CONNEX AND RAIL PRIVATISATION

Early day motion 1490, tabled 30 June 2003 by Kelvin Hopkins (Labour). Signed by 46 members.

That this House welcomes the decision by the Strategic Rail Authority to refuse to renew the franchise of the train operating company, Connex; is aware too that many other TOCs are performing equally poorly and that a number have been saved only by substantial handouts from the tax payer; believes that the Connex franchise should now be returned to public ownership and provide a basis for all the TOC franchises to be renationalised as part of a new state-owned and nationally integrated railway industry operating in the public interest and accountable to Parliament; and considers the Connex failure to be yet more evidence of the disaster of railway privatisation.

Signatures by party: Labour 38, Liberal Democrat 3, Plaid Cymru 3, Labour/Co-operative 2.