railmaster12
On Moderation
- Joined
- 25 Apr 2018
- Messages
- 2
will rail fares ever be reduced
Not in absolute terms (i.e. actual pounds/pence), but there's a possibilty that they'll come down in real terms (i.e. as adjusted for inflation). Highly unlikely under a Conservative government however.
Not quite sure how it relates directly to having a conservative government if I’m honest. I don’t have many positive views of them for reference but that seemed like a stereotypical dig at them for just being who they are.
It is relevant because it is current government policy that rail users should pay a higher amount of what it costs to run the network than what they historically have. So obviously fares have gone up quicker than they otherwise would have. As such, if a future government decided they wanted to pursue a different policy, it is possible that fares could fall.
Not quite sure how it relates directly to having a conservative government if I’m honest. I don’t have many positive views of them for reference but that seemed like a stereotypical dig at them for just being who they are.
If the price rose by 10% at every petrol station overnight thenn that might change. And unlike car fuel, rather a lot of taxpayers money goes into the railway.Funny how BBC aren't outside the local Shell station every week shouting about how Petrol has risen again.
When there are sudden petrol price rises they areFunny how BBC aren't outside the local Shell station every week shouting about how Petrol has risen again.
That's because the government has very little money after Labour spent it all.It is relevant because it is current government policy that rail users should pay a higher amount of what it costs to run the network than what they historically have.
If everyone had a railcard, it almost negates the point in having one.Hopefully the 26-30 railcard trial may eventually spur an open-age national railcard if it is shown to be revenue neutral, and could be charged at more than £30.
In the recent election (and the one before it), Labour pledged to freeze rail fares for a year. That would amount to a small real-terms cut in fares. The (Labour) Mayor of London has also frozen TfL fares until 2020. Other political parties are available...
That's because the government has very little money after Labour spent it all.
T
It doesn't need complicating by saying "inflation... in real terms..." - the answer is still no. The fare will never reduce in price.
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That's because the government has very little money after Labour spent it all.
I think you'll find that, just before they spent it, they borrowed it all. Which is why we have a national debt of around £1.8 trillion.
I'm not blaming them for all of it, but looking at your graph, if the rate of borrowing had stayed at "Labour" levels, the total amount would have tripled by now.Although Labour borrowed rather a lot when the banks caused the economic crash, the total amount borrowed has more than doubled since they left power, so it seems a little unfair to blame them for all of it.
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That's because the government has very little money after Labour spent it all.
The answer is no.
If a ticket costs £50, it will never go down to £48.
Train companies will make more and more advance fares available (along with the associated advertisment saying they've reduced hundreds of fares), but for so many people, sticking to certain trains isn't really an option.
It doesn't need complicating by saying "inflation... in real terms..." - the answer is still no. The fare will never reduce in price.
If everyone had a railcard, it almost negates the point in having one.
You may as well just reduce the fares as you're only penalising those who travel infrequently but usually long distance.
The administration, paper, app development, website, promotion - too much faff and cost to make it worth it.
It's like Alton Towers' compensation policy.
If you've had cheap/half price/free tickets to get in, you'll get less in compensation if rides break down. If you've paid full whack, you'll get more.
But then their model of pricing is different. It's about the secondary spend inside the park instead of the gate price. Trains don't have that secondary spend (on board food doesn't really count) so much rely on the initial tickets.
More than half of that has been accumulated since 2010.I think you'll find that, just before they spent it, they borrowed it all. Which is why we have a national debt of around £1.8 trillion.
Although Labour borrowed rather a lot when the banks caused the economic crash, the total amount borrowed has more than doubled since they left power, so it seems a little unfair to blame them for all of it.
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O/T but you do understand how interest works and that you have to keep borrowing to pay debts makes it an immense number?More than half of that has been accumulated since 2010.
As a sweeping statement yes, it's perhaps fiction.And yet Starmill above has pretty much pointed out certain fares that HAVE gone down and im sure there will have been others too so your statement of fact is very much one of fiction
Effectively some fares have massively reduced though - you have to give credit where it's due. In NFM64 (1996), as far as I can tell, the cheapest return ticket from Birmingham to London cost £12.50 without a railcard and involved a slower route than the fast Intercity Euston shuttle which then operated every half an hour.As a sweeping statement yes, it's perhaps fiction.
But the tickets that people regularly buy and care about... IE, season tickets, day returns... not found any that have gone down in the past few years in areas around here. I suspect the list of those that have will be less than 10, compared with the hundreds that will have gone up - making it hardly worth worrying about :P
Introducing new tickets isn't a fare going down. It's a new cheaper fare that has been created.
Although I was reading in The Intercity Story about how Gatwick Express (?) had to chaneg their pricing structure when X train company (Anglia?) got their paths to Gatwick - maybe it wasn't them, or that airport, but I know it was an Airport service that had to reduce their fares.
I should read again to see what and who it was...
O/T but you do understand how interest works and that you have to keep borrowing to pay debts makes it an immense number?