Rail fares to rise by 3.1% in January
Poll
Do you think train tickets are good value for money?
Millions of commuters will have to pay an average of 3.1% more for rail tickets from 2 January.
The rise, announced by industry body the Rail Delivery Group, follows a year of disruption on some lines.
There had been calls for a price freeze following the chaos caused by the introduction of new timetables in May. The rise, which is lower than the 3.4% average rise for fares in 2018, means another £100 for a Manchester to Liverpool annual season ticket.
Anthony Smith, chief executive of independent watchdog Transport Focus, said the rail industry got £10bn a year from passengers, who wanted a reliable railway offering better value for money.
Fewer than half (45%) of passengers are satisfied with the value for money of train tickets, according to Transport Focus.
Alex Hayman of consumer group Which? said the new price rises would only add to passengers' misery after a year of timetable chaos, with rail punctuality falling to its lowest level in 12 years.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46387030
What do you think of this?
Does this significantly affect you owing to using the trains a lot?
What do you think is the solution to the current high prices/lack of satisfaction in the railways?
The rise, announced by industry body the Rail Delivery Group, follows a year of disruption on some lines.
There had been calls for a price freeze following the chaos caused by the introduction of new timetables in May. The rise, which is lower than the 3.4% average rise for fares in 2018, means another £100 for a Manchester to Liverpool annual season ticket.
Anthony Smith, chief executive of independent watchdog Transport Focus, said the rail industry got £10bn a year from passengers, who wanted a reliable railway offering better value for money.
Fewer than half (45%) of passengers are satisfied with the value for money of train tickets, according to Transport Focus.
Alex Hayman of consumer group Which? said the new price rises would only add to passengers' misery after a year of timetable chaos, with rail punctuality falling to its lowest level in 12 years.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46387030
What do you think of this?
Does this significantly affect you owing to using the trains a lot?
What do you think is the solution to the current high prices/lack of satisfaction in the railways?
(edited 5 years ago)
Scroll to see replies
Stop certain unions having such a stranglehold on commuters.
great.
Original post by Andrew97
Stop certain unions having such a stranglehold on commuters.
How does this have anything to do with the unions?
Original post by Nibblet27
How does this have anything to do with the unions?
Lack of statisfaction caused by strikes. Drivers pay packets have to come from somewhere
Original post by Nibblet27
How does this have anything to do with the unions?
They're the ones demanding higher wages and encouraging workers to strike.
I hope we are one day invaded by the Japanese. When they storm the national rail building I'll be proudly fighting alongside them.
Ridiculous, maybe if the trains ran on time, weren't constantly cancelled and packed to the rafters it would warrant a fare increase.
It's already so unaffordable as it is
It's already so unaffordable as it is
Our train system and roads are so antiquated that is the problem.
The foundation is old and needs to be replaced heck some of our train stations are 200 years old.
Also the government constantly goes on about cutting emissions but why don't they subsidise railways? If they can subsidise the cost of an electric car surely they can do that.
I wanted to get rid of my car recently but as the cost of a season ticket for me is over £2500 a year financially I am barely better off so I just kept the car.
The foundation is old and needs to be replaced heck some of our train stations are 200 years old.
Also the government constantly goes on about cutting emissions but why don't they subsidise railways? If they can subsidise the cost of an electric car surely they can do that.
I wanted to get rid of my car recently but as the cost of a season ticket for me is over £2500 a year financially I am barely better off so I just kept the car.
If they were reliable and pleasant I wouldn't mind paying, but often they're late or cancelled, overcrowded, smelly, far too hot, and we have to pay a huge amount for the privilege.
Original post by Andrew97
Stop certain unions having such a stranglehold on commuters.
It has absolutely nothing to do with trade unions, and it's rather bizarre you're trying to make out it does. Rather it's to do with our private rail operators who face no competition and can charge what they like, and if they provide a bad service then customers have no other option because there's only one line.
So many European countries have far better and far cheaper nationalised rail services than we do. Yet we persist with a broken privatised model which makes no sense whatsoever. If the rationale for privatisation is consumer choice, then how does that work for the rail network?
Original post by Andrew97
Lack of statisfaction caused by strikes. Drivers pay packets have to come from somewhere
They should come through taxation, as other far better rail systems are, which have far higher levels of custmer satisfaction than ours do.
Original post by DSilva
It has absolutely nothing to do with trade unions, and it's rather bizarre you're trying to make out it does. Rather it's to do with our private rail operators who face no competition and can charge what they like, and if they provide a bad service then customers have no other option because there's only one line.
So many European countries have far better and far cheaper nationalised rail services than we do. Yet we persist with a broken privatised model which makes no sense whatsoever. If the rationale for privatisation is consumer choice, then how does that work for the rail network?
So many European countries have far better and far cheaper nationalised rail services than we do. Yet we persist with a broken privatised model which makes no sense whatsoever. If the rationale for privatisation is consumer choice, then how does that work for the rail network?
The increase is in line with RPI, Chris Grayling wanted it to be the lower CPI. however the unions put a stop to this because of pay.
Moreover bad services are caused by them striking as well as the incompetence of network rail.
Original post by Andrew97
The increase is in line with RPI, Chris Grayling wanted it to be the lower CPI. however the unions put a stop to this because of pay.
Moreover bad services are caused by them striking as well as the incompetence of network rail.
Moreover bad services are caused by them striking as well as the incompetence of network rail.
We should follow the rest of Europe and have a nationalised rail service which provides a far higher quality and cheaper service to the customers, with much higher levels of customer satisfaction.
It's nothing to do with trade unions. And you're seemingly trying to argue that paying train drivers a decent amount is unreasonable.
Original post by DSilva
They should come through taxation, as other far better rail systems are, which have far higher levels of custmer satisfaction than ours do.
Or stop investing in mundane projects like for India
Original post by DSilva
We should follow the rest of Europe and have a nationalised rail service which provides a far higher quality and cheaper service to the customers, with much higher levels of customer satisfaction.
It's nothing to do with trade unions. And you're seemingly trying to argue that paying train drivers a decent amount is unreasonable.
It's nothing to do with trade unions. And you're seemingly trying to argue that paying train drivers a decent amount is unreasonable.
An increase with CPI is reasonable. Drivers get plenty and the RMT hold the public hostage, for example they will bring the central line down just before Christmas over a driver who was sacked for failing a drug test. Yet they have the Audacity to use safety as a weapon on Southern.
Let’s not have nationalised rail. Worked terribly the last time, and just gives the unions more power to **** with commuters
Original post by Andrew97
An increase with CPI is reasonable. Drivers get plenty and the RMT hold the public hostage, for example they will bring the central line down just before Christmas over a driver who was sacked for failing a drug test. Yet they have the Audacity to use safety as a weapon on Southern.
Let’s not have nationalised rail. Worked terribly the last time, and just gives the unions more power to **** with commuters
Let’s not have nationalised rail. Worked terribly the last time, and just gives the unions more power to **** with commuters
It's not reasonable when wages are not rising by anywhere near that and in many cases are falling in real terms.
How come countries such as Germany and Finland are able to offer far better, far cheaper nationalised services with far higher levels of customer satisfaction than ours? Going on about the 70s is simply fearmongering, times have moved on and European countries prove the nationalised model of rail works.
It's not the unions holding people to account and the unions aren't the reason for shocking levels of public satisfaction. It's the private rail operators who face no competition for customers who are the problem. The privatisation model simply does not work where there can be no consumer choice. They provide a shocking service and have the temerity to increase ticket prices year on year with no measurable improvement to the service at all.
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by DSilva
It's not reasonable when wages are not rising by anywhere near that and in many cases are falling in real terms.
How come countries such as Germany and Finland are able to offer far better, far cheaper nationalised services with far higher levels of customer satisfaction than ours? Going on about the 70s is simply fearmongering, times have moved on and European countries prove the nationalised model of rail works.
It's not the unions holding people to account and the unions aren't the reason for shocking levels of public satisfaction. It's the private rail operators who face no competition for customers who are the problem. The privatisation model simply does not work where there can be no consumer choice. They provide a shocking service and have the temerity to increase ticket prices year on year with no measurable improvement to the service at all.
How come countries such as Germany and Finland are able to offer far better, far cheaper nationalised services with far higher levels of customer satisfaction than ours? Going on about the 70s is simply fearmongering, times have moved on and European countries prove the nationalised model of rail works.
It's not the unions holding people to account and the unions aren't the reason for shocking levels of public satisfaction. It's the private rail operators who face no competition for customers who are the problem. The privatisation model simply does not work where there can be no consumer choice. They provide a shocking service and have the temerity to increase ticket prices year on year with no measurable improvement to the service at all.
CPI is the official inflation rate, so CPI is still a good deal for the unions. Just because it works in Finland doesn’t mean it will work in the U.K.
You are aware nationalisation gives even less choice? Are you going to address my point about the central line strike?
Original post by Andrew97
CPI is the official inflation rate, so CPI is still a good deal for the unions. Just because it works in Finland doesn’t mean it will work in the U.K.
You are aware nationalisation gives even less choice? Are you going to address my point about the central line strike?
You are aware nationalisation gives even less choice? Are you going to address my point about the central line strike?
Why won't it work in the UK? When other nationalised systems are far, far better than our own, why wouldn't it work for us?
The rationale for nationalisation isn't to provide customer choice, the rationale for privatisation is that it provides customer choice. Where there can't be any choice, the service should be nationalised and the state should be held accountable for running it. Because otherwise you just have an unaccountable private firm running it.
What about the central line strike? What about all the delays and rising prices which have nothing to do with the unions?
When unions are backed by the state they choke industry and eventually the state itself.
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