Rail fares up by average 6.2% in new year

[youngsyr]

Oh joy, it seems that we're all being encouraged to ditch our environmentally hostile cars and take the train into work, by increasing the already eye-watering fares by an average of 6.2%.

If you're really lucky you might even be able to pay 10.8% more next year for the joy of standing around on a platform for hours trying to figure out what has happened to your train this time, before being crammed on to a dirty, dated carriage and spending the next 40 minutes standing up with your face in someone's armpit.

I can hardly wait.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11818904

[Stu R]

They can sod off. Prices are a joke already for such mediocre services.

I can drive to Birmingham in about the same time, for less, in great comfort and not have to mingle with the great unwashed, the scummers, and frequently go without a seat for hours.

[fido]

Triple whammy - Petrol, Train Fares & Food (walking) all going up! There was no easy way out of this, you either have inflation or higher interest rates. Your choice.

[12gauge]

In my 'public' transport using days, Coach/bus always used to be half the price or less of the same train journey, despite long distance coaches not being subsidised and the trains being subsidised to the tune of several billion. Yes, it was slower (though not always!) but at least you always got a seat.

Railways other than the underground and inner city ones are expensive and obsolete, we only seem to have them because the unions are strong and some fools think just because the french have them so should we.

[youngsyr]

12gauge said:

In my 'public' transport using days, Coach/bus always used to be half the price or less of the same train journey, despite long distance coaches not being subsidised and the trains being subsidised to the tune of several billion. Yes, it was slower (though not always!) but at least you always got a seat.

Railways other than the underground and inner city ones are expensive and obsolete, we only seem to have them because the unions are strong and some fools think just because the french have them so should we.

You obviousy haven't used the Tube recently, that's underground, inner city, expensive and obsolete!

[caiss4]

This increase combined with my local town introducing parking charges in all its car parks (station car park is >£5 per day) means I could see my commute increasing by £30/week next year.

Watch out for my request for recommendations for a commuting snotter in the new year!

[GTO Scott]

Given that the railways are still heavily subsidised you have to wonder where all the money is going.

I actually enjoy travelling by train - the idea that I can go from A-B without the dull tedium of the motorway boring into my brain is rather appealing. I can take my laptop with me, relax into a great big leather armchair and be served hot food and alcohol whilst admiring the scenery. Additionally, all that happens aboard a train that is 35 years old, and also happens to still hold the title for the fastest diesel train in the world, the HST. It was also designed, engineered and built in Britain for British users - I find the modern stuff that happens to be a UK-specced version of European trains too cramped and too noisy.

However, when I can do a 300 mile journey in 4 hours in comfort and for a quarter of the cost of the train, it really does make the decision of which mode of transport to use all too easy - the only time the train is automatically my choice of transport is when I go to the capital - fortunately as all my trips that way are pre-planned I can book weeks ahead online and usually only pay around £40 for a first class return.

[youngsyr]

GTO Scott said:

Given that the railways are still heavily subsidised you have to wonder where all the money is going.

I actually enjoy travelling by train...

That's all very nice, but it's completely irrelevant for the millions of people who commute into London and other cities on a daily basis.

I'm seriously considering learning to ride a motorbike and commuting 20 odd miles on that into central London as it will be quicker, much cheaper, more reliable and even when it's pouring it down with rain it won't be significantly less comfortable. The only thing that concerns me is the safety aspect.

Says a lot for our train company, doesn't it?

Edited by youngsyr on Tuesday 23 November 16:29

[GTO Scott]

youngsyr said:

GTO Scott said:

Given that the railways are still heavily subsidised you have to wonder where all the money is going.

I actually enjoy travelling by train...

That's all very nice, but it's completely irrelevant for the millions of people who commute into London and other cities on a daily basis.

I'm seriously considering learning to ride a motorbike and commuting 20 odd miles on that into central London as it will be quicker, much cheaper, more reliable and even when it's pouring it down with rain it won't be significantly less comfortable. The only thing that concerns me is the safety aspect.

Says a lot for our train company, doesn't it?

Edited by youngsyr on Tuesday 23 November 16:29

Which TOC?

It's a fair point though, and most public transport companies work on the same basis - if it's not medium or long distance, just pack the customers in regardless of comfort. Customer satisfaction seems rather far down the list of priorities.

[youngsyr]

GTO Scott said:

youngsyr said:

GTO Scott said:

Given that the railways are still heavily subsidised you have to wonder where all the money is going.

I actually enjoy travelling by train...

That's all very nice, but it's completely irrelevant for the millions of people who commute into London and other cities on a daily basis.

I'm seriously considering learning to ride a motorbike and commuting 20 odd miles on that into central London as it will be quicker, much cheaper, more reliable and even when it's pouring it down with rain it won't be significantly less comfortable. The only thing that concerns me is the safety aspect.

Says a lot for our train company, doesn't it?

Edited by youngsyr on Tuesday 23 November 16:29

Which TOC?

It's a fair point though, and most public transport companies work on the same basis - if it's not medium or long distance, just pack the customers in regardless of comfort. Customer satisfaction seems rather far down the list of priorities.

National Express East Anglia, "Metro" Line, but I imagine the "experience" on that line isn't unique.


ETA: According to Wiki, the trains I and several thousand other commuters pay through the nose to take on a daily basis are 30 years old.

Edited by youngsyr on Tuesday 23 November 17:10

[uk_vette]

I also like travel by train,
however it looks like we are a third world country now with travel

Here in China we have trains, UK can only dream of, at a fraction of the price, price for price on income etc.





'vette

Edited by uk_vette on Tuesday 23 November 17:19

[MKnight702]

Phew, it's about time the prices went up, they've been underpriced for years - not.

Even 20 years ago when I left Uni, I did a price comparison of coach to train for the journey home since it used to take me 8 hours but cost £6.50 by coach. Train was going to be £50 and take.... yep you guessed it, 8 hours.

Oh and that summer I went Inter Railing, ticket cost ~£120 (IIRC) but entitled you to free rail travel throughout Europe, even in Switzerland on most of the private railways, except in the UK of course, where it gave you a third off the ridiculous prices for third world service.

[JensenA]

The prices are just ridiculous as well, I've just had t buy a ticket to get someone up here to some electrical work.

Leeds-Aberdeen, return. How much? £265.00! For a family of 4 that's over £1000!! If the Govt means what they say about trying to reduce the amount of cars on the road, then they should encourage us to use the trains by reducing the fares, not by increasing the tax that car owners have to pay on the pretence that the motive is to encourage us not to use the car. It's bks.

[hornetrider]

uk_vette said:

Dude, are you actually stroking that train?

[MaximumJed]

I take the train into central London every day at the moment, probably the second most expensive method of getting in that there is (parking charge and kengestion makes driving more expensive). I should take the train from my local station, but find that I can travel the first 20 odd miles a lot faster than the train can. So I join the train at Ebbsfleet a full 20 miles closer to London than my local station, for this I save nearly 10% on the purchase price! 50% of the distance for 90% of the price!

Still, I put up with it because I don't have a working bike and sitting in my climate controlled, private car for 20 minutes is infinitely more preferable than spending an extra 30 minutes on an uncomfortable heap of crap.

[thinfourth2]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I though he was talking about the one behind

[hornetrider]

thinfourth2 said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I though he was talking about the one behind

[Puggit]

Radio 5 had some communications director from some rail company body on earlier. He tried to claim that UK rail fares were value for money. He was roundly lambasted for that one...

[BeeRoad]

I'm finding it hard to give a st about rail fare price rises. We get them most weeks when it comes to petrol but it doesn't get ten minutes on the evening news.

[MX7]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I don't mind the trains too much, as I'm not a daily user, but it does surprise me how slow they go. Sometimes the average speed must be about 30 mph. Does my head in.