Comments on: Railways that want to deter passengers http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/01/02/railways-that-want-to-deter-passengers/ Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Wokingham Sat, 11 Oct 2008 19:13:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: James Strachan http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/01/02/railways-that-want-to-deter-passengers/#comment-140 James Strachan Wed, 03 Jan 2007 08:44:40 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=33#comment-140 The elephant in the room, which nobody wants to mention, is Network Rail. NR wants The elephant in the room, which nobody wants to mention, is Network Rail. NR wants

]]> By: Philip http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/01/02/railways-that-want-to-deter-passengers/#comment-137 Philip Tue, 02 Jan 2007 23:04:42 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=33#comment-137 I agree with Mr Redwood that the Government seems to be acting to deter people from rail travel. Governments of both parties expanded the road network over recent decades to cope with increasing traffic. Now the railways have experienced increased demand, the Government's answer seems to be to price people off the trains! It seems the last thing they would want to do is to expand and develop the railway system! I suppose they need to find money for airport expansion from somewhere. So much for concern about global warming. To my mind it is no use going on about windmills on houses and home insulation (which often makes houses too hot in the hot weather anyway!) without tackling the contribution of transport to global warming. You can now guess what I think of Kit's comment! Obviously people want to use trains, or passenger numbers wouldn't have increased. With environmental concern and better and faster trains, railways should become an increasingly popular choice of transport, thus avoiding the fate of the canals! So free the railways from the clunking fist of the Treasury so that the companies are incentivised to develop the railways to attract more people to the trains. While there'll be a need for regulation to ensure passengers' interests are safeguarded (in safety, fares and timetables etc), the railway companies should have more freedom to innovate. Yes, some services will always need subsidies, but with innovation brought about by local partnerships and so on, passenger numbers on many such loss-making services are soaring. I agree with Mr Redwood that the Government seems to be acting to deter people from rail travel. Governments of both parties expanded the road network over recent decades to cope with increasing traffic. Now the railways have experienced increased demand, the Government’s answer seems to be to price people off the trains! It seems the last thing they would want to do is to expand and develop the railway system! I suppose they need to find money for airport expansion from somewhere. So much for concern about global warming. To my mind it is no use going on about windmills on houses and home insulation (which often makes houses too hot in the hot weather anyway!) without tackling the contribution of transport to global warming.

You can now guess what I think of Kit’s comment! Obviously people want to use trains, or passenger numbers wouldn’t have increased. With environmental concern and better and faster trains, railways should become an increasingly popular choice of transport, thus avoiding the fate of the canals! So free the railways from the clunking fist of the Treasury so that the companies are incentivised to develop the railways to attract more people to the trains. While there’ll be a need for regulation to ensure passengers’ interests are safeguarded (in safety, fares and timetables etc), the railway companies should have more freedom to innovate.

Yes, some services will always need subsidies, but with innovation brought about by local partnerships and so on, passenger numbers on many such loss-making services are soaring.

]]> By: Ed http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/01/02/railways-that-want-to-deter-passengers/#comment-136 Ed Tue, 02 Jan 2007 18:29:41 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=33#comment-136 I'm glad you covered this. I have been fuming about the fare increases on my line, which make Livingstone's Tube price rises look good value! Not only are fares rising hugely, but the taxpayer subsidies have soared as well. And the service continues to decline. The tracks and operators should be merged on a line-by-line basis. I’m glad you covered this. I have been fuming about the fare increases on my line, which make Livingstone’s Tube price rises look good value!

Not only are fares rising hugely, but the taxpayer subsidies have soared as well. And the service continues to decline.

The tracks and operators should be merged on a line-by-line basis.

]]> By: Kit http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2007/01/02/railways-that-want-to-deter-passengers/#comment-134 Kit Tue, 02 Jan 2007 09:59:56 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=33#comment-134 It is time we scrapped the rail network just as we replaced the canal network before it. Read http://www.transport-watch.co.uk/ and see if you come to the same conclusion. It is time we scrapped the rail network just as we replaced the canal network before it. Read http://www.transport-watch.co.uk/ and see if you come to the same conclusion.

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