"The only people this decision will benefit are the
shareholders at Virgin Trains and Stagecoach" says London Green Party
Councillor Caroline Russell as the Green Party are set to take part in
the national demonstration this Saturday against the privatisation of
the East Coast railway service.
The Green Party will take part in a national demonstration
this Saturday calling for the East Coast Mainline to remain in public hands and protected from privatisation.
East Coast Mainline has flourished under public ownership. Photograph courtesy of Roger Geach.
Mass protests have been organised the length and breadth of the East Coast route in response to the announcement made
this Monday that the network, which has been in public ownership since 2009, is to be
sold-off to Virgin Trains and Stagecoach.
This is despite the fact that, under public ownership, the network has
outperformed all other railway lines and delivered the highest levels of customer service.
Pledging her party’s support for the protests, London Green Party Councillor and party spokesperson for local transport
Caroline Russell said:
“It demonstrates just how ideologically committed to the selling-off
of our vital public services this government is that it would take the
best performing railway network out of the safety of public hands and
throw it into the lion’s den of privatisation. The only people this
decision will benefit are the shareholders at Virgin Trains and
Stagecoach. Once again it is the public that will lose-out.
“The Green Party believes public services should be run for the
benefit of the people that use them, not to make a profit for the
minority who happen to own them. Only the Greens are committed to
restoring the railways to public ownership and ensuring that passengers
are provided with the transport service that they deserve at a price
they can afford. That’s why I am proud to stand today with protesters up
and down the country calling on the government to listen to their very
simple message: don’t jeopardise a high quality public service just to
turn a quick profit.”
The “Save the East Coast Mainline” demonstration in London takes place this Saturday 6
th December from 11am to 1pm outside King’s Cross Station.