In the wake of the Government’s nationalisation of the east coast rail franchise, the Telegraph’s Alex Singleton blogs about the need for greater competition on the railways.
Singleton observes that increased use of “open access” to the network would increase competition and drive down fares. Some of his commenters, however, point out that the continuing need for enormous investment in the railway infrastructure makes this an unlikely prospect.
As Singleton notes, very few railway companies have found it possible to follow the open access route. One that has managed to get its trains on the network is Wrexham & Shropshire, which operates into Marylebone. Coincidentally, Radio 4’s Broadcasting House featured the company on this morning’s edition.
Regular readers will know that I usually use Virgin Trains for my weekly commutes to and from London, with varying degrees of satisfaction. However, two weeks ago I was speaking to the Marchwiel branch of Clwyd South Conservative Association at Erbistock and decided to take the W&S train from Ruabon. This was as much out of nostalgia as convenience; I used to take the train from Ruabon to London years ago as a student at UCL.
I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the journey; it was a beautiful midsummer day and the countryside was magnificent. The train used old rolling stock drawn by a diesel engine, which tended to chug a bit, but the carriages had been refurbished to a very high standard and were very comfortable. The onboard catering was outstandingly good.
Most importantly, the ticket, booked in advance, was cheap. The journey was about an hour slower than the equivalent Virgin service, but the cost and comfort made W&S an attractive alternative. I’d have no hesitation using the service again.
The point is that competition, as Singleton says, provides the customer with choice, which can improve standards and reduce cost.
Whether the Byzantine economics of running a railway can allow many more operators to enter the market through open access, however, remains a matter of intense debate.
