Rail fares are scandalously overpriced. Should the rail franchisees be charge-capped?

Question

"Let the train take the strain" was the in-slogan to encourage people off the roads, but the cost of rail fares is prohibitively expensive to many people, and means that everybody continues to take their cars. In about 10-20 years time, the road network will just gridlock to a complete halt. If rail fares were a lot cheaper, more and more folk would want to use them, but more services would have to be reinstated, and more rolling stock commissioned into service. What are your views on this?

Answer 1

That's a hard question as the fares are very high, and you wonder why they aren't lower because the railroads are subsidized by the government. I think the stock owners need to review the outrageous salaries that the top management people are paid.

Answer 2

Totally agree with you... some years ago a major UK retail store offered a voucher that allowed travel from Peterborough to London for 5 UKP. All seats were were taken - in fact the guard told me that they could have put on an extra train because the demand was so high. It showed that if fares are at an aceptable level, more people are willing to go by rail. After all, how can an ordinary person afford to travel frequently on the UK rail system when a return ticket from London to Manchester can cost almost as much as a return flight from London to New York? If the 1993 Tory government should be remembered for anything, it should be for the moronically disastrous away in which it allowed privatisation of British Rail . How was it sensible to split the rail service of such a tiny country into around 23 providers, and to separate them from the track and signalling system? The predicted chaos speedily came true. It's almost impossible to find an affordable ticket, and those that are occasionally available are often sold out, or are so restricted in use that they are not worth buying. Furthermore, we UK taxpayers are continuing to subsidise these (often inefficient), train companies. I read the other day that the annual subsidy is now greater than that which was paid out to keep British Rail going - hence taxpayers are effectivelty giving money to private shareholders!
Re the future... I believe that road gridlock will continue to occur only around/in big cities (more-or-less like it does now at peak travel times) . Where I live, in a rural county some way from London, apart from peak times in the county town, we rarely get traffic jams - and these conditions are often replicated in similar areas of the UK. However, if the population can be convinced that countrywide jams are the future, then it is a splendid excuse for this government - and successive governments - to increase taxes on road transport, knowing full well that we are so reliant on our vehicles that we will pay up to keep them going. An effective, affordable rail service disappeared when Dr Beeching axed a huge swathe of UK rail links - and it will not be coming back, unfortunately. By the way... re charge capping - the franchisees would only argue for more government subsidy!!

Answer 3

Like most services in u.k, been poor investment for over 50yrs in basic infrastructures,services in general. Work from home, or change your work pattern for example start at 6 finish at 2. Not much traffic about at 6 in morning!

Answer 4

totally agree with u, certainly if there is more than one of u travelling its normally cheaper to put petrol in the car than 2 go by train until they alter the prices to reflect this people will not leave their cars at home

Answer 5

i know what u mean
here is a little money saving tip
try splting one journey into two tickets ie you are travelling from kings cross to leeds, dont have 1 ticket , get 1 ticket from kings cross to peterborough,then anoother from peterborough to leeds
it usually works out cheaper