How can the train companies get away with this?

[Phil Pascoe]

While we're on subsidies, it's worth noting that there is not a major railway system anywhere in the world that's not subsidised - none of them make money. They are a 19thC solution to an 18thC problem.

 

[No skills]

They might not be there to make money but the could certainly be more useful, get more freight on the rails (or is it back on the rails??).

I dont miss public transport in any way, I dont drive and had to rely on buses for 10 years at a previous job. On the odd occasion I have to use a bus these days I'm always taken back about how much the prices have gone up - I'm not comparing this to train fare rise before anyone gets upset!

I do think spending huge amounts (of both money and time) traveling across country for work is madness, but hopefully those that do it have the wages and job satisfaction to make it a worthwhile thing. In sharp contrast - where I work the money is ****, the conditions are horrible and yes I dont like it ( ) but I left work today at 6.30, arrived home at 6.41. I was on foot and certainly not rushing.

 

[RogerS]

While we're on subsidies, it's worth noting that there is not a major railway system anywhere in the world that's not subsidised - none of them make money. They are a 19thC solution to an 18thC problem.

You mean like Indian Railways ? http://www.bsec.canterbury.ac.nz/news/i ... book.shtml :wink:

 

[Losos]

HOLY SH*T! I am just glad I don't use trains, I never realised just how expensive they were! :shock:

I'm with you on this Mailee, it must be 15 years or more since I had to use a train, and the prices were mind bogling then :!:

I've had to use public transport in my youth but I've never been satisfied with it, my everlasting memory is late trains, delays due to vandals on the track (why not just drive over them :?: ) overcrowding (often no seat available) and don't get me started on the horror of having to sit next to some overweight, loudmouth, moron :roll:

As someone said above, is it any wonder that people prefer their cars :?:

 

[Chrispy]

This is going to make me feel very old. :shock:
My big sister, younger brother and me sometimes went to school on the train, by ourselves, we would walk about a mile through the village to the Halt where we would catch the train after buying a ticket from the station mistress, when the train arrived we would usually make for the guards van at the back and ride in there even though there was only one small (flip down) seat we would only travel one stop to the next village where we would walk about a mile again to school. The same on the way home except we would stop at a friends house for a glass of milk and a biscuit =P~ before being met by our mother.
The railway by the the way is the main London / Birmingham route.
We were never late as I can recall, we never got lost or went missing never fell in front of a train or got run over on the road.
When was this? you say. :?:

Sorry can't remember how much the fair was.

 

[treeturner123]

Back to the subject!! I would suggest that part of the issue is that a good proportion of rail fares, especially long distance are in some way paid for by an employer either by means of a loan for a season ticket or by way of expenses for single trips. Thus some rail companies price not so much by cost per mile, but by cost based on the type of user. To illustrate this, I live half way between Cheltenham and Evesham. The same company, First Great Western, is the only company that runs trains from these two stations to London. The return fare for the train that gets in to London just before 9.00am is nearly double if I go from Cheltenham!!!! Not only that, but you have to specify which train you will return on. From Evesham, you can return on ANY train! Cheltenham is clearly a better market and therefore people can pay more! The journey time is almost the same, but going from Cheltenham you often have to change at Swindon or, later in the evening, Bristol Parkway, a god-forsaken location at 10,30pm! From Evesham, there are more direct trains! The only real gripe is that because there is no competition, you can not get a cheaper fare no matter how far in advice you book. My colleagues who live close to the East Coast Line can get cheaper tickets as there is some competition between the rail companies coming in to London, however again they have to catch specific trains.
On the subject of Split fares, if I go to Birmingham from Cheltenham or Tewkesbury, I get a split ticket at nearly half the price.
Anyway, I wouyld agree it all worked much better when there were steam trains!!

Phil