Tuesday 14 August 2012

‘Greens applaud today’s protest of railway workers and passengers to demand action in opposition to massive fare increases and in favour of the renationalisation of railways’

Press Release - Rugby Green Party - 14th August 2012
Roy Sandison - Rugby Green Party Spokesperson says’
“It has long been the Green Party policy for many years to demand that the railways are brought back into public ownership to end the ‘planned’ anarchy of unaccountable private rail companies working closely together to maximise their profits with a captive audience of passengers who have few other real choices in respect of travel.”

“As the railway workers Trade Unions correctly point out the CONDEMS Government sees no real problem with the private rail companies creaming off a public subsidy 3 times that which existed with British Railways and pass on ever increasing fare rises onto passengers, who are paying some of the highest costs of travel in Europe”

“The Green Party believes that the rail system, including track and operators, needs to be publicly owned, and would seek to bring the service back into public ownership.”

“All rail franchises that exist from rail privatisation should be cancelled, with compensation given only for any money that the franchisee has actually invested in the railway in excess of any profits the franchisee has taken from the railway.”

In conclusion, Roy Sandison says “The railways are one of the treasures of our country and could with correct planning involving local communities, railway workers and passengers help bring the UK into the 21st century in respect of promoting the new and sustainable green economy that we so need in this country, but this will not be done under the way this dogmatic government runs things in our country at present.”

“Their privatisation model in respect of the railways has failed and we need change”