Am 21.02.2022 um 15:43 schrieb Recliner:
> On Mon, 21 Feb 2022 14:16:28 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk>
> wrote:
>
>> In message <06h41hh8e2q3tbql6m842f6ej03stfqb35@4ax.com>, at
>> 13:41:48 on Sun, 20 Feb 2022, Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com>
>> remarked:
>>> On Sun, 20 Feb 2022 06:30:27 +0000, Roland Perry
>>> <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>
>>>> In message <hka21h5alplvkp0j0u9la8ik44un93nva9@4ax.com>, at
>>>> 17:38:45 on Sat, 19 Feb 2022, Recliner
>>>> <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>>>> On Sat, 19 Feb 2022 15:10:04 +0000, Roland Perry
>>>>> <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> In message <sur0bi$r3h$1@dont-email.me>, at 14:54:42 on
>>>>>> Sat, 19 Feb 2022, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
>>>>>>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>>>> In message
>>>>>>>> <1iu11h5ftbl2fk1gacld45pd41uaav9t8l@4ax.com>, at
>>>>>>>> 14:11:31 on Sat, 19 Feb 2022, Recliner
>>>>>>>> <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>>>>>>>> On Sat, 19 Feb 2022 13:55:37 +0000, Roland Perry
>>>>>>>>> <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> In message <suqqa2$vos$1@dont-email.me>, at
>>>>>>>>>> 13:11:30 on Sat, 19 Feb 2022, Recliner
>>>>>>>>>> <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>>>>>>>>>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>> In message <suqkc7$7gd$1@dont-email.me>, at
>>>>>>>>>>>> 11:30:15 on Sat, 19 Feb 2022, Recliner
>>>>>>>>>>>> <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> remarked:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hopefully stops will be included in the
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> consultation for the next franchise
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> What new franchise, surely
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> OLR/Fat-Controller will have it in their
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> portfolio.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> New-style franchises continue to be awarded.
>>>>>>>>>>>>> For example, another Arriva contract has been
>>>>>>>>>>>>> extended to 2027:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> <https://www.globalrailwayreview.com/news/130492/chiltern-railact-extended-2027/>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Chiltern has always been a bit odd. Let's see
>>>>>>>>>>>> what happens to XC next year, and whether it
>>>>>>>>>>>> gets a classic franchise or a management
>>>>>>>>>>>> contract.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> The latter, if at all. Classic franchises ended
>>>>>>>>>>> in 2020.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> That's what I thought. So no new franchise for XC.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Like Chiltern, it could well get an extension of the
>>>>>>>>> current arrangement. Basically, it just has to sign
>>>>>>>>> up to the wafer-thin profit margin on offer.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Or it could decide to hand back the keys, if the profit
>>>>>>>> margin really isn't worth it. But that's disjoint from
>>>>>>>> a "new franchise/contract/ arrangement" resulting in a
>>>>>>>> new service pattern (such as commencing a station stop
>>>>>>>> at North Cambridge) as a result of passenger
>>>>>>>> consultations, and then being frozen for five years.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I have been left wondering why any company bothers with
>>>>>>> all the hassle of running a TOC. National Express appear
>>>>>>> to have made the most rational decision.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> There are many benefits to a corporation in simply being
>>>>>> bigger, economies of scale, public financial markets
>>>>>> perception, and so on.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> After all, if you are making an extra profit (however slim)
>>>>>> most of the hassle is on the shoulders of middle managers.
>>>>>
>>>>> The stock market penalises companies for getting involved in
>>>>> low margin, low growth businesses. Their stock price rises
>>>>> when they disengage from such activities, which are seen as
>>>>> no more than a distraction.
>>>>
>>>> That's not the only metric which matters.
>>>
>>> I take it you're not an investor. What metrics do you think the
>>> boards of public companies care about?
>>
>> More than just the stock price.
>>
>> ps Not all TOCs are that kind of public companies.
>
> Yes, that's true. Public stock (ie, private) companies have mostly
> lost interest in operating UK railways. Increasingly, they're
> operated by foreign public sector railways.

Let's wait and see whether any foreign public sector railway companies
are willing to operate in the future; the market seems to be getting
tougher in several European countries, with Abellio (Germany) in
receivership as well.

Rolf

Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Feb 2022 14:16:28 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>
>> ps Not all TOCs are that kind of public companies.
>
> Yes, that's true. Public stock (ie, private) companies have mostly lost
> interest in operating UK railways. Increasingly,
> they're operated by foreign public sector railways.
>

Though some (eg Abellio) seem to be rapidly withdrawing from that market,
across several countries.

Anna Noyd-Dryver

Anna Noyd-Dryver <anna@noyd-dryver.com> wrote:
> Recliner <recliner.usenet@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Mon, 21 Feb 2022 14:16:28 +0000, Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> ps Not all TOCs are that kind of public companies.
>>
>> Yes, that's true. Public stock (ie, private) companies have mostly lost
>> interest in operating UK railways. Increasingly,
>> they're operated by foreign public sector railways.
>>
>
> Though some (eg Abellio) seem to be rapidly withdrawing from that market,
> across several countries.
>
>
> Anna Noyd-Dryver
>
>

It’s impossible to win as a TOC. Do well and make a decent profit you get
all the local politicians moaning about private companies making huge
profits at the expense of the public. That leads to tinkering from the
government to make doing well impossible.