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[UK] Train fares rise 6% in new year
- Thread starter edesignuk
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Oh yay, now we can pay more money that we don't have on horrible substandard rail service, because we don't already take it up the ass every day on absurd pricing and tax.
I think I already moaned about my DLR ticket price to get to and from work going up 10% next year. Tis the suck
This is a really stupid move. Knowing that people can't afford to waste money at the moment, most commuters will now have to spend 6% extra a month. That's 6% taken away from retail, which will just make our wonderful financial situation even better. It's not as if wages are going to meet inflation next year... and oil prices are going down dramatically!!
Well done Network Rail.
Well done Network Rail.
^ Yes, but after years of raking it in, paying out to bosses and share holders while investing nothing, they are now finally trying to improve the network. It's just that they don't want to pay for it themselves (or can't because they've already blown the cash), so you can. OK?
Rail prices in the UK are such a mess. I recently went to buy a single from Norwich to Liverpool, it was £75. Instead I did some research and bought three singles breaking up my journey, Norwich, Peterborough, Leeds, Liverpool and only paid £40. I have also bought a ticket for Norwich to Glasgow for January and that is £18!
It seems standard fare tickets are subsidising all of the discounts, why not cut the discounted tickets and reduce all prices by a bit?
Public transport in the UK is sooooo expensive, it is generally cheaper to drive. I have lived in Spain and the USA for a bit and there it is so much more cheaper/reliable/frequent...
It seems standard fare tickets are subsidising all of the discounts, why not cut the discounted tickets and reduce all prices by a bit?
Public transport in the UK is sooooo expensive, it is generally cheaper to drive. I have lived in Spain and the USA for a bit and there it is so much more cheaper/reliable/frequent...
They've also scrapped some tickets, I can no longer buy an month return to Stoke. I visit my girlfriend at Stoke uni about once a month or so and the tickets used to be £13 (or so). Now I can only buy day returns or one way tickets at £9.90 (or so). So couple in the bus cost for me to get to the train station and then home again it now costs me £27.20 to visit my girlfriend for the weekend. A trip which by car only costs £5 in petrol and takes 1 scenic hour over the Peak District instead of 3 through skanky city streets.
Yet in my home city of Manchester they want to put up a congestion charge since they originally promised to give us metrolink and more bus routes for the last 5 years... But now they're trying to blackmail us; no congestion charge - no (which should be standard) services. They actually want to charge us to get to and from work! A trip which would cost me quite a lot since I live on the very edge of Greater Manchester - yey charge us semi-rural folk more why not.
I love public transport too. I get to sit back and relax and I've had some of my best ideas whilst on the bus. But frig me is the UK getting ballsed up on public transport.
Yet in my home city of Manchester they want to put up a congestion charge since they originally promised to give us metrolink and more bus routes for the last 5 years... But now they're trying to blackmail us; no congestion charge - no (which should be standard) services. They actually want to charge us to get to and from work! A trip which would cost me quite a lot since I live on the very edge of Greater Manchester - yey charge us semi-rural folk more why not.
I love public transport too. I get to sit back and relax and I've had some of my best ideas whilst on the bus. But frig me is the UK getting ballsed up on public transport.
Wow, british public transport is shocking. Even with 1/3rd off (student railcard) prices are still far too high and the service not good enough.
There isn't a great deal we can do, as the trains are a necessity, but yet there it is private companies running the networks so they can charge as much as they like!
It is often cheaper to drive around here, with buses costing even more than the train.
There isn't a great deal we can do, as the trains are a necessity, but yet there it is private companies running the networks so they can charge as much as they like!
It is often cheaper to drive around here, with buses costing even more than the train.
I have a disability railcard (1/3 off and any companions with me get 1/3 off too, and I get the discount on all tickets and can buy just before travelling - no need to book in advance) but I still gasp at some of the prices.
Especially ridiculous is the basic stuff like London to Bristol, or London to Manchester - if you're unlucky, it can be cheaper to fly to the USA than take a train up north. Seriously.
Especially ridiculous is the basic stuff like London to Bristol, or London to Manchester - if you're unlucky, it can be cheaper to fly to the USA than take a train up north. Seriously.
Since I loved the tube when I was visiting London in 2006 and I thought it was the shiznit compared to the non-as-common-or-timely that we have in the states (Chicago, and Boston is my experience), are these prices better or worse than driving? how long is a train ride for a price for example?
Since I loved the tube when I was visiting London in 2006 and I thought it was the shiznit compared to the non-as-common-or-timely that we have in the states (Chicago, and Boston is my experience), are these prices better or worse than driving? how long is a train ride for a price for example?
The tube is a bit different: it makes no sense to actually drive in London for most things: too much traffic, way too much to park etc.
I went to York a few months ago. The return ticket was £75 (more or less). Absolute max it would have been 2 tanks of fuel (the Elise has a very small tank) so driving would have been marginally cheaper I think, but a whole lot more hassle...
Well, let's see, a single (one-way ticket) from London to Bristol, leaving now, 5pm, journey time 1hour 45 min, would cost you about £45 for the cheapest ticket.
Suppose I had to go to bristol next monday for a 9am meeting. Booking now for the cheapest possible ticket (leave london 7am) would cost me double - £70!
That's to travel 100 miles...
Suppose I had to go to bristol next monday for a 9am meeting. Booking now for the cheapest possible ticket (leave london 7am) would cost me double - £70!
That's to travel 100 miles...
Well, let's see, a single (one-way ticket) from London to Bristol, leaving now, 5pm, journey time 1hour 45 min, would cost you about £45 for the cheapest ticket.
Suppose I had to go to bristol next monday for a 9am meeting. Booking now for the cheapest possible ticket (leave london 7am) would cost me double - £70!
That's to travel 100 miles...
Ok, that is messed up.
Fiat Panda 1.3 MultiJet diesel - 70+ mpg
That's 7p a mile
100 miles = £7
It is cheaper to drive...
That's 7p a mile
100 miles = £7
It is cheaper to drive...
Even our monster MPV brings in 40mpg (depending on traffic, o' course).
Thinking now's the time to book my driving lessons. Infact I'll do it now.
Have to factor in MOT, tax, insurance and traffic - but it will probably still be cheaper!
yeah, I'm learning now.
MOT not required for first three years, tax = £35 due to low emissions, insurance group 3 etc etc
I'm thinking of getting one, my ageing VW is getting expensive to run...
Have to say, Bristol to London is known as one of the world's most expensive train journeys, mile for mile. The terrain ain't difficult, it's all flat.
It's just that a lot of large companies have their HQ in the London - Bristol corridor, a lot of high tech is based in Bristol, and lots of military and airplane manufacturing in Bristol, etc etc bla bla so the train companies seem determined to keep the ticket prices as high as possible to suck as much corporate money as possible.
Prices to Manchester etc are generally around the same, even tho it's nearly twice as far.
It's just that a lot of large companies have their HQ in the London - Bristol corridor, a lot of high tech is based in Bristol, and lots of military and airplane manufacturing in Bristol, etc etc bla bla so the train companies seem determined to keep the ticket prices as high as possible to suck as much corporate money as possible.
Prices to Manchester etc are generally around the same, even tho it's nearly twice as far.
Totally, rail fares are way too high compared to mainland Europe. UK doesn't even have a high speed train comparable to TGV or ICE yet.
Actually, to be fair- Network Rail arnt the ones behind the Fares increase. All Network Rail to is maintain and upgrade the infrastructure. The fares increase is pretty much entirely due to the Train Companies and the Dept of Transport who gives these rail fare increases its blessing.
But this is what you get when you try to create a market out of an organisation that should be run like an army. You get an opaque, confusing system that no-one quite understands.
Its suits the government though, as any fares increases can be blamed on the rail companies and not the government. When the government reduces rail subsidy (which it is doing now) what do the rail companies do?