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[Varche]

Saw an interesting piece on BBC news this morning about protests about average fare increases of 6.2% - way above inflation.

It does seem somewhat excessive. Of course the usual stuff was being trotted out by both the pro and against camps. (Ought to be privatised, we need the investment, we need our fat cats to be paid large amounts, we need dividends so we can attract investment, fares ought to be simplified etc)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19251068

Earlier in the year I talked to a nurse, who loves her job, and commutes daily to work within London. Two hours( when transport running properly) each end of the day, two different trains and long walk at each end! I dare say her pay won't be going up to cover the increase.

What do you think? Justified? Just lining the operating companies pockets? Government is wrong allowing inflation busting increases at this time?

[tunnie]

Huge sections of our rail network are shot, the entire network needs electrification, should have been done decades ago.

If they money went directly into investment it would be worth it, but year after year they go up without any visible affects.

The electrification of Great Western is a start!

[pscocoa]

SouthWest Trains has improved significantly with stations and trains renewed. But more people are using the train than previously.

I pay £5000 a year for a first class ticket and £1200 a year to park the Omega at the station. I choose to pay the extra £1800 per year because of the overcrowding in standard - paying £3200 to stand up would not be good for my temper and I would have aged even quicker than I have to date.

At the end of the day it has to be worth your while to pay these costs and you just have to take a big picture view and a balance of everything - quality of life for family and your own personal health included. I have been doing this for 30 years and it is not stressful at all - but the price of eliminating the stress bit is high.

As long as the higher component part of the fares is perceived by the users to be reinvested wisely then the operators will get support.

[Dishevelled Den]

One of the many things I miss about my London posting is ready availability of either cabs or the Underground as I used these means of transport rather than my car which remained parked up (for the most part).

In light of these proposed increases I do not know how people are ever going to be persuaded to use public rather than private transport - but then, the shambles which passes for an integrated public transport network in this country dictates that the operator of choice is permitted to shove it up the ass of the travelling public, as they please, in order to fund any essential maintenance or service development (rather than take it from the profit margin).

Coming from a country at one time rich with affordable and reliable public transport to this constant drip-drip of fare increases - with diminishing returns in terms of satisfaction for those who are obliged to use such services - says much about the commercial expansion that has all but destroyed our public services in the name of profit and market position and is another clear signal that government in this country has lost control to the power of the lobby, cronyism and the hope of getting through each parliamentary session with as much ease as possible.

It's a national disgrace - a bloody great big one.

[cleggy]

One of the many things I miss about my London posting is ready availability of either cabs or the Underground as I used these means of transport rather than my car which remained parked up (for the most part).

In light of these proposed increases I do not know how people are ever going to be persuaded to use public rather than private transport - but then, the shambles which passes for an integrated public transport network in this country dictates that the operator of choice is permitted to shove it up the ass of the travelling public, as they please, in order to fund any essential maintenance or service development (rather than take it from the profit margin).

Coming from a country at one time rich with affordable and reliable public transport to this constant drip-drip of fare increases - with diminishing returns in terms of satisfaction for those who are obliged to use such services - says much about the commercial expansion that has all but destroyed our public services in the name of profit and market position and is another clear signal that government in this country has lost control to the power of the lobby, cronyism and the hope of getting through each parliamentary session with as much ease as possible.

It's a national disgrace - a bloody great big one.

ABSOLUTELY   DD old boy, and I can't get my bus pass until I'm 62 and a 1/4

[Kevin Wood]

I love our integrated transport system. I can get a bus to the station from just outside my door. Shame it is timed to arrive at the station 45 minutes before the next train movement, though.

[TheBoy]

The increases are nowhere near high enough.

100% as a starter would be good to see

[Vamps]

The increases are nowhere near high enough.

100% as a starter would be good to see

That seems harsh for those that need to use public transport......

[Rods2]

The increases are nowhere near high enough.

100% as a starter on petrol and LPG in the Brackley area would be good to see

There you go fixed that one for you. 

[TheBoy]

The increases are nowhere near high enough.

100% as a starter would be good to see

That seems harsh for those that need to use public transport......

OK, so the majority who are unable to use the trains have to pay for those that can.  For my commute, my only option is private transport. Would it be fair to suggest that should be subsidised by nearly 50%?

No, I thought not

[TheBoy]

The increases are nowhere near high enough.

100% as a starter on petrol and LPG in the Brackley area would be good to see

There you go fixed that one for you. 

If you saw the petrol prices here....

But, unusually, the LPG is the cheapest around at 72.9p

[Vamps]

The increases are nowhere near high enough.

100% as a starter would be good to see

That seems harsh for those that need to use public transport......

OK, so the majority who are unable to use the trains have to pay for those that can.  For my commute, my only option is private transport. Would it be fair to suggest that should be subsidised by nearly 50%?
No, I thought not

Aha, when you look at it like that you have a point I too can only commute by private transport, perhaps we should be similarly subsidised then.....

[Rods2]

I have always considered RPI to be the more realistic measure of inflation, rather than the politically fiddled CPI introduced by Gordon McRuin.

This is why RPI is used by the Government to set / justify all rises that increase Government revenue and CPI when it has to spend money like pension increases. IMHO either CPI or RPI should be used for all.

The CPI con has a profound effect on our real and actual GDP growth shrinkage, which would be much , much worse using the more realistic figure.

Inefficiently and badly run monopolies like rail and water being allowed to use RPI + n% per year, where if they were run of the same lines of private companies in competitive industries, where you need to increase productivity by 2% per year to survive would mean that investment could come from such productivity savings.

I accept that energy cost are increasing faster than inflation as a whole and railways use a lot of energy but this must partly be due to that out of control windmill breeding program, where they are springing up everywhere.  Not only is wind generated electricity hopelessly uncompetitive at £120MWH for on-shore (£200+MWH for off-shore) compared to £45MWH for conventional power stations, but presumab;y a new BR excuse will be the trains are late or not running due to a lack of wind. 

I would like to see how these rises are justified by much clearer public accounts with much more transparency, so we can really believe they are necessary and not just another example of crony capitalism between the Government and the rail companies. 

Every extra £1 charge for inefficiency is £1 less for the commuter to spend on living. Compared to bus drivers, trains drivers due to union power and militancy are IMHO grossly overpaid.

Yes, the comfort and facilities on trains has improved over the last 30 years, but the same is true for cars, so it would be criminal with the fare increases over this time if they weren't.

[Seth]

 Compared to bus drivers, trains drivers due to union power and militancy organisation are IMHO grossly overpaid.

My main reason for switching professions after nearly 25 years 'on the buses' - can you blame me
for making the move from road to rail?

The Thatcher era and privatisation effectively wrecked the bus industry.
Many of our hard-won concessions and conditions of service were wiped-out overnight. "Take it or leave it" was the clear message from the privateers.
Train drivers aren't overpaid - it's the poor bus drivers who are underpaid. So I jumped ship - literally!

Yes, traincrew earn a respectable salary - but there's 'owt for nowt' in this world.
At any given time whilst on duty we're responsible for the safety of (potentially) hundreds of passengers, have to sit stringent biennial examinations (just passed mine!), and are constantly competency-assessed in all aspects of the job in it's absolute entirety. Then there's the un-social (and sometimes anti-social) working hours et al ..........

............ and I'm still the proud owner of a 13 year-old Omega!



Perusing the BBC article, this scribe's assumption is that this round of fares increases is necessary to fund 'improvements' to the network ..... and will certainly not be finding it's way into my pocket!

Time to trust our politicians perhaps?

 

[feeutfo]

There is currently a position advertised on the first great western web site for fully qualified train driver on the trans penine route, for £43,000 a year.