if they could get ticket price to 5 each way maybe, but i fear even if it was packed, breaking even would be hard.
And if it was packed, everybody would be complaining about how busy it was...
By packed, I meant most seats full, not standees or anything.
Maybe trips like this could be done by railtour operations? transport and some grub, maybe arrange an offer with some of the big attractions in the area to make it more attractive to pax, at no extra cost to the company?
Arguably this is what UKRailtours' is doing using a spare EMT HST for cheap trips such as yesterday's run to Carlisle.
I refer the Honourable Member to my previous answerBy packed, I meant most seats full, not standees or anything.
PHILIPE said:Also TOCs would only run them if they were assured of a massive profit now.
In respect of Southern, many people travel from London down to Brighton and other coastal towns for day/weekend trips on Saturday and Sunday. They do offer cheap train-specific Advance fares on their London-Brighton trains though.
On some TOCs its hard enough to get sufficient staff to work the basic Sunday timetable, so running extra trains would be impossible
On some TOCs its hard enough to get sufficient staff to work the basic Sunday timetable, so running extra trains would be impossible
Long-distance Sunday trains are some of the busiest I work, and with a different passenger flow, they are usually fuller for longer, especially as there is reduced frequency on most lines. The last thing that is needed is something to encourage passenger to travel on a Sunday!
(Saturday is the quiet day.)
Lay on more trains! If there is a market exploit it. What on earth is the point of privatization if therte is no attempt to increase profit other than fleecing the trapped commuter?
Why can't the Railway Companies offer more very low cost excursions on a Sunday? I'm thinking particularly of Southern Rail and South West Railways.
Operators are free to run more trains on Sundays, there is capacity to do so and they have discretion to do so on a commercial basis. The fact that they are free to, but choose not to, suggests very strongly there is not a market to do so economically.
On a sunny Sunday, train crammed. Wet Sunday, train empty. Will the L.A. cover the cost of the empty train, out of curiosity, or is the TOC expected to absorb the loss?
Arguably this is what UKRailtours' is doing using a spare EMT HST for cheap trips such as yesterday's run to Carlisle.
Perhaps if this country learned that in order for a 24/7 system, Sunday trading laws can be relaxed?
It's only because of the Christian Right that we don't have a fully intergrated service. They might not want to work a Sunday - Sign a waiver with their employer. But I can think of a fair few people who would happily snatch 2 out of 4 Sundays a month for the extra hours...