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-   -   Rail franchising system 'not fit for purpose', MPs warn (https://www.cableforum.uk/board/showthread.php?t=33704407)

Maggy 05-02-2017 10:04
Rail franchising system 'not fit for purpose', MPs warn
 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politic...8592106312#_=_

Quote:
The UK's rail franchising model is "no longer fit for purpose" and is failing passengers, MPs have warned.
The Transport Committee said operators were restricted in how much they could improve services and efficiency, and the relationship with Network Rail was "not as co-ordinated as it should be".
Quote:
The MPs' report said that while there could be no "single template" for franchises, there was "merit" in obtaining longer agreements covering smaller areas.
The opportunity of smaller franchises with less financial risk could lead to new companies appearing on the market, the MPs said.
Quote:
Ms Ellman told BBC Breakfast the DfT was too soft on train companies that broke promises on performance.
"And if the department can't do that, perhaps somebody else should be looking at it to enforce the promises that the train companies make when they take over running the service," she said.
I doubt that anything will be done however.

denphone 05-02-2017 10:20
Re: Rail franchising system 'not fit for purpose', MPs warn
 
Sadly the The UK's rail franchising model has been unfit for years and as you say l can't see anything much changing sadly.

Taf 06-02-2017 11:59
Re: Rail franchising system 'not fit for purpose', MPs warn
 
Profiteering at its worst. If the service is popular they put fares up. If it's poor they put the fares up. So different times or locations mean different costs, all on a bizarre formula that can be beaten by multiple ticket stages (as shown recently in the media) but often means a ticket bought today is far more expensive than one bought in advance.

And some still receive government financial aid whilst their bosses make small fortunes!

Ken W 06-02-2017 12:02
Re: Rail franchising system 'not fit for purpose', MPs warn
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Taf (Post 35884237)
Profiteering at its worst. If the service is popular they put fares up. If it's poor they put the fares up. So different times or locations mean different costs, all on a bizarre formula that can be beaten by multiple ticket stages (as shown recently in the media) but often means a ticket bought today is far more expensive than one bought in advance.

And some still receive government financial aid whilst their bosses make small fortunes!


Some one hast to pay for the fat cats jollies!:mad:

nomadking 06-02-2017 12:06
Re: Rail franchising system 'not fit for purpose', MPs warn
 
So how exactly are the train companies DELIBERATELY delaying trains?:confused:

heero_yuy 06-02-2017 13:26
Re: Rail franchising system 'not fit for purpose', MPs warn
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Taf (Post 35884237)
Profiteering at its worst. If the service is popular they put fares up. If it's poor they put the fares up. So different times or locations mean different costs, all on a bizarre formula that can be beaten by multiple ticket stages (as shown recently in the media) but often means a ticket bought today is far more expensive than one bought in advance.

And some still receive government financial aid whilst their bosses make small fortunes!
Quote:
The vast majority of revenue from fares pays for services and sustains investment in more trains, better stations and faster journeys. On average, 97% of a passenger’s fare goes back into the railway. The table below shows how every £1 of passenger income is spent.
https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2017/02/15.jpg

Source

Although the source is the stagecoach site I've heard this as a general figure and it's not much different to the supermarkets.

The rail company profits may look big as numbers as they have a massive turnover. For those advocating nationalisation even if the railways continued to run as efficiently as now and the state took no money out then tickets would fall by a maximum of 3% - the profit margin of the franchisees.

Damien 06-02-2017 14:11
Re: Rail franchising system 'not fit for purpose', MPs warn
 
It's the incompetence and lack of responsibility that's the problem, rather than profiteering. There isn't real competition on the railways, people rarely have the choice to travel via another provider, so a company wins the franchise and if they can do just enough to avoid it being taken back early they have little incentive to do much better.

denphone 06-02-2017 14:30
Re: Rail franchising system 'not fit for purpose', MPs warn
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Damien (Post 35884272)
It's the incompetence and lack of responsibility that's the problem, rather than profiteering. There isn't real competition on the railways, people rarely have the choice to travel via another provider, so a company wins the franchise and if they can do just enough to avoid it being taken back early they have little incentive to do much better.
And the price of tickets even when one books in advance can be pretty pricey to say the least plus in some areas commuters are treated worse then cattle going for slaughter as plenty of trains are dangerously overcrowded.

Maggy 10-02-2017 09:37
Re: Rail franchising system 'not fit for purpose', MPs warn
 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-3...6061043012#_=_

Just to add insult to injury.

Quote:
Rail ticket machines cause so much confusion that one-fifth of passengers who use them buy the wrong ticket, according to the rail regulator.
While 7% of people underpay and could be fined, 13% are paying too much.

Chris 10-02-2017 13:34
Re: Rail franchising system 'not fit for purpose', MPs warn
 
I never use ticket machines when travelling into Glasgow. Kids travel free on Strathclyde trains when accompanied by an adult but if you try to get adult and child tickets from the machine, even all in one transaction, it will charge you for the kids. It's really annoying because several stations are unmanned so you either have to hope to see a ticket inspector on board or else form a queue at the exit barriers when you get into the city centre.

Taf 10-02-2017 13:41
Re: Rail franchising system 'not fit for purpose', MPs warn
 
I often check the prices on the ticket machines, and then go to see the person in the ticket office. Most times the ticket price is lower when you ask a person...

Ken W 10-02-2017 13:57
Re: Rail franchising system 'not fit for purpose', MPs warn
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Taf (Post 35885038)
I often check the prices on the ticket machines, and then go to see the person in the ticket office. Most times the ticket price is lower when you ask a person...


There is not a person to ask at my station to ask, it is ticket machine only


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