All the energy suppliers in the UK putting up prices.

[Dow Jones]

Agree

A good idea can be greatly perverted - something that I think was done by Nu Liebor. The problem is that there is no real competition in many industries now - a handful of big players control the market and can play it. If its so bad then might as well go back to British Gas and British Rail - I ordered train ticket to London early morning, the cheapest I could get is £60 - just why on Earth it costs so much?

'Free market' doesn't equate to 'free-for-all'. In this instance, what rail companies have done is identical to the BA/Virgin collusion wrt transantlantic air fares that has so spectacularly back-fired and both having to advertise 'refunds' to all customers that have travelled to the US and back over the last few years. This was started in the US by legislation that tends to favour the customer as opposed to the UK one favouring mostly the companies.

[oracleslave]

Dear OS, I have had a great 3-week holiday, looks like you could do with one too, you seem so stressed mate.

Mine wasn't as long as 3 weeks but am certainly not stressed. I never allow work to stress me.

[Dow Jones]

Mine wasn't as long as 3 weeks but am certainly not stressed. I never allow work to stress me.

Good. Still working/living in 'Tulip-land' (NL) then (excuse the pun)?

[oracleslave]

Good. Still working/living in 'Tulip-land' (NL) then (excuse the pun)?

Nope. Same client but am now based in Thames Valley.

[AtW]

what rail companies have done is identical to the BA/Virgin collusion wrt transantlantic air fares

It's even worse than that - the Govt sells routes to different rail companies so that those companies effectively gain monopoly to those routes. This makes them bid high for high volume routes (like those going to London) and then pass over the costs to consumers. There is no real free market in rail industry in the UK - I call it bulltulip because if they can have very fast punctual (and apparently affordable) trains in Japan where serious earthquakes are common then wtf they can't have it here?

Solution - fire everyone involved in the rail industry and give consession to Japan for the next 100 years. Or the French. Or the Germans.

[TimberWolf]

It's even worse than that - the Govt sells routes to different rail companies so that those companies effectively gain monopoly to those routes. This makes them bid high for high volume routes (like those going to London) and then pass over the costs to consumers. There is no real free market in rail industry in the UK - I call it bulltulip because if they can have very fast punctual (and apparently affordable) trains in Japan where serious earthquakes are common then wtf they can't have it here?

Solution - fire everyone involved in the rail industry and give consession to Japan for the next 100 years. Or the French. Or the Germans.

According to a document I have, a full 125mph train uses 3 kWh per passenger per 100 km (equiv. to doing 940 miles per gallon per passenger). So a 100 km trip would cost 3 * 10p = 30 pence in energy terms alone. The cost of this energy is almost insignificant compared to the price charged to the customer, indicating it might be more efficient to use cheaper stock (use once and throw away train and surface), or find out where the money is really going

I think last time this came up someone said they (or Railtrack, whatever) are subsidised too

[Peoplesoft bloke]

According to a document I have, a full 125mph train uses 3 kWh per passenger per 100 km (equiv. to doing 940 miles per gallon per passenger). So a 100 km trip would cost 3 * 10p = 30 pence in energy terms alone. The cost of this energy is almost insignificant compared to the price charged to the customer, indicating it might be more efficient to use cheaper stock (use once and throw away train and surface), or find out where the money is really going

I think last time this came up someone said they (or Railtrack, whatever) are subsidised too

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that someone worked out it'd be cheaper to rip up all the tracks and replace it with tarmac and buses (and lorries for freight).

Of all the privatisations, the railways was the daftest and worst executed.

[AtW]

Rail transport is the most efficient form of transport - the biggest expense is building railways. This was done ages ago - the only logical reason I see as "justification" for high prices is that trains lack capacity - they effectively cut off demand to make it even with supply (expat would say they are the same). I'd be okay with that if they used money to expand capacity but it is a mystery to me where those monies go - this is almost as bad as council tax.

[expat]

1. rail travel is so expensive because the privatisation leaves the operating companies paying huge fees for their franchise, which they have to include in the ticket price, i.e. your train journey is indirectly taxed to buggery.

2. rail travel need not be so expensive. Do you know how much a short flight costs on a scheduled airline if you just turn up at the airport and wave your plastic? But if you book a trail journey online, in advance, fitting your timing to their prices, that too is much cheaper.

3. supply always equals demand.

[milanbenes]

well looks like gas etc prices on the mainland are going to rise by 10%, I guess coupled with the falling pound the rise for gas customers in the UK is going to be much bigger

good luck

Milan.