(14 Dec 2019, 10:43 am)citaro5284 wrote What do you quantify as crap?
Quite a large number of delays are due to infrastructure issues (signal failures, broken rails, tresspass incidents) which are all the responsibility of Network Rail which is an arms length public body of the Department of Transport.
People have complained about the seating in the new train stock (700's, 800's) - I understand the specification of these trains had not that great deal to do with the TOC but the Department of Transport.
Whilst some issues are down to things like Train Crew issues and TOC's not having enough, I cannot see putting these back into national ownership will fix that problem - just look at Metro, it is now back in Nexus hands rather than DB Regio, and there has been train cancellations due to staff shortages on there.
People complain about fares, and yes Peak fares in and out of London could be classed as pricey, just looking on LNER website, I can get to London on the 0827 from Newcastle for £49 currently on 7th January - which for the 268 mile journey works out at 18p per mile, so not too shabby . So would putting the railways back change the fare structures to abolish the peak fares - somehow I dont think so.
Not too bad at all from the DfT owned operator. Especially when you consider punters pay 30p per mile on the privately owned X1 bus service between Houghton and Newcastle.
£4.60, approx 15 mile journey.