MSE News: Government to review train fares

spidereyes

I have to say it drives me mad with the government banging on about using public transport more and yet rail (and bus) prices locally to me are ridiculous, on top of that an unreliable service at best.
Rail prices to get to the next city cost me £3.60 2 years ago, now £5.40 and yet the service has got worse, 9/10 Im stood waiting for a train that never turns up or at the very least is delayed, don't even get me started on bus fares!

Livingthedream

plumber2009 wrote: »

I would rather the prices be fixed and the best way to do this would be to scrap peak and off peak and replace with a fixed price. The price could be averaged out.?

One slight problem, day tripper to the city normally wait for Off peak trains because their cheaper, which means they have to leave later, reducing the pressure on commuter trains. But if there was no Peak/Off Peak pricing everybody would pile onto busy commuter trains to get to the city earlier, leaving all the later trains empty.

plumber2009 wrote: »

Prices are to expensive though. In some cases its cheaper to travel by car, Even with the high fuel price.
When I travel with a group of friends it is in most cases cheaper to travel by car than it is the trains, Where is the logic in this?

Me and the boy are off to Bolton from Scotland this weekend to watch the fooball, through split ticketing and a railcard it costs me £32 Return, there's no way I could do that journey by car for that price.

minerva_windsong

As someone who used to regularly travel from Preston to London, yes to a fixed price route (as they do in Italy I believe, where you have 'bands' of payment depending how far you travel, so go 10 miles and pay x, go 20 miles and pay y, go 50 miles and pay z etc). In big cities trains outside commuter hours could cost less, say a third off, which would fit in with the reductions you get with a railcard which can generally only be used off peak anyway.

I'd also like to see an overhaul of bus ticket prices and services, especially in rural areas, but I can't see that happening any time soon...

Print_Screen

When it can be cheaper to fly from London to Edinburgh, including transfers, then it is taking the train.
Then people are going to be tempted to use the cheaper and possibly faster form of transport.
Until this changes no amount of planes pollute trains are green are going to convince people as the environment tends to take a back seat when people are struggling with money

Livingthedream

Print_Screen wrote: »

When it can be cheaper to fly from London to Edinburgh, including transfers, then it is taking the train.
Then people are going to be tempted to use the cheaper and possibly faster form of transport.
Until this changes no amount of planes pollute trains are green are going to convince people as the environment tends to take a back seat when people are struggling with money

It about the same in costs, Out Monday 23rd May Return 24th May;

Train: Edinburgh to London £114.60 Super Off Peak Return Walk on fare (can be further reduced by a railcard).

Air: Edinburgh to London Gatwick £109 Easyjet Economy Return but with no baggage allowance.

The only difference is that train ticket gives you more options on what time of day you can travel, as much baggage that you can carry and direct to the centre of London. Air is restricted to a timed flight, baggage is extra and then you have to get from Gatwick to wherever your final destination is.

That was for a journey next week, I didn't look for one 9 weeks in advance, but would think both Rail and Air prices would be lower but approx around the same price.

IMHO time is the only factor that wins Air over Rail.

Print_Screen

What about for on peak fares?

*Goes to check*

Well Checking I can see the train costs about £270 and plane around the same.

So I suppose it comes down to speed of plane vs convenience of train

Evilm

The stupid thing in my area is that the 7 day tickets are more expensive than 5 days worth of travel. I know some people work more than 5 days a week but its not that many (especially of those who travel by train). Even the monthly tickets only give about 1 days discount over buying daily tickets!

zappahey

Print_Screen wrote: »

So I suppose it comes down to speed of plane vs convenience of train

By the time you take account of travel to the airport, being there so many hours in advance for security, queue for bags at the end etc, I reckon the train journey needs to be longer than about 5 hours for the plane to be any quicker.

geordieracer

Print_Screen wrote: »

What about for on peak fares?

*Goes to check*

Well Checking I can see the train costs about £270 and plane around the same.

So I suppose it comes down to speed of plane vs convenience of train

So really what you first posted was absolute rubbish then wasnt it. :T:T:T

railwaygal

I have to point out that I have worked on the railway as a ticket clerk since 1978.and currently earn not much more than when I first joined . I have to get up at stupid o clock to be there to sell tickets for the first train, I work every bank holiday for no extra pay and am commited to working rostered sundays throughout the year for which I get paid only time and a quarter. I have one day off in the week and often work saturdays for no extra pay. The only days off are Christmas Day and Boxing Day. "Short" working days are necessary when working front line, dealing with "angry and irrascible" customers and rising at such an early hour. We regularly face abuse from passengers for a variety of reasons but usually "because they can" so I take exception to the remarks made by McNulty. I wouldn't do anything else because I love the job that I do and expect to be paid a sensible wage for the commitment I give.