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