Rail fares up 50% in ten years

grizzly1911

StevieJ wrote: »

I thought they were all independent operators? it was Arriva, the time was about 13:30.

Where my mum lives they have network opertors like Arriva/First who get the subsidy and minnows who piggy back the route (still licensed I hope) but don't participate in the scheme. Her pass still works in the NW, off peak.

zagfles

ruggedtoast wrote: »

Worst attempt at a pro-flying argument ever.

:rotfl:Worst retort ever! The type of reply people come out with when proved wrong again and again! It wasn't even a "pro-flying" argument anyway, it was reasons why flying could be cheaper. Never mind, carry on digging. A one-liner will do...that'll prove you're right

princeofpounds

What would be a really useful piece of analysis is to understand what the real factors behind the cost of the railways actually are.

Is it oil and energy? (probably not actually, suspect it's a fairly small part of the total bill)

Staff wages and pensions? (it's probably not insignificant but I suspect not the largest factor)

And infrastructure? Both the running costs,and the capital expenditure required. And that capex should be split into maintenance capex and growth capex.

And how much of the increase is due to a simple reduction in subsidy?

I've never seen, despite hundreds of newspaper articles on this subject, any actual analysis of this nature. Maybe some blogger who actually cares has looked into it.

grizzly1911

princeofpounds wrote: »

What would be a really useful piece of analysis is to understand what the real factors behind the cost of the railways actually are.

Is it oil and energy? (probably not actually, suspect it's a fairly small part of the total bill)

When I made the point at post 10 it was a loose question re energy costs, but later in the day an economics think tank spokesman on BBC TV News did actually raise it as a factor (one of three I think). He didn't quantify unfortunately.

Fuel is often a factor in flight cost changes.

BertieUK

You can if you surf the train operators pricing plans get cheaper fares by splitting your journey, and still stay in your seat, and in some cases it can be a hefty saving if you plan it right.

MacMickster

Gentile wrote: »

I think train companies are currently concentrating on lining up the pockets of the employees and directors than providing a public transport service. Year after year inflation busting rises in fares are for the inflation busting wage increases, bonuses and pensions. The trains are decades old and the infrastructure is creaking. Hardly any investment into new technology.

Maybe you hadn't realised. The train companies aren't there to provide a public service. They are there to make the maximum possible profit for their shareholders by selling their product at the highest possible cost, whilst spending as little as possible in doing so.

There remains limited supply and lots of demand to buy peak-time rail travel (even without a seat). If fare rises weren't restricted then I'm sure that we would be talking about fares having risen 150% over 10 years rather than a mere 50%.

Do you support a market economy, or are you a believer in Big Government?

ruggedtoast

MacMickster wrote: »

Maybe you hadn't realised. The train companies aren't there to provide a public service. They are there to make the maximum possible profit for their shareholders by selling their product at the highest possible cost, whilst spending as little as possible in doing so.

There remains limited supply and lots of demand to buy peak-time rail travel (even without a seat). If fare rises weren't restricted then I'm sure that we would be talking about fares having risen 150% over 10 years rather than a mere 50%.

Do you support a market economy, or are you a believer in Big Government?

The idea of the free market, rather than just neo-liberalism, is that it should be regulated, fair, and transparent.

The train companies are ripping us off, in collusion with our own government.

It is perfectly possible to make a profit and provide a good service to customers. Once upon a time many even large companies, when they were still owned by actual people rather than privileged reptilian cheats, used to take pride in this.

The companies that weren't like that used to go bust. These days they have their friends in government providing unlimited corporate welfare checks and ensuring they arent troubled by regulation.

In the case of the train companies the gravy train really is pulling into the station twice a day because they get to rip us off twice. Once as passengers and again as tax payers.