Can Open Access providers give greater competition, help reduce subsidy and improve passenger services, video:
and its associated report available here. It is based on work by the Centre for Policy Studies.
BRUG doesn’t have a position on the ownership of the railway, as long as it operated for the public benefit. The brief report does raise interesting questions about franchising, especially as first promoted that competition will improve services, though the policy ever since has been to limit the service providers to geographic or route based sectors.
In Bradford we have a limited open access service with Grand Central, has it increased the number of services to London – Yes, has it reduced the ticket price – The walk-up fee is lower than East Coast – (On its route).
This is an issue greater than the railway in Bradford however it is a discussion to be had both regionally and nationally. But for example 50 private and state companies provide public transport in Zurich.
Filed under: Grand Central | Tagged: Dft, Open Access | Comments Off on A future for open access?
Bradford Rail Users Group 