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More money for a train that never arrives

I'm posting this in Anything Goes to allow a wider audience to see it. I saw this story and thought I should let you know about it. After all, most of us have to use the train network at some time or other. Fares are going up in the New Year...

You have been warned! :p

P.S. Who moved my thread?

* I did *
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    *sits grumbling to herself about how trains are crap and shes going to refuse to pay anymore than she already does* I'm such an old woman over trains, stupid things heehee. I haven't been on one for ages. If they charge me more than the £6 I'm expecting for my 20 minute trip next Wednesday there'll be a riot in the ticket queue.

    *thinks* Can you get student discount on train tickets?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    nicx1811 wrote:
    *thinks* Can you get student discount on train tickets?
    There are no student railcards available as such, but details of other cards are on the National Rail Enquiries website.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    nicx1811 wrote:
    *thinks* Can you get student discount on train tickets?
    No, but you can get a young person's railcard, which gets you money off fares. Very good if you are a frequent traveller. However, you have to pay for it and it isn't valid on rush hour commuter trains.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ahhh I don't like trains/train stations that much after me and my mate were sent to the wrong one three times and ended up on our way to Bournemouth when we justy wanted to go home. So a railcards useless. Never mind then :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    When I'm not photographing trains i'm travelling on them. They are expensive, but I still prefer them to every other form of public transport. I just find them so convenient and you don't have to worry about traffic or finding a parking space.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I like trains but its annoying the costs are so expensive. We are the only country in Europe with stupidly expensive trains right?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    nicx1811 wrote:
    *sits grumbling to herself about how trains are crap and shes going to refuse to pay anymore than she already does* I'm such an old woman over trains, stupid things heehee. I haven't been on one for ages. If they charge me more than the £6 I'm expecting for my 20 minute trip next Wednesday there'll be a riot in the ticket queue.

    *thinks* Can you get student discount on train tickets?

    You can get a young persons railcard if you are aged between 16-25 and you save 1/3 on most types of tickets (travelling after 10am or day at weekends and public holidays plus two months in the summer holidays), but it costs you £20 a year. Does not work on season tickets though.

    For example the fare from mine to my boyfriends would be £13.20 without or £8.70 with a young persons card. Saving me £4.50, so after 5 trips to my boyfriends in a year I have already saved the £20 price for the card.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i got a free 5 year one from my bank while i was a student

    though when i made the trip to london for the meet, i worked out that if i didnt have a card, then it would cost me £20 to save £22, so would end up £2 cheaper, but come out with a railcard

    its worth getting one
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    No, but you can get a young person's railcard, which gets you money off fares. Very good if you are a frequent traveller. However, you have to pay for it and it isn't valid on rush hour commuter trains.
    This is for students, too, if you're full-time but happen to be over 25.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I gave up on the trains years ago so couldn't care less that the fares have gone up. :lol:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well that's what happens when public services are run by private companies for profit...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ---
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If that were the case Lamp Boy then the trains would run on time because companies who want to make a profit do so by providing a quality service, not a bad one. Our railways are a national disgrace because they are managed and controlled by people not qualified for the job.
    Well not quite, Dropped at Birth/Born Stupid. Railway routes are monopolies and if you don't like how company A runs your trains there is little you can do about it as they are the only trains you can take.

    Each franchise is a monopoly in itself and a licence to print money. Though to be fair New Labour are almost as much to blame as the Tories, for not having the balls to renationalise the railways when they got into power in 97, like they promised.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Our railways are a national disgrace because they are managed and controlled by people not qualified for the job.

    Erm.. aren't they managed and controlled by Private Companies then?

    Oh, and what qualifications do you think are needed to run a railway, seeing as you think the current people don't have the necessary ones...?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If that were the case Lamp Boy then the trains would run on time because companies who want to make a profit do so by providing a quality service, not a bad one. Our railways are a national disgrace because they are managed and controlled by people not qualified for the job.

    ...and this was the point that I realised I was in the P&D forum.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ---
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Let me try to explain this in simple terms that even you can understand Slippy.

    !Qualified for the job" suggests that someone need to have achieved a threshold before you consider that they know enough to do the job inquestion. This knowledge is described as a qualification and that includes a level of experience...

    So what "qualification" do you think is required, in order to be able to run a railway?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bet you their put up the automatic on-the-spot fine again. It already gone from £10 to £20 this year. Mind you I'am a fucker for not buying tickets.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bet you their put up the automatic on-the-spot fine again. It already gone from £10 to £20 this year. Mind you I'am a fucker for not buying tickets.

    It always makes me laugh as I always buy a ticket but unless you go some where that has the gates you normally don't get you ticket checked at anytime. But the one day I don't pay my normal £2.10 tickect someone will come along on the train to check for tickets. Mmm £2.10 or £20 I know what I would rather pay.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Mind you I'am a fucker for not buying tickets.

    Which won't help the ticket prices.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aladdin wrote:
    Well that's what happens when public services are run by private companies for profit...
    :yes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Erm.. aren't they managed and controlled by Private Companies then?

    Nope.

    They're managed and controlled by the Government, in the guise of the "strategic" Rail Authority.

    The TOCs have very little say in what they can and cannot run. For instance GNER and First TransPennine were ordered by the SRA to remove the overnight services that start and finish at Newcastle, despite the vociferous objections of both TOCs (the 2.15am from Newcastle oddly enough always loads really well, as does the 10pm departure from London). Arriva Trains Northern invested in my local rural line, the Settle and Carlisle, by bringing in intercity coaching stock- the SRA ordered them to abandon the project. The SRA are ordering the removal of many GNER stopping services between Newcastle and Edinburgh.

    The tracks are owned, operated and maintained by Network Rail, which is a government-owned and government-controlled company.

    The Penalty Fare is fair and reasonable. Hopefully it'll go up again. And again. And again.

    Fares going up is a pain, but if anyone, anywhere, thinks that they wouldn't go up to the same level under British Rail then they are, to be quite honest, a complete and total moron.

    The railway network is far from perfect, but to say it was better under BR is ludicrous.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    BR was a far better system- for once it was integrated; and for another it didn't run trains for profit and purposely cut services and sacked drivers to maximise profits.

    The one and only problem with BR was a chronic under-investment under both Labour and Tory governments. Before the cash started to dry up BR was the best railways in the world.

    This government is as much to blame as anything else for the shambles it has created- the SRA being one main culprit. But let's not forget to the Tories, who divided the rail network into dozens of companies and divisions and sold them to speculators with no experience- and real interest- in running trains. And of course, it separated the railroads from the rest and created the infamous, despicable Railtrack.

    So we are now stuck (probably forever) with a number of private companies running monopolies, ripping off customers and charging prices for destinations 200 miles away that buys you a return ticket to New York. And of course a separate company controlling the railtracks and a general atmosphere of chaos across the "network".

    If anyone in politics had any common sense left they would renationalise the lot as the franchise contracts run out (so it wouldn't cost a single penny), resuscitate BR and this time fund it like it deserves. And if taxes have to go up, so be it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote:
    The TOCs have very little say in what they can and cannot run. For instance GNER and First TransPennine were ordered by the SRA to remove the overnight services that start and finish at Newcastle, despite the vociferous objections of both TOCs (the 2.15am from Newcastle oddly enough always loads really well, as does the 10pm departure from London). Arriva Trains Northern invested in my local rural line, the Settle and Carlisle, by bringing in intercity coaching stock- the SRA ordered them to abandon the project. The SRA are ordering the removal of many GNER stopping services between Newcastle and Edinburgh.

    Is there any good reason for this? Surely if a company is willing to invest in the services, then let them.
    The Penalty Fare is fair and reasonable. Hopefully it'll go up again. And again. And again.

    As it should.
    Aladdin wrote:
    If anyone in politics had any common sense left they would renationalise the lot as the franchise contracts run out (so it wouldn't cost a single penny), resuscitate BR and this time fund it like it deserves. And if taxes have to go up, so be it.

    Didn't they tend to forget areas outside of London and the south east?
    Which part would raising taxes improve, do you think?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    bad seed wrote:
    Didn't they tend to forget areas outside of London and the south east?
    Which part would raising taxes improve, do you think?
    Well it would ensure the network is maintained properly, that new services are created and existing are kept (so no more problems about some areas not having enough services) and that the lines and the rolling stock are renewed- so we can have real high speed trains like the likes of Spain are deploying throughout, instead of the piss-poor 125mph services.

    If a country considerably less wealthy than Britain can have state of the art, 200mph services covering all major cities, why on earth can't we? It's all down to money, as usual.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm so glad that all I currently require is suburban commuter services, which thankfully are unlikely to be closed down or cut.
    On a related note, London Buses are about to undergo yet another fare hike, pushing a single up to £1.50. This (in my opinion) is to make up for the massive cash shortfall that they've now experienced by offering free travel for under-16s. However, the single fare for Oyster card users is STILL £1.00 before 9.30 and 80p thereafter.
    So my assumption is that once enough people have switched over to Oyster, buses will slowly become cash-free and then the Oyster fare will increase...
    On yet another related note, how comes the 1/3 of rail fares with Young Persons Railcard only applies on LU if you're buying a One Day Travelcard? If you're a student, more often than not you'll just want to get home, which is MUCH cheaper with a standard single anyway. What's the point for anyone inside of London?
  • JsTJsT Posts: 18,268 Skive's The Limit
    Because the Government won't pay for 200mph lines. Private companies won't pay for it because they only get around a 7 year franchise. No company in their right minds would spend billions of pounds, just to be told by the government to f*** off 7 years later....

    The government fucks the entire railway up. Like what they have done to First Transpennine, government turns round and says "yeah, you can have 56 4-car trains, no problem" before turning around and then saying "actually, make that 51 trains, and make them all 3 car". Meaning the new trains have less seats than the old. First wont put up the money privately for 5 full trains and 51 extra carridges because come 2011 they'll be off the franchise!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    JsT wrote:
    Because the Government won't pay for 200mph lines. Private companies won't pay for it because they only get around a 7 year franchise. No company in their right minds would spend billions of pounds, just to be told by the government to f*** off 7 years later....

    icon14.gif
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    And why won't the government pay for such upgrades?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Let's not forget how well HSBC Rail do out of the TOCs... :grump:
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