If rail travel in Britain was to be nationalised would it and could it be as cheap as the rest of Europe?

Question

I have spent most of this year travelling parts of europe and am amazed at how cheap public travel is. Over 4 weeks by train i managed to go down the leg of Italy and back up to the north again, all through France and back to England all for roughly £140 without any Europasses. As i came to buy a ticket to go from London to Yorkshire, a two hour train trip, i was condemed to paying a whopping £80, double what id spent in 4 weeks in another country. Why such extreme prices??

Answer 1

Because unlike european countries transport is not top of the agenda. The Car Lobby is very powerful in the UK.

It is our embarrassment to foriegn visitors when using British Rail after seeing how good the rail systems are in France, Germany, Italy etc.

Answer 2

Fares were expensive when it was nationalised too. The current system of franchising is actually barking mad and has greatly increased the cost to the treasury. If we were able to unravel the current shambles and go back to about 1993, and then have the government give to British Rail what they are spending now propping up the present mess, fares could be a lot lower - either that or the money could be invested to great advantage in better infrastructure.
Trouble is the government and the civil service have always hated rail transport. Unlike abroad where an efficient and affordable rail system is seen as a matter of national prestige. The govenment is in the pocket of the automotive industry. And the chancellor is too dependent on tax and VAT from motorists.That's why people drive more than in any other European nation and why the roads are so congested.
To correct a misconception, it wasn't Mrs Thatcher who privatised railways. You can blame Major for it - Thatcher had the sense to realise it was daft.

Answer 3

The rail companies justify the massive rail prices saying that the money is invested into the network. I'm not persuaded this is a good reason given the massive subsidy the government provides and the profits the rail companies make. Rail travel used to be a nationalised industry until the mid nineties but has never used to be as cheap as Europe. Rail travel in Europe is cheap simply because of the amount of subsidy each network receives from their respective governments.

Answer 4

it rather is ridiculously inexpensive, too, relying on the examples you pick. working example, i will get to London and back from the West Midlands for £17 - and that's a classic great off height fare so which you could purchase from the gadget in the station, no longer some style of improve cost ticket so which you could purchase approximately 3 months till now you shuttle. Now, pondering it would value me a minimum of £25 in petrol on my own to force there and back, and can take approximately two times as long, i think of this is exceedingly good fee. Now, the example I chosen became from London Midland Trains. some practice agencies, which comprise bypass united states of america Trains which priced the ridiculous £1000 Cornwall to Scotland fare, could nicely be so plenty extra costly. It expenses me approximately £ninety to get to Newcastle and back on the practice, yet using is swifter and is under 0.5 the cost. i think of what we choose is a extra regulated fare shape and extra integration. they could even create a sparkling employer to regulate the activity... how approximately calling it British Rail? Aberdeen Tyke - er, i do no longer think of your Sweeney occasion became an extremely good one. £11.ninety return? The equivalent fare at present (great off height, London to Durham return) may be approximately ten circumstances that quantity, and the well-known salary at present easily isn't £560 a week! ok, so the cost of residing has extra effective relative to wages because of the fact the Seventies - is that your factor? each and every thing in Britain is stupidly costly, so the trains could desire to besides be?

Answer 5

Only if the government increase the central subsidy to the same level as other European governments.

Answer 6

It used to be nationalised many years back, but it was still expensive

Answer 7

It's nationalised in Ireland and it's just as dear as in the UK.

Answer 8

The U.K. government is tax greedy always has been and has not changed for centuries.

Answer 9

it used to be till thatcher decided to sell everything off