Tag: railways

Lazarowicz backs rail Bill

Mark Lazarowicz MP backs Bill to allow public sector train operators

trains at newcastle stationLocal MP Mark Lazarowicz was today among MPs to support a Motion by Labour MP Andy Sawford for a Bill to be introduced to permit public sector railway operators. 

The Motion was passed by 197 votes to 38 and even if the Bill does not reach the statute book the vote shows the strength of feeling amongst Labour MPs about the franchise system and the service that passengers are receiving.

The new franchise for the East Coast Line is due to start in March 2015 but the UK Government has repeatedly refused to allow Directly Operated Railways (DOR), the public sector company currently running the East Coast Main Line, to bid for it.

The North & Leith Mp said: “I strongly welcome this Bill which would permit a public sector company to bid for a franchise as I have been urging the Government to allow the current public sector operator of the East Coast Line to be allowed to do given the successful way it is running it.

“Given the franchise fiasco of the West Coast Line last year and East Coast’s private sector operator reneging on the terms of that contract in 2009 surely it’s time a public sector operator is given a chance at last to bid for a franchise or is the Government afraid of a public sector bid coming out on top.”

The railway network was privatised in 1993 by the then Conservative Government of John Major. The East Coast Line is currently the only franchise run by a UK public sector rail operator and it has consistently been amongst the top train operators for value for money for the taxpayer.

The latest results for Directly Operated Railways showed that in the last financial year before it is reprivatised, to March 2014, it paid £225m to the government after it’s pre-tax profits for the year rose 40%. Over the five years the company has run the East Coast Line since 2009 it has paid more than £1bn in premium payments to the Government.

Don’t make Scotrail decision before new powers devolved: Lararowicz

trains at newcastle station

Loal MP Mark Lazarowicz has backed a call by Scottish Labour MPs, MSPs and the RMT rail union for the retendering of the ScotRail and Caledonian sleeper franchises to be postponed in the light of the timetable for the devolution of new powers to the Scottish Parliament.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has proposed that the new devolved powers should include further devolution of powers over rail transport.

The Government is to publish the proposals of each of the three main Westminster parties by 30 October and the Scottish people, civil society in Scotland and the Scottish Parliament will then be consulted on them, but a decision on the company to operate the Scotrail franchise is due to be announced this month with the franchise to start in April 2015 and to run for the next 10 years.

The North and Leith MP said: “The proposals for further devolution include new powers covering rail transport and in the light of that I am calling on the Scottish Government to postpone the retendering of the ScotRail and Caledonian sleeper franchises.

“That would mean that once the powers are devolved the Scottish Government will be free to decide whether it wishes to run rail services in the public sector rather than continuing with privatisation.

“The new powers should enable the Scottish people to make a real choice about the kind of society we are and, on rail as on other issues, the Scottish Government should not make that decision for us before we are able to.”

The timetable for the transfer of further powers to the Scottish Parliament can be found in the text of a Parliamentary Motion at

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmagenda/fb141013.htm

[Section B, no. 28]