[News] Rail fares in England and Wales to increase by up to 5.9% in March

[Peteinblack]

We also have to pay more to ensure that there is enough money to pay the shareholders their dividends every year.

In many private companies, 'maximising shareholder value' is the primary economic objective - other considerations (a decent service for customers, treating the workforce with dignity and respect, and community or environmental considerations) are now irrelvant: 'Woke' Leftie nonsense.

 

[Peteinblack]

Perhaps the railways need to be privatised, because then competition for customers would result in cheaper fares, more reliable services, and more choice about who to travel with.

Oh, hold on

 

[vegster]

We also have to pay more to ensure that there is enough money to pay the shareholders their dividends every year.

In many private companies, 'maximising shareholder value' is the primary economic objective - other considerations (a decent service for customers, treating the workforce with dignity and respect, and community or environmental considerations) are now irrelvant: 'Woke' Leftie nonsense.

And of course all these facts should be considered when the government suggests more Private Health Care within the NHS. I think I am correct in saying that there is no such thing as an A&E run by a private healthcare company,as there's no profit in it.

 

[Seasider78]

It’s already pretty much £1+ per mile on the train in peak times to travel in cramped conditions on 30 year old train stock with unreliable levels of service. And they wonder why people stay in their cars

 

[Scappa]

.but hey, why would a Tory government want to encourage the public to be using greener transport for the environment ?

That would be far too WOKE to ever be allowed to happen

 

[chickens]

Of course it will be funded by taxes. More economic activity = more tax income, unless someone or something is eating the money on the way.

Mainly Amazon over here.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

It’s already pretty much £1+ per mile on the train in peak times to travel in cramped conditions on 30 year old train stock with unreliable levels of service. And they wonder why people stay in their cars

The state of those on the Brighton-Seaford line are beyond a joke, faded seat fabric completely worn through in places, windows you can barely see out of because they’re covered in a foggy film of cloudy grime that the depot cleaners apparently can’t remove, or it’s that the glass is so old it’s gone that way. Even worse is the ‘Leeds United Crew’ sticker that’s been on the wall of one of these trains since last year.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Privatisation has been a disaster, and the chauffeur driven Tory MPs do not care one bit. Given how small the UK is, it is incredibly difficult to get around in a timely and affordable fashion, it is ridiculous. Public transport is good for the environment and a driver of economic activity. Rail and buses should be in public hands and quality of service should be the key markers of success not shareholder dividends

 

[beorhthelm]

Wait till the rail companies get their wish to " reassign " ticket office staff. Currently they are the only people who can work the complicated and expensive ticketing system to get cheaper tickets. Once they are gone we will be stuck with online or ticket machine prices which will inevitably lead to increased fares....

.but hey, why would a Tory government want to encourage the public to be using greener transport for the environment ? Do Green lobby groups or think tanks fund Tory MP'S? ...Probably not.

dont believe for a minute the ticket office staff have encyclopedic knowledge of the ticket options, might have some local hacks but for general tickets they just read off the computer. ticket machines give me the cheapest available option whenever i use them.

 

[BN41Albion]

Perhaps the railways need to be privatised, because then competition for customers would result in cheaper fares, more reliable services, and more choice about who to travel with.

Oh, hold on

Always makes me laugh when you see adverts for train companies on the telly, as if anyone actually chooses the train company they travel with. Privatisation and competition of an entity there essentially isn't any choice over - booking a train from A to B - is absurd!

 

[beorhthelm]

Always makes me laugh when you see adverts for train companies on the telly, as if anyone actually chooses the train company they travel with. Privatisation and competition of an entity there essentially isn't any choice over - booking a train from A to B - is absurd!

they're usually advertising using the railway.

its funny though seeing this arguement on this board, as BML did use to have a rare examples of competition, cheaper fares to London by Thameslink than Southern.

 

[Soton Seagull]

Assuming the uplift is based entirely on the % of trains that both run and are on time - 5.9% seems about right.

 

[vegster]

dont believe for a minute the ticket office staff have encyclopedic knowledge of the ticket options, might have some local hacks but for general tickets they just read off the computer. ticket machines give me the cheapest available option whenever i use them.

A lot of them do have " Work Arounds " for cheaper tickets. Mrs V had to travel often to Shropshire by train and the online price was usually more expensive than going to a local ticket office. It's always far easier to be overcharged than undercharged.

 

[portlock seagull]

Good job everyone is able to afford these fare increases, what with bosses offering far above rate of inflation rises!

 

[Guinness Boy]

Always makes me laugh when you see adverts for train companies on the telly, as if anyone actually chooses the train company they travel with. Privatisation and competition of an entity there essentially isn't any choice over - booking a train from A to B - is absurd!

There's a tiny bit on some lines.

When I was going to York regularly I had the choice of GNER and Grand Central. Grand Central were a lot less often and took a wee bit longer but were cheaper and I never failed to get a seat, with plenty of other spare.

For the morning and evening commute though? It's just a case of pray you get on the only ones still running.

Privatising the line and signals always made even less sense but Network Rail are now back to that wonderful hodge podge "public company".

 

[Braggfan]

I'm hoping the silver lining to this, is that when the tories lose the next election there will be near unanimous public support for nationalising the railways.

 

[jackalbion]

Was interested to read that passenger numbers are back to pre-Covid levels. Struggling to see how this can be true - literally everyone I’ve ever worked with is travelling to work far less than they were pre-Covid.

UK rail passenger numbers reach 99% of pre-covid heights | Rail Technology Magazine

After slow but continuous growth since the easing of pandemic lockdown restrictions, the dwindling passenger numbers within the r

www.railtechnologymagazine.com

Leisure is up on pre pandemic, commuting is down on pre pandemic, meets in the middle.

 

[jackalbion]

dont believe for a minute the ticket office staff have encyclopedic knowledge of the ticket options, might have some local hacks but for general tickets they just read off the computer. ticket machines give me the cheapest available option whenever i use them.

Why don't you just change your username to 'I hate workers', what a load of presumptuous shite.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Leisure is up on pre pandemic, commuting is down on pre pandemic, meets in the middle.

So, with fares in mind, is "peak" really the peak now?

We left early to get to Charlton (for obvious reasons ). The 14.13 from Portslade to Brighton (started at Southampton) was absolutely rammed. My son even said he was surprised a local train was that busy in early afternoon. The 14.44 Thameslink was similarly rammed by Three Bridges. And the last two trains back from London Bridge and Vic were also busy. On the other hand I've always easily got a seat coming home from my office when I've worked in London, with the train only really busy between Clapham and East Croydon.

Would it not have made sense to have flexed the rise rather than applying 5.9% across the board, putting more on "off peak" leisure fares but holding monthly and annual STs and applying a far lower rate to morning peak tickets? People back in offices would certainly help businesses in The City and towns like Brighton and Haywards Heath.

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

Wondering if peak and off peak fares are becoming out dated concepts. My guess is that the trend is for shorter, leisure oriented journeys. Longer journey fares are becoming seriously prohibitive.