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Sustainable Railways

I know, but it is an easy way of getting in the paper. There has been no greater critic of Virgin Trains than me over the years, and we have had our share of ups and downs with Mr. Branson, but it has done quite a decent job. It is coming to the end of its franchise, and, when I complained to it only the other day about the inefficient toilets on its trains, a representative said, ““We're doing some work on that, but, by the time we finish, our franchise will be over and we may not get it again.”” The franchising system is a nonsense. It may be all right for McDonald's, but it does not work for the railways, so they should be taken back into public ownership. The other easy thing for the franchise companies—we saw this with GNER—is that, if the franchise does not work, they do not have to ask the Government for more money, they just hand the keys back and say, ““That's it, it's not working, we're stepping away.”” I advocate that we take the railways back into public ownership. Another option—I will not be popular for saying this—is to sell the business to the companies and then regulate them completely. We could have an ““Oftran”” and say, ““You own the business, this is what you'll do.”” They would not be able to give it back, although they would be able to sell it. The franchise system does not work, but I am afraid that my Government are not brave enough to take the railways back, so we have to look at other options. I am conscious that other Members wish to speak, and there are other things to say. The Government have been brave in bringing out their new document, and right in changing their mind on electrification and on high-speed lines, but serious consideration must be given to the balance between what we get from the fare box and from subsidies. Finally, we must accept that the franchise system does not work and, therefore, do what I advocate. When the franchises come up for renewal, we should take them back into public ownership or consider giving the companies the responsibility for them. At the moment, they can get away with handing the keys back, and that cannot be good for the railways. It is certainly not good for the staff who work on them.