(31 Jul 2020, 8:33 am)Storx wrote The London franchising network doesn't really work in reality tbf, would be horrendous up here as Nexus or NECA or whoever ran it would just make a balls of it. Not sure how you could just tell GNE to disappear aswell without large sums of money without a backlash of some sort.

Got any proof to back that statement up? GNE wouldn't have to disappear, they'd just get paid per mile and their fuel subsidised. Franchising can work anywhere. it's just the organisation in charge can either make a mess of it or a success of it. There would be large upfront costs which seem unattractive at first however it is no different to when the first £350,000 Hybrids first showed up and they now pay for themselves. Nexus, by all means, are awful but put the power in someone else' hand and they could do well with it. 

The London system works but Tfl have had their subsidies cut, but they make the network attractive to travel on.