National Express passengers in Darlington hope the service’s nationalisation may lead to a better service and cheaper fares. Catherine Houston reports.

“IT’S about time something like this happened,” said retired tool maker Alex Gordon, 82, from Darlington. “National Express hasn’t been running this service properly, it should never have been privatised in the first place.”

Regular passenger Martin Reaper, of Shotton Colliery, County Durham, felt it was inevitable the firm would run into problems, given the high cost it paid to secure the franchise.

“It should never have been privatised,” he said.

“I think it should be nationalised, giving British jobs back to British people, under British Railways.”

Barrister Duncan Stewart, 26, who commutes daily between Darlington and Leeds agreed.

“I think it is absolutely ridiculous that we are ploughing on with the privatisation of railways, when it clearly has not worked, and has certainly not worked in the passengers’ best interests.

“There is only one east coast line, there should only be one provider, the Government, that way prices may actually come down.”

Ryan Bennett, 26, unemployed, from Darlington, is hopeful nationalisation will lead to cheaper fares. “Companies will not be competing with each other if they nationalise things, that should give passengers a better deal.”

Norma Hindmarsh 58, a receptionist from Stockton, said: “This is our main line connection to London, we do not want to lose it, we do not want ticket prices to rise either.”

IT consultant Angus Adigun, 49, from London, who regularly commutes to Darlington on business, hopes nationalisation will improve services and lower costs. “The most important thing is the efficiency of the service and the cost,” he said.

Geoff Chandler, 22, a singer from Darlington, said: “The service is quite sloppy with National Express, and very unprofessional, everything is over priced and poor quality.”

Apprentice oil engineer Callum Mainland, 20, of Orkney, who frequently uses the East Coast Main Line said: “I would like to think that ticket prices will drop under nationalisation.”