(21 Sep 2020, 10:06 am)Andreos1 wrote https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54232015

Changes to the way franchising works.

This comment is very interesting: 

"In a statement, Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps said: "The model of privatisation adopted 25 years ago has seen significant rises in passenger numbers, but this pandemic has proven that it is no longer working."
He said the move to a new system would end "uncertainty and confusion about whether you are using the right ticket or the right train company"."

as is this:

"Meanwhile, train companies who operated franchises that were losing money before the pandemic, still owe money to the Department for Transport from those contracts. Although that thorny issue has been kicked down the road and the negotiations over past payments now need to be resolved by December."

I can't see any of these TOCs that owed money being in a position to pay it back, so I think once the support ends, we'll see a lot of contracts handed back. Covid aside, the franchise model just doesn't work.