The Morning Star reports (and also cross-posted at The Campaign for Public Ownership):
British rail passengers are having to fork out £4.6 billion a year more than travellers on France's public owned railways, transport union RMT revealed today.
Fares on Britain's privatised network are four times more expensive than their French equivalent, according to an RMT report by research firm Just Economics found that lower and middle-income families were being "completely priced out of the rail market" following years of fares rises.
Mmmm… I wonder what differentiates the railways in Britain and the railways in France?
On the subject of ownership of the railways, do try and get a copy of the latest edition of Private Eye, and take a look at ‘Signal Failures’ on page 9. "The government has decreed that regulated rail fares will rise 3 percent above inflation each year, but passengers in one part of the UK were promised a fares freeze last week: why? Because they live in Northern Ireland where the railways are state-owned and not privatised.”…
Aren't we the lucky ones in mainland Britain having the great 'advantage' of privatised railways!
2 comments:
why is the privatised network moer expensive? well how else are they to make a profit?! You may wonder why would the public opt for a system that increased price while lowering standards and reducing services...well thats because noone asked them! their democractically(REGD TM) elected representatives decided it was a nice idea....
Brian
Bwah ha! I always accuse you of being a putz with your socialist nonsense, but when it comes to the trains you're spot on. Even here in America, the land of the "free market" there's a public corporation to run most transport infrastructures and they manage to do so beautifully AND make a profit.
But I couldn't have lived five years in France without falling in love with the SNCF and their amazing trains and service.
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