No trains Brighton - Haywards Heath

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

By replacing them properly before dishing out dividends to shareholders or caving into yet another strike threat over pay and conditions?

Thanks Sim! THIS! With BELLS and Feather boas.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Just to chip into the price argument there is an annual German DB pass which can be used across the ENTIRE German network at ANYTIME. It's cost is a mere 4000 euros which is approx £3500. Yes you have read this correctly, £3500 to travel all over Germany, at any time, for 12 months. Goes without saying the trains are nicer, run on time and run every day of the year. As John Rotten once said "ever get the feeling you've been had?"


"BahnCard 100 - Just hop on the next train: BahnCard 100 offers 12 months travel on all DB services. It only costs EUR 4,090.00 for second class and EUR 6,890.00 for first class."

http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/prices/germany/bahncard.shtml

Its not just Germany I think this applies in almost every country....apart from the UK too many different operators.

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

Those morning problems carried on throughout the day.

Took over 2 hrs Clapham to Brighton this evening.

 

[British Bulldog]

Don't even get me started on Network Rail - the system is flawed.

In which way do you see the system as flawed?

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

In which way do you see the system as flawed?

The amount of companies who operate rail franchises and the amount of companies doing Network Rails work.

I'm not saying return to the public sector, but the franchises should be made bigger, to reduce the amount in the country. Similarly, Network Rail should take ALL work in house, instead of spending it on expensive agencies.

If companies have less chance of getting a rail franchise, they will then work their arse off to keep it - might be worth more money to them too - and it might also result in a better service.

 

[beorhthelm]

If companies have less chance of getting a rail franchise, they will then work their arse off to keep it - might be worth more money to them too - and it might also result in a better service.

that dog doesnt hunt. there is little room to provide extra service or value, and the capitail investment is too substantial to have a short lease. end of the day, the model is not suitable. to coin a phrase, there needs to be a third way, one missed for a couple of decades. a corporate structure that has internal competition so rewards innovation and improvments, retains ability to raise private capital but not through shares, which creates pressure not compatible with longer term infrastructure investment. something like a mutual. apply to power, water and other utilities.

 

[British Bulldog]

The amount of companies who operate rail franchises and the amount of companies doing Network Rails work.

I'm not saying return to the public sector, but the franchises should be made bigger, to reduce the amount in the country. Similarly, Network Rail should take ALL work in house, instead of spending it on expensive agencies.

If companies have less chance of getting a rail franchise, they will then work their arse off to keep it - might be worth more money to them too - and it might also result in a better service.

A lot of the work has been taken in house by Network Rail but I don't think we'll ever see it all returning in house like it used to be in the BR days, Not that I wouldn't like to see it but I think it would probably prove to be too expensive to try and take it all on again.

If you want to run a better railway then as far as I'm concerned the only way your going to get anywhere near to achieving it is to get the railway back under one company as a non profit making concern so any money made is ploughed straight back into the rail system, Having god knows how many company's trying to run a rail service never has worked and never will work as you've got too many conflicts of interest and too many people pulling in different directions.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Its not just Germany I think this applies in almost every country....apart from the UK too many different operators.

Very true.