From the Morning Star

'Privateer train-operators'? Have the RMT^▸ (National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers) not noticed that the environment in which their members are employed has changed somewhat?

It's interesting - Firstly I must point out that I am happy to admit that first under Andrew Haines, and then up to the present day Mark Hopwood, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) has improved out of all recognition since the shambles that was mid-2000s FGW^▸ (First Great Western). However, this does remind me of a conversation I once had with an FGW executive of that era, who when asked why the fares under FGW control had been whacked up on a certain line despite the shocking service on offer at the time, replied "because that's what a marketeer would do". "Marketeer" vs "Privateer", you say potato, I say potato?

I guess it all depends on whether you think things run better that way or not - The Morning Star and RMT clearly think not, but others would obviously disagree.

Similarly, the soon to be GBR^▸ (Great British Railways)-rebranded Network Rail is about to get into the business of train service specification and fare-setting, and will be letting out concessions to companies that will still be private and will still be train operators.

Will that make Network Rail a "Privateer train-operator" ? The Morning Star clearly thinks so, but others would obviously disagree.

I guess it all depends on whether you think things  are going to run better that way or not. People like me clearly have their doubts, but others think the second coming is just round the corner.

We will only find out for sure once the GBR system is up and running.

I think Bob Blakey has hit the nail on the head.

It is becoming clear, I think, that the transport sector may actually be the biggest loser from the Covid pandemic, notwithstanding the protests of leisure and hospitality. At least when Covid is conquered, or we have a new normal that enables us to live with it at an acceptable level, people will want to get back to eating out, going to meet up with their friends, going on holiday, going to sports fixtures etc, and there is likely to be a somewhat smaller high street shopping sector, more focused on the shopping experience, after the pandemic accelerated a shake out that was already under way.

It is clear that the fall off in passenger numbers has been catastrophic, but also that the signs are that there may now be a substantial shift in working patterns that may not fully reverse. There will also be a proportion of the public for whom travel by public transport will mean "exposure to risk of illness" and who will avoid its use for leisure and recreation, whatever the statistics say. This means that capacity requirements, and fare revenues might be impacted considerably. Cynically, I expect that the users of public transport will be seen as a less important part of the electorate to mollify, which could cancel out any growth in supporting public transport on environmental grounds (or wanting to be seen to support it). I cannot see anything other than the return to cost control impacting on public transport investment.

I understand that those in the railway industry who have skills in short supply have enjoyed some good years when it comes to pay (and good luck to them too). But if there is now no shortage of drivers and other staff, whatever the colour of the politics of the government there will not be support for increased pay, and a campaign of industrial action will only further harm the prospects of any recovery in passenger numbers and in the industry as a whole - who wants to take a train that is not running? Who wants to book a holiday by train if there is a risk that there might be a day of "industrial (in)action" when you want to go or come back? Ray Buckton, this is not your hour!

They're already taking industrial action in Scotland

https://www.rmt.org.uk/news/next-phase-of-strike-action-goes-ahead-on-scotrail/

I'm not entirely sure what about which is never a good sign. As eightonedee says reducing the service to protest about the governments inaction about improving services seems a bit counter intuitive.