Rail fares going up AGAIN
Scroll to see replies
Original post by James82
we could all live without the railways, we would be back in the dark ages without roads.
What about rural areas where the train is the main link out if the place for the community? The train also brings in tourists into many if these places. Many villages in the Peak District being an example
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Toaster Leavings
Can you cite your sources? I have strong doubts about that but without figures I shan't make up claims.
Even if you are right, which as I said I doubt, if you price people AND businesses off the rail network then they will go on the roads and create horrendous congestion which will only lead to more road building taking up valuable land space on this small island and decreasing its inherent value. People will never be persuaded to share cars, I've never seen a car share scheme working properly. But if you improve the rail network enough then people may be convinced that they don't want to spend an hour extra each morning and evening stuck in traffic thereby making it 'less resource hungry per mile per passenger'
Even if you are right, which as I said I doubt, if you price people AND businesses off the rail network then they will go on the roads and create horrendous congestion which will only lead to more road building taking up valuable land space on this small island and decreasing its inherent value. People will never be persuaded to share cars, I've never seen a car share scheme working properly. But if you improve the rail network enough then people may be convinced that they don't want to spend an hour extra each morning and evening stuck in traffic thereby making it 'less resource hungry per mile per passenger'
From various sources it is generally assumed that the emissions of 1 passenger on a train is around 60gm/km. For a car it obviously varies, but let's take the EU directive of 130gm/km being the average for company fleet cars, as soon as you have more than 2 people in a car you are being more environmentally friendly than using a train in terms of emissions. Obviously you can get cars that have lower emissions than even the single person train journey, making it better even with just 1 person in the car. This obviously only takes into account the emissions, not the construction/maintenance of roads, railways, cars or trains.
Anyway it is kind of beside the point, railways cost X amount of money to run, yet people aren't paying nearly enough to cover the costs. They aren't universally used, but they are universally subsidised, how is that fair?
Original post by jblackmoustache
What about rural areas where the train is the main link out if the place for the community? The train also brings in tourists into many if these places. Many villages in the Peak District being an example
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
Anywhere with a train station isn't exactly 'rural'.
There are plenty of communities that have no train service anywhere near them, yet they are subsidising transport for people in cities or who are lucky enough to live within an easy commute of a station.Original post by OU Student
Some of us aren't allowed to drive. What about us? Coaches aren't an option; as they take so long to get anywhere. (6 hours from Plymouth to London, compared with the train, which takes 3 - 3.5 hours) And I do believe it's not possible to buy open return tickets for the coach - I can do this with the train.
If you aren't allowed to drive for medical reasons or because you aren't old enough then you can get discounts on rail travel, and I have no qualms with continuing such a system. I just object to people who have no desire or option to use the railways subsidising every Tom, Dick and Harry with below cost rail fares.
Original post by James82
Anywhere with a train station isn't exactly 'rural'. There are plenty of communities that have no train service anywhere near them, yet they are subsidising transport for people in cities or who are lucky enough to live within an easy commute of a station.
There are plenty of communities that have no train service anywhere near them, yet they are subsidising transport for people in cities or who are lucky enough to live within an easy commute of a station.Really? It's definetly rural to me even though its ibvetween Sheffield and Manchester. Many places on the Leeds to Carlisle line in the Dales also rely on the trains to connect villages to main cities/towns
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by James82
If you aren't allowed to drive for medical reasons or because you aren't old enough then you can get discounts on rail travel, and I have no qualms with continuing such a system. I just object to people who have no desire or option to use the railways subsidising every Tom, Dick and Harry with below cost rail fares.
Even with the rail card discount, it's not cheap. Not every disabled person is entitled to a disabled persons rail card.
This **** almost makes me want to learn to drive! 
Original post by James82
Anywhere with a train station isn't exactly 'rural'.
lol. Seriously?
Tell me how this isn't rural.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Portsmouth_Arms_-_geograph.org.uk_-_7315.jpg
Glad I bought my ticket before the New Year then. Then out of the country for 6 months. It'll hit me later on in the year sadly.
I am interested in the breakdown of the costs of running the railways, a lot of people here have mentioned how expensive it is to run the railway but we haven't seen much figures floating around, other than a train passenger contributes around 60g/km of CO2, which of course gives an indication of the fuel that is used per person.
Surely public transport is supposed to be more efficeint in moving people around on a basic level more passenger less pollution per person as thier extra weight requires a small amount of extra fuel to move the train. This would be a basic take on attacking the fact that it is expensicve to run the railways.
As far as the tax payer subsidies go, I am not sure that all of the money that the railway receives go towards passenger transport. Services such os post and haualge depend on the railways. So while some arugue that you do not use passenger railway, the money received from tax helps with moving cargo, delivering post etc. If you made those businesses pay more so less tax was used to run the railways you would see increases in nearly everything tangible that you can buy and just because tax is not being used, doesnt mean that you pay any less.
Surely public transport is supposed to be more efficeint in moving people around on a basic level more passenger less pollution per person as thier extra weight requires a small amount of extra fuel to move the train. This would be a basic take on attacking the fact that it is expensicve to run the railways.
As far as the tax payer subsidies go, I am not sure that all of the money that the railway receives go towards passenger transport. Services such os post and haualge depend on the railways. So while some arugue that you do not use passenger railway, the money received from tax helps with moving cargo, delivering post etc. If you made those businesses pay more so less tax was used to run the railways you would see increases in nearly everything tangible that you can buy and just because tax is not being used, doesnt mean that you pay any less.
Original post by WelshBluebird
lol. Seriously?
Tell me how this isn't rural.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Portsmouth_Arms_-_geograph.org.uk_-_7315.jpg
Tell me how this isn't rural.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Portsmouth_Arms_-_geograph.org.uk_-_7315.jpg
There's also the apparently sprawling metropolis of Corrour, or Sugar Loaf.
It is a complete joke the price rises, I feel sorry for anyone who has to rely on the trains to get to work. The rate it is going is anyone going to be able to afford to get to work at this rate, I mean the government go on about people should use public transport, well how can we if it is expensive and over-crowded.
Original post by Morgsie
It is linked to RPI plus whatever. The new formula is RPI+ 1
That means nothing to me.
Original post by thunder_chunky
That means nothing to me.
The Department linked some rail fares with the retail prices index years ago + a certain percentage. That is how rail fares have shot up in the past years. There is talk of changing this formula.
I don't use the train if I have a viable alternative. At the moment it is actually cheaper in fuel, and according to the figures quoted above, not particularly worse for the environment, for me to be picked up from University and dropped back by a parent/sibling than it is to get the train, or even the coach.
I use Megabus to visit my partner (Coventry-Manchester is about £10 return) but to use the train would cost £40 return minimum. Sadly there's no Megabus service home.
We should invest more in alternatives - better cross-county bus networks as these are cheaper and more fuel-efficient (I assume) than trains. It's ridiculous that I can't make the 40 mile journey home by local bus simply because I'm crossing from WestMidlands to West/Southwest on most services networks.
I use Megabus to visit my partner (Coventry-Manchester is about £10 return) but to use the train would cost £40 return minimum. Sadly there's no Megabus service home.
We should invest more in alternatives - better cross-county bus networks as these are cheaper and more fuel-efficient (I assume) than trains. It's ridiculous that I can't make the 40 mile journey home by local bus simply because I'm crossing from WestMidlands to West/Southwest on most services networks.
Original post by Wattsy
I don't like paying around £30 to get from Newcastle to York and back very often, anyone who has a daily commute, even a short one must be getting hammered by further fare increases!
I use coach now for trips. I paid £12 to get from Leeds to Liverpool and back. It's only 10 mins longer than train too.
I get a nice comfy seat as well. I suppose you need to plan these days to save money
Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 11 years ago)
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- One Day Travelcard saved.
- The Ultimate Guide To London's Transport System (Megathread For London Freshers)
- Can I travel contactless from Stevenage Railway Station to zone 1?
- Witness Statement Penalty Fare
- Affordable way to Commute to Herts from London
- Train travel daily commute
- Trainline monthly ticket with travelcard
- Student living London
- Rail Discount? (over 30)
- Travel between Coventry and London
- London Contacless
- Student travel in London? totally confused
- TRAVELLING FROM LONDON TO READING EVERYDAY. Know any Cheap Ways To Get There?
- Fare evasion mistaken the postcode
- Tfl fare evasion
- travel costs - train
- Textile Interviw
- How do you guys visit unis that are so far away??
- Train fine help needed!
- Santander account
Latest
Trending
Last reply 3 days ago
Why is the political left now censorious and authoritarian??Last reply 3 days ago
Is it true that British unis are prejudiced towards degrees from Scottish unis?Last reply 3 days ago
If the Russell Group was now a fair representation of what it still claims to beLast reply 2 weeks ago
TSR Goes Green: How important will the environment be in this year's election?Last reply 2 weeks ago
Research Rankings of universities if you add Research Quality & Intensity percentagesLast reply 1 month ago
Is University of Birmingham prestigious and respected well enough in UK ?Trending
Last reply 3 days ago
Why is the political left now censorious and authoritarian??Last reply 3 days ago
Is it true that British unis are prejudiced towards degrees from Scottish unis?Last reply 3 days ago
If the Russell Group was now a fair representation of what it still claims to beLast reply 2 weeks ago
TSR Goes Green: How important will the environment be in this year's election?Last reply 2 weeks ago
Research Rankings of universities if you add Research Quality & Intensity percentagesLast reply 1 month ago
Is University of Birmingham prestigious and respected well enough in UK ?
