Here IS a BIG idea...
"The government's disastrous handling of the competition for the west coast main line franchise (Virgin back on track in rail shambles, 4 October) is the latest in a long line of coalition cock-ups - but it also highlights all that is wrong with the UK's privatised rail system.
Since privatisation in the 1990s, the cost of train travel in the UK has risen by 17% in real terms - compared with a 7% drop in the cost of motoring. Fares are now some of the highest in Europe and the government's plan for a further 6.2% increase from January 2013 is the last straw for many commuters in my constituency.
Thanks to higher interest payments to keep debts off the government balance sheet, and costs arising from fragmentation and the complex network of subcontractors, the cost to the public purse of running the railways has risen by 2 to 3 times since privatisation. Now taxpayers are told we must cough up £40m in compensation to the four west coast bidders.
What rail passengers want most of all is stability and value for money - not one unaccountable company snatching control from another with promises they may never deliver. So, instead of tinkering round the edges of a system that is not fit for purpose, the Greens are calling for an end to private ownership. Bringing the railways back into public hands could save over £1bn a year of taxpayers' money - some of which could be spent on reducing fares. Britain was once world famous for its trail blazing and hugely successful railways. But unless they are returned to public ownership, we will struggle on with a fragmented, complex and often dysfunctional system that rips off passengers, harms the economy and fails the environment.
Caroline Lucas
MP for Brighton Pavilion, Green party"
From...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/oct/04/rail-franchise-row-flawed-process