48 hours of Action for Public Ownership of Rail

Every year, privatisation wastes over £1bn – with money leaking out in areas such as shareholder dividends, company profits, and costs arising from fragmentation of our railways. In 2013-14, taxpayers contributed £3.8bn to the rail network, while private train companies paid out £183m in dividends to shareholders! We now have the most expensive fares in Europe.

Privatisation has failed. It is time for radical reform of our railways. We need a system that benefits passengers, taxpayers, the economy and environment. Public ownership would create a much fairer and more efficient system, leading to huge savings for taxpayers and passengers. Public ownership could fund a 10 per cent reduction in regulated fares (e.g. season tickets and any-time day tickets) from 2017-18. Please support our campaign for a railway that puts people before profit.

Take action for public ownership on 31 March
On 31 March trade union activists and campaigners, coordinated by Action for Rail, will be taking action at stations across the country, calling for a publicly owned rail network that puts people before profit.

We are concerned about government decisions on rail contracts for the Northern, Transpennine, East Anglia, East Midlands and Great Western franchises. This is because government plans across the rail network could lead to higher fares, more crowded trains, and service and staff cuts including ticket office closures, reduced station staffing, more driver only operation, and fewer track staff (see below for a list of stations with actions).

Don’t be fooled by franchises – 1 April
Community groups and campaigners, including Campaign against Climate Change, People’s Assembly, We Own it and Bring Back British Rail will be taking action on 1 April, to mark the 21st anniversary of the Railways Act that brought in privatisation. Actions will be under the banner ‘Don’t be fooled by franchises’ (see Facebook and below for a list of stations). Contact Ricky Jones, TSSA for queries about April 1.

The following stations have been confirmed for the Action for Rail Day of Action on 31 March:

London Waterloo (to meet outside the ‘Victory Arch’ exit, number 5 – click here for a map) – 7:30am – 9:30am

London Bridge – 7.30am – 9am

London Euston – 7.30am – 9am

London King’s Cross – 7.30am – 9am

London Paddington – 7.30am – 9am

Barking – 7.30am – 9am

Barnsley – 7.30am – 9.30am

Berwick-upon-Tweed – 7.30am – 9am

Birmingham New Street – 7.30am – 9am

Birmingham Snow Hill – 7.30am – 9am

Blackburn – 7.30am – 9am

Blackpool North – 4pm – 6pm

Bristol Temple Meads – 7.30am – 9am

Burton on Trent – 7.30am – 9am

Brighton – 7.30am – 9am

Chatham, Kent – 7.30am – 9am

Cardiff – 7.30am – 9am

Carlisle Citadel – 7am – 9am

Dover – 7.30am – 9am

East Croydon – 7.30am – 9am

Edinburgh Haymarket – 7.30am – 9am

Edinburgh Waverley – 7.30am – 9am

Glasgow Central – 7.30am – 9am

Glasgow Queen Street – 7.30am – 9am

Grimsby Town – 9am – 10.30am

Hull Paragon – 7.45am – 9am

Leeds City (two sessions) – 7am – 9am and 4pm – 6pm

Liverpool Lime Street – 7.30am – 9am

Manchester Piccadilly (to meet at the bottom of the approach to Manchester Piccadilly station) – 7am – 9am

Newcastle Central – 8am – 9.30am

Norwich – 7.30am – 9am

Nottingham – 7.30am – 9am

Portsmouth – 7.30am – 9am

Reading – 7.30am – 9am

Salisbury – 7.30am – 9am

Sheffield – 7.30am – 9am

Stockport – 7.30am – 9am

Swansea – 7.30am – 9am

Three Bridges, West Sussex – 7.30am – 9am

Wakefield Kirkgate – 7am – 9.30am

Watford – 7.30am – 9am

Wigan Wallgate – 7.30am – 9.30am

Wolverhampton – 7.30am – 9.30am

 

On 1 April community groups are taking action under the theme ‘Don’t be Fooled by Franchises’. Stations include:

Barnet

Barnsley – 4.30pm – 5.30pm

Beeston – 4.30pm – 5.30pm

Berwick-upon-Tweed – 6.50am – 8.30am

Bexhill – 7.30am – 8.30am and 5.30pm – 6.30pm

Birkenhead

Boston – 11:45am – 2pm

Bradford-on-Avon

Brighouse – 7am – 9.30am

Brighton (Kemptown)

Brighton (London Road) – 5.30pm – 8.30pm

Brighton (Preston Park) – 6am – 9.30am and 5.30pm – 8pm

Bristol Temple Meads – 7am – 8am and 5pm – 6pm

Cambridge – 7.30am – 9:30am

Cardiff Central 7:30am – 8:45am & 4:30pm – 5:45pm

Cardiff Queens Street 7:30am – 8:45am & 4:30pm – 5:45pm

Chatham

Chelmsford – 7.30am – 9am

Derby – 7.30am – 9am

Dorchester – 7am – 8.30am

Downham Market

Dundee

Edinburgh Waverley – 7.30am – 9.30am

Glasgow Central – 5pm – 6pm

Glasgow Queens Street – 5pm – 6pm

Halifax – 7.30am – 9am

Haltwhistle – 7.30am – 9am

Harrogate

Haydon Bridge – 7.30am – 9am

Hebden bridge

Hexham – 7.30am – 9am

Huddersfield – 5pm – 6.30pm

Hull

Ipswich – 5.30pm – 7pm

Kings Lynn

London, Alexendra Palace – 8.30am – 9.30am

London Euston – 8am – 9.30am

London, Kew

Loughborough – 7.45am – 8.45am

Moreton – 7am – 8.30am

Newcastle

Oxford – 6.45am – 9am

Prudhom – 7.30am – 9am

Royston

Salford

Sheffield – 8am – 9am

Skegness

St Austell

Stafford

Stamford le Hope – 7am – 9.30am and 5pm – 6.30pm

Stoke-on-Trent

Todmorden – 7.30am – 9.30am

Totnes

Upwey – 7am – 9.30am

Warrington

Watford Junction – 7am – 9.30am

Weymouth – 7am – 8.30am

Wirral

Wokingham – 6am – 8.30am

Worcester

Wylam – 7.30am – 9am

York – 8.30am – 9.30am