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Video Shows Britain’s Privatised Rail Network Is Run By Foreign State-Owned Train Companies

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Reporter, HuffPost UK

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A tongue-in-cheek video highlighting how profits from Britain’s railways are flowing to Europe has been shared thousands of times.

The clip by the TSSA trade union, which you can watch above, has been released to coincide with inflation-busting fare increases of an average of 2.3% - the highest since January 2014.

Many of Britain’s rail franchises are already owned and operated by state-owned companies – from Germany, the Netherlands and France.

Through a complex web of international subsidiaries, both state-owned and majority state-owned railway companies are operating millions of rail journeys across Britain.

And the profits are flowing back to their countries, funding public transport and spending across Europe.

Here are the top-performing foreign state-owned franchises on Britain’s rail network.

9
Abellio Greater Anglia - £3.64m profit
Chris Radburn/PA Archive
In 2012, Abellio - the Dutch state rail operator's international arm - made £3.64m on the Greater Anglia line. This flows back to the Netherlands.
8
London Overground - £7.54m profit
Fiona Hanson/PA Archive
London's Overground network was run as a joint venture between the German state rail operator Deutsche Bahn and private company MTR. In 2012, it made £7.54m profit, which was shared between the two.

London Overground is now run by German-state owned Arriva.

Amended on January 5 2017 to reflect the change in ownership of the Overground franchise.
7
Merseyrail - £10.77m profit
Gene Hunt/Flickr
This is a joint Serco-Abellio partnership. While Serco is a private company, Abellio is the Netherland's state rail operator's international arm. The Dutch state takes a share of profits - which totaled £10.77m in 2012.
6
Arriva CrossCountry - £12.9m profit
mattbuck4950/Flickr
Arriva is the German state rail company's international subsidiary. It wholly owns the CrossCountry franchise and made £12.9m profit in 2012.
5
Southern - £13.4m profit
Matthew Black/Flickr
Southern rail is a Kelios joint venture. Kelios is the French state's international rail subsidiary and it owns 35% of the franchise. This is equivalent to a £5.68m share of the £13.4m 2012 profit.
4
Arriva Trains Wales - £13.6m profit
Lynne Cameron/PA Archive
This line is run by Arriva - the international arm of Deutsche Bahn, the German train operator wholly owned by the German Federal government. Arriva Trains Wales made £13.6m profit in 2012.
3
Southeastern - £16m profit
Gareth Fuller/PA Wire
The Southeastern line is 35% owned by Kelios, the French state rail operator's international subsidiary. In 2012, the line's £16m profit saw Kelios' share at £5.6m - flowing straight to France.
2
Northern Rail - £33m profit
Martin Keene/PA Wire
Northern was one of several Serco-Abellio joint ventures. While Serco is a private business, Abellio is wholly owned by Nederlandse Spoorwegan - the Dutch state's railway operator. With a £33,033m profit in 2012, money flowed from Northern coffers to fund Dutch public transport.

Northern is now run by German-state owned Arriva.

Amended on January 5 2017 to reflect the fact Serco-Abellio is no longer involved in Northern Rail.
1
First TransPennine Express - £50m profit
Chris GBNL/Flickr
While First Group is listed on the London Stock Exchange, it’s TransPennine partner Kelios is majority owned by the French state railway operator. Kelios takes around 45% of the profits, or £22.55m in 2012.
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