed up with having no alternative when their local service lets them down, the answer is easy. Let's hope we will be brave enough to ask it clearly whenever the next election comes around.
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Hull Trains: Strike impacts services for second consecutive day
An East Yorkshire rail operator's train services are set to be disrupted on Saturday due to strike of the Aslef union at Hull Trains have walked out for a second consecutive day in a long-running dispute over the sacking of a union has claimed a driver was unfairly dismissed for raising a safety concern, which the company denies.A spokesperson from Hull Trains apologised for the disruption, adding: "On this occasion, the union has not served their usual notice of suspension for the following day. "While the majority of our services will continue to run, a number have been cancelled."The firm said impacted customers could use alternative Hull Trains services or claim refunds on tickets purchased with other operators via their customer service Whelan, Aslef general secretary, said: "The company's failure to act responsibly has enormous implications not just for rail workers and passengers at Hull Trains but for staff and passengers right across the wider rail network."Anyone who works on the railway should be able to report a safety concern without fearing they will be penalised, punished, or lose their livelihood."Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- BBC News
Further Hull Trains rail strike over sacked driver dispute
Train services to and from Hull on Friday have been been disrupted because of a strike by drivers in a long-running dispute over the sacking of a of Aslef at Hull Trains have walked out again, leading to several services being cancelled, including between Hull and London Kings union has claimed a driver was unfairly sacked for raising a safety concern, which the company denied.A Hull Trains spokesperson said the firm was "sorry for the short-notice disruption to Hull Trains services". "While the majority of our services will continue to run, a number have been cancelled," the spokesperson added."This follows a pattern of suspended strike notices from the union, with no suspension notice issued on this occasion."Customers with affected tickets can use alternative Hull Trains services or buy tickets with other operators and claim a refund via our customer service team." 'Moral issue' Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said that Hull Trains had "behaved deplorably"."The company's failure to act responsibly has enormous implications not just for rail workers and passengers at Hull Trains but for staff and passengers right across the wider rail network," he said."This is a moral issue because we have a culture on the railway designed to keep everyone safe."Anyone who works on the railway should be able to report a safety concern without fearing they will be penalised, punished, or lose their livelihood. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Yahoo
Hull Trains staff continue strike in dispute over sacking of driver
Drivers at Hull Trains are continuing to strike over Easter in a long-running dispute over the sacking of a colleague. Members of Aslef walked out on Good Friday and will continue striking until Tuesday morning, warning that services will be disrupted. The union says the driver was unfairly sacked after raising a safety issue at a meeting, which the company disputes. Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef said: 'The company's failure to act responsibly has enormous implications not just for rail workers and passengers at Hull Trains but for staff and passengers right across the wider rail network. 'This is a moral issue because we have a culture on the railway designed to keep everyone safe. Anyone who works on the railway should be able to report a safety concern without fearing they will be penalised, punished or lose their livelihood. The company has behaved deplorably.' A spokesperson for Hull Trains said: 'The safety of our customers and colleagues remains our number one priority. 'Aslef have declined two recent offers that we have made for constructive talks and Hull Trains remains open to dialogue.' The company said on Friday there were minor alterations to its timetable, with most services operating as planned. Hull Trains previously said it followed highly regulated industry standard agreements and procedures for safety. The company operates services between Hull and London King's Cross, with stops at stations including Selby, Doncaster, Retford and Grantham.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Yahoo
Hull Trains staff continue strike in dispute over sacking of driver
Drivers at Hull Trains are continuing to strike over Easter in a long-running dispute over the sacking of a colleague. Members of Aslef walked out on Good Friday and will continue striking until Tuesday morning, warning that services will be disrupted. The union says the driver was unfairly sacked after raising a safety issue at a meeting, which the company disputes. Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef said: 'The company's failure to act responsibly has enormous implications not just for rail workers and passengers at Hull Trains but for staff and passengers right across the wider rail network. 'This is a moral issue because we have a culture on the railway designed to keep everyone safe. Anyone who works on the railway should be able to report a safety concern without fearing they will be penalised, punished or lose their livelihood. The company has behaved deplorably.' A spokesperson for Hull Trains said: 'The safety of our customers and colleagues remains our number one priority. 'Aslef have declined two recent offers that we have made for constructive talks and Hull Trains remains open to dialogue.' The company said on Friday there were minor alterations to its timetable, with most services operating as planned. Hull Trains previously said it followed highly regulated industry standard agreements and procedures for safety. The company operates services between Hull and London King's Cross, with stops at stations including Selby, Doncaster, Retford and Grantham. Sign in to access your portfolio
