Search results

That's the reality in a nutshell. There are numerous ways TOCs can monopolise a route most of which are fairly dubious unless profit is the sole arbiter. The piecemeal way BR was carved up has lead to the current situation where popular commuting season tickets are a cash cow for the operator to...

Many goods and services cost far less than they used to. Factor in the manning cost required to service a steam locomotive and modern fuel efficient traction and few or none of those efficiencies have been passed on in ticket price or the tax bill for non-rail users.

Any route than does not have more than one operator is a monopoly. Routes that do have more are often de facto monopolies. Think how diverse OPEC members manage to arrive at a similar oil price. The argument it isn't a 'monopoly on travel' is as specious as suggesting motorists are welcome to...

A train originating outside the West Yorks boundary may not carry a Rover ticket, so you might have to purchase at a staffed station or post office.

You'd have to find train movements interesting because Stafford is one of the most soul-less concrete station lumps on the network.

The 9Fs had at least another decade of life. Built 1954-1960, withdrawals began 1964. All gone by '68, some having just a few years in service. The damage was at head office.

GC offer walk on tickets at stations with ticket offices. Are bylaws optional?

Your use of the word 'heavy' when referring to subsidies inferred a notion of degree (light, moderate, heavy, etc). I was merely informing the reader of something you as a railway professional already know, the fact the privatised UK rail system costs the tax payer a lot more in subsidies than...

Privatised UK railways are far more highly subsidised than the previous state owned model.

Let's hope its popularity becomes a model for similar operators.

There are two mindsets here, one that remembers BR which for all its faults ran an affordable, people centred service, the other that sees railways as a puppet of market forces. As an old school social inclusion type I think the nationalised system is best but more importantly I'd argue that...

I repeat, why did the system Zoe described become untenable?

What's so difficult about the situation Zoe described in the previous post, which obtained for so long? (apart from the fact it stopped a few shareholders becoming as rich as Midas?)

I think it probably is.

I recall travelling Nottingham to St Pancras in about '78-9 with a student railcard for £6. A few years later I don't think it was more than £12. My gut feeling is apart from promotions and allowing for inflation, travel was between 1/2 and 2/3 current prices with much more flexibility.

Hell no! That dame deserves everything the US Postal Service can throw at her.

It would be the sensible thing given the circumstances.

I'm checking if Ferrit's was a direct CC quote or merely an homage.

I thought Cliff Clavin was a fictitious character in 'Cheers'.

I hope he keeps us informed of how things go with his letter to the TOC, purely for the record.