inky pete Posted July 9, 2009 Report Share Posted July 9, 2009 Heard a train operating company boss being interviewed on radio 4 the other day. He wants the government to commit to a "50/50" rule whereby 50% of the train operators revenue comes from fares and this is then matched by the same amount from the taxpayer. He says it's currently about 70/30 fares to subsidy, but it is definitely worked out on this sort of revenue matching basis. Of course he wants a formula like this, it guarantees that if more passengers use the railways he gets to take a double profit for his executive bonuses and shareholders, and the cost to the taxpayer will actually go UP not down!!! Blows the argument that our railways would become more cost effective if more people used them right out of the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 ... and adds to the case for "nationalising" them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianR Posted July 10, 2009 Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 nationalising is too expensive and the country is skint remember. I refer back to my comments at the start re: re-organisaion of the franchise. Tighten up the regulation i.e. a train is late when its late and not when 5+ mins late. ALso have capacity limits and if broken operator gets fined. Should stop short running on most services. The system is run on the "just in time" philospohy i.e. whats the minimum we can get away with hence EMT at central run 2 car units at peak because they wont invest in new vehicles just repaint the old and squeeze 7 more seats in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted July 10, 2009 Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 Would not work. Is a train late because of railtrack, or the train operator. And as there are lots of rail operators running on the same track they can all blame each other when a train becomes late.My Cross rail train is only late because we were stuck behind the virgin train ect. The rail operators should be allowed to look after the track they run on. Get rid of rail Track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2009 Yer can't play about with the private sector, sucking out profits for shareholders, when the investment required is phenomenal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted July 11, 2009 Report Share Posted July 11, 2009 Yep completly agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianR Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 ?1.1bn investement announced today but havent said where it is coming from save fares wont be affected. BTW doesant affect Warrington despite this beignt he busier of the two routes from Manchester to Warrington (and quicker!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 ?1.1bn investement announced today but havent said where it is coming from save fares wont be affected. BTW doesant affect Warrington despite this beignt he busier of the two routes from Manchester to Warrington (and quicker!) Because of delays on that route during the upgrade I would expect an affect, because of the possible increase in passengers using the Warrington route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Problem is, this will fall on the tax-payer at the end of the day (and rightly so IMO), BUT the tax-payer doesn't own it - so get it Nationalised - we're paying for it anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 I agree with Obs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted July 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 Your getting me worried again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianR Posted August 26, 2009 Report Share Posted August 26, 2009 Read on most websites today that HS2 (high speed rail link 2) will reach Warrington. Reading the fine print however indicates that HS2 must have close connections with "Classic Rail" to provide conencting services. Anyone want to suggest where they will fit it close to Bank Quay / Central (we are on the Liverpool Spur, so might be the latter) and the subseuent double track through the middle of Warrington? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted August 26, 2009 Report Share Posted August 26, 2009 Should've routed it through either Chester Zoo or Knowsley Safari Park. They're the best places round here for a great big white elephant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted August 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2009 Most advanced countries have had high speed rail systems for decades - alas our politicians just keep fudging it due to costs- hence continued inertia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Most advanced countries have had high speed rail systems for decades What, like the USA, Canada or Australia do? High speed rail only works with highly centralised, city centre dwelling populations who all want to get from one specific place to another specific place. Japan is a perfect example of such a population - so it's hardly a suprise that their high speed rail works reasonable well. France also has much more centralised populations than we do, with large stretches of next to nothing in between - so their TGVs do the job they need them to do. We have a much more suburban population distribution, more similar to the way US, Canadian or Australian towns and cities are organised, we also have relatively short distances between cities - so point to point high speed rail has little or no benefit here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 I take it inky that you have no need to travel in your job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Is that on a need to know basis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted August 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 Think your description of where HS Rail works, describes the UK quite well Inky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted August 27, 2009 Report Share Posted August 27, 2009 I take it inky that you have no need to travel in your job I travel every working day, and many nights. About 30,000 business miles last year. Last night, for example, I needed to be at a customer just outside Whiston by 21:00, finished that job around 01:30 this morning, and then needed to be in Copley near Halifax within 2 hours. I then left there about 05:30 to head back to Lymm. That's a fairly typical night shift for me, perhaps a little quieter than normal. Not much chance of doing that by rail, no matter how fast the things can get from central London to central Glasgow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Well the Spanish are going to install a nationwide HS Rail system - no doubt funded by us via the EU! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 A few years ago, me and the wife/little one and my mate/wife/little one went to Disneyland paris on the train from Bank Quay. We decided to splash out and go 1st class all the way and it was an absolute joy compared to the drive....(we did that the years before!) the total cost for 6 of us return was about ?1500 We have all decided to go again this year over new year and I checked the cost now to do the same trip 1st class.... ?3,092.00 We are going by car via Hull-Zebrugge!! No wonder people drive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 Six of you could fly there and have a limosine transfer to and from the airports at both ends for FAR less than that!!! ....and that ?3,000 train fair is taxpayer subsidised as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted October 3, 2009 Report Share Posted October 3, 2009 But if your mate happens not to be of the flying loving fraternity, one has to make alternative arrangements!!! such as the time the wives decided a holiday in Majorca would be nice for a week.... they flew off with the kids and we drove there, via Barcelona and a 4 hour fast ferry crossing. We were on our 2nd pint before the wives arrived! Nothing better than driving through Europe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Do they allow Francophobes into France then?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Yes.... they like my Eeengliiish money!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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