Why is rail travel so expensive?

Question

I looked this up on the internet.

A London to Glasgow return ticket by train with National Rail would cost me £252.

However, for just £20 more, I can fly with Virgin Atlantic all the way from London to New York on a one-way flight.

If we were to look at it in terms of total distance, the round trip to Glasgow and back wouldn't even stretch a quarter of the distance to New York.

Also, for the same amount I spend in a day on the Underground, just commuting, I can use National Rail to get much further.

So planes are cheaper than trains, but a comfy train is cheaper than being wedged into a rolling sardine can.

Where is the logic in that?

Answer 1

What you have to remember is the costs, overheads and penalties rail have compared to planes. Planes do not have to pay someone else for wear and tear of an outdated infrastructure, a plane load of 300 passengers also do not cause as much of a problem as anywhere upto a 1000 passengers on a train, nor do they have the cost of paying maybe 3 or 4 other companies for you buying the ticket (If your ticket is not branded to be used by one company only then a share has to be given to other carriers using that route, hence why a Standard Ticket is also that expensive).

Mile for mile rail tickets are very expensive during the peak, however saying that, if you book in advance and can keep to a specified time on a specified date, you could reduce the cost of the ticket down to a reasonable £92 return.

Answer 2

It all has to do with economies of scale.  A plane will generally go full, a train won't.

Answer 3

good point. there is no logic but its all to do with market share, the traines are dearer because they are at risk but the underground is dearer because it can be, it has higher market share than the rail system so they just stick the hand into the prices because they know its people like me and you who depend on them

Answer 4

You are not making a direct comparison, try looking for an open return ticket to New York buying on the day of travel.

Or try looking for a one way ticket to Galsgow when booked in advance.

Answer 5

It depends on the journey and if you can book in advance.

Using your London to Glasgow example, if you book far enough in advance you can get a Single for £18.50 with Virgin Trains, or for £15.70 with National Express East Coast.

Even if you turn up on the day of travel and buy a ticket, it shouldn't be more than £102.90 Return in Standard Class, as Savers are valid on any train. (The caveat to that being that you'll need the Open Return if you want to break your journey on the outward leg).

Answer 6

i can understand where you may be coming from with this but you have to look at the journeys on a whole.

when you travel on the train there are a lot more discounted tickets available which yes you have to book in advance and tied to certain trains but correct me if I'm wrong but planes are also booked for one flight and one flight only and if you miss either one its going to cost.

Rail card discounts are going to take a minimum of 34% of your travel cost,if you are eligible and dont forget with advance purchase if they are available you can travel peak times, all it takes is a little planning after all you ould not just turn up to the airport and expect to get on the next flight.

You also have a lot of extra time checking in and checking out, waiting for planes to board and they are subject to as much delay as trains, more so because if your plane is delayed you cannot just jump on the next plane like you can a train.

Yes there are some very heavy prices for tickets, which people tend to look at and come back with the "its cheaper to fly, but what they do not see is the vast amount of tickets that there are out there, believe me, its a lot

Answer 7

I totally agree with what you are saying. Unfortunately it boils down to the railway being split up and privatized. The Train Operating Companies have to pay the government so much money for running trains & then they have to pay their share holders then they have to make a profit to boost the company.

So we the passengers have to pay.

Since the railway was privatised the goverment has had to pay 3 to 4 times more subsidies that when the railway was one company.

I think that the only way that prices of train tickets could be brought down is if the Goverment did with railtrack. by making the Train Operating Companies bankrupt and then reset the companys up as non share organisations, but garentee companies, where any profit should be re-invested in the railway industry, like how Network Rail is now.

As for why Red Ken charges so much for the underground, well its a simular situation, where the maintenance companies are provate companies, that are trying to make a profit, and its gone wrong....Now we are having to pay up for Metronet's failour.

Joolz

Answer 8

Interesting... logic doesn't always dictate the pricing.

Here in California, I can make the 86 mile trip from San Jose to Stockton for $9.75 each way on the Altamont Commuter Express... the same trip by an average 25 mpg CAR would be $14.25 for fuel alone, and there IS no aircraft service.

Planes need to be used ONLY for the LONG haul trips.

Answer 9

its all coz they dont want you to use the train, coz the train is s**t, same as the bus really, its all bad to use!!

Answer 10

well mate there is no logic in it at all mind you national rail bosses last pay increase was 22.5% on top of a already large pay packet so they had to recoup money from some where and that somewhere is your pockets i have only one thing to say on that score

b@st@rds

Answer 11

Because they want to rip you off. Rail fares are still regulated by the government, and instead of being the cheapest between any 2 points, they are the most expensive.

Why? Because rail only works if it is a publicly funded, publicly accountable transport system.

Alas, the government wants you to spend, spend, spend, and the best way to get you to do this is to drive as much as poss.

Answer 12

The false statement that planes are cheaper than planes usually appears here and in newspapers quoted by people who are employed by the Airline Industry. A Saver return from London Euston to Glasgow valid on practically all trains that does not have to be booked in advance is £102.90. Railcard holders who are a very large percentage of rail passengers will get one third off and in the case of Family Railcards their accompanying children will receive an ever bigger reduction. Book 7 days in advance and Virgin have single tickets from London Euston to Glasgow at £30. If you turn up at airports without an advance purchase ticket and purchase a ticket for immediate use you will pay a great deal of money. Trains tend to operate city centre to city centre. Flying usually involves the extra costs of travelling to and from the airports and city centres which together with increasingly long check in times, is very time consuming.

www.epicsavings.co.uk

Get a railcard and book in advance for the cheapest rail tickets, or travel after 09-30am weekdays and ask for a 'Saver Return'. Some rail companies notably Virgin and Arriva Trains Wales permit

Savers to be used from 09-15 or earlier to some destinations. There are all sorts of other ways of saving money on rail tickets such as national and regional rail rovers

and for overseas visitors Britrail Passes. www.britrail.com

www.railrovers.org.uk