Scotrail

[NorthernLights]

Mallaig is down to one direct train to Glasgow a day... at 6:03am

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/scotrail-slashes-schedule-emergency-timetable-b2082626.html

[Lex]

I don’t think it’s any surprise that that Scotrail is being destroyed by nationalisation. As anyone who has paid any attention to Prestwick airport or the ferries will know, when this government gets involved in business, it doesn’t go well.
The speed of the destruction is the real surprise here. This ‘emergency timetable’ is going to last for months, probably into next year. When some services are restored, they all won’t be. But there will be more than there is during this apparent ‘emergency’, so it won’t seem as bad.
It’s the classic shit sandwich approach to cuts, with an ‘emergency’ as one side of the bread, the decimation of services in the middle, and the restoration of some of them to a beleaguered travelling public on the other side.

[RiG]

The odd thing is that nationalising the rail network can work. LNER (or East Coast in a previous life) turned a profit for the taxpayer when it was run by the Government yet plenty of private operators ran at a loss and defaulted on the franchise.

[eez-eh]

Yep, ScotGov making a c**t of it doesn’t dismantle the concept of nationalisation. Which is why Lex should be laughed out the room when he tries to turn this into a “see! Privatisation is so good” thing.

[Detournement]

Just now, RiG said:

The odd thing is that nationalising the rail network can work. LNER (or East Coast in a previous life) turned a profit for the taxpayer when it was run by the Government yet plenty of private operators ran at a loss and defaulted on the franchise.

Running at a profit is for mugs. The private operators want to skim as much cash as they can from the company which leads to the government giving them even more money to maintain operations plus a favourable tax bill.

It's the same as Crossrail in London. Everyone involved in that in the private sector was incentisived to drag it out for as long as possible. The guys I know working on it as contractors spend the majority of their working time making sure that they are getting paid. 

 

[drs]

57 minutes ago, NorthernLights said:

Mallaig is down to one direct train to Glasgow a day... at 6:03am

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/scotrail-slashes-schedule-emergency-timetable-b2082626.html

Its what happens when you have a central belt government that doesn't care for anyone in rural areas.

We've been shafted time and time again by Westminster and then Edinburgh over the centuries - utter c***s the lot of them, sooner we are independent from that Weegie cabal the better.

[DiegoDiego]

Weegie cabal

There's what, one member of cabinet from Glasgow?

[Aufc]

Maybe I am wrong but I always thought that the whole point of taking a service into public arms was not to make a profit but rather to provide a better service. Also with the train service there would also be an element of being seen to be greener by getting people out their cars.

However, it seems they are making an arse of everything

[drs]

20 minutes ago, DiegoDiego said:

There's what, one member of cabinet from Glasgow?

Anything south of Ullapool is a Weegie to me.

[Juanhourjoe]

55 grand a year for driving the choo-choo sounds mental.

[Clown Job]

Is this meant to be reassuring 

 

[Lurkst]

1 hour ago, Juanhourjoe said:

55 grand a year for driving the choo-choo sounds mental.

Where do I sign up?

 

[19QOS19]

Where do I sign up?
 

To any other TOC who pay far more than that...

[Dawson Park Boy]

2 hours ago, RiG said:

The odd thing is that nationalising the rail network can work. LNER (or East Coast in a previous life) turned a profit for the taxpayer when it was run by the Government yet plenty of private operators ran at a loss and defaulted on the franchise.

Yes, but that was the UK government.

When you look at the SG, you’re looking at monumental incompetency.

[Dawson Park Boy]

2 hours ago, drs said:

Its what happens when you have a central belt government that doesn't care for anyone in rural areas.

We've been shafted time and time again by Westminster and then Edinburgh over the centuries - utter c***s the lot of them, sooner we are independent from that Weegie cabal the better.

If you get independence you’ll get the same mob as at present.

Are you advocating independence for North Scotland?

[drs]

7 minutes ago, Dawson Park Boy said:

If you get independence you’ll get the same mob as at present.

Are you advocating independence for North Scotland?

<--

Explains it, once there is an independent Scotland the Isles should remove themselves from it and get their independence back and actually be governed by people who understand them rather than incompetent central belt poltroons who wouldn't know a peat bog from a puddle.

[AsimButtHitsASix]

It takes months to train new drivers, there has been a shortage of them for years, yet it's the SNP's fault that it's finally came to a head after.. 7 weeks of public ownership? 

[MEADOWXI]

The last trains on the Inverness-Aberdeen line are a joke.

Last Abdn- Inv train is 18.08

Last Inv-Abdn train is 18.05

And from Aberdeen there one train north after that, 19.57 to Inverurie, returning at 20.51 after sitting in Inverurie for 30mins.

 

Just pathetic.

Edited May 20, 2022 by MEADOWXI

[welshbairn]

6 minutes ago, AsimButtHitsASix said:

It takes months to train new drivers, there has been a shortage of them for years, yet it's the SNP's fault that it's finally came to a head after.. 7 weeks of public ownership? 

While current drivers have suddenly decided they don't fancy doing overtime anymore, coincidentally at the same time as their union is negotiating a wage rise.

[sophia]

24 minutes ago, AsimButtHitsASix said:

It takes months to train new drivers, there has been a shortage of them for years, yet it's the SNP's fault that it's finally came to a head after.. 7 weeks of public ownership? 

 

15 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

While current drivers have suddenly decided they don't fancy doing overtime anymore, coincidentally at the same time as their union is negotiating a wage rise.

It stinks enough for even the casual observer to understand what is going on.