Virgin, no window

[chuckles1066]

Remember there are some routes that simply can't make a profit so subsidy is needed either from the taxpayer or the farepayer. The alternative is to not run the service at all.

Common business sense, applies to all sectors of the economy.

Is the rail network somehow immune to the ebbs and flows of the UK economy?

 

[Zoe]

Common business sense, applies to all sectors of the economy.

Is the rail network somehow immune to the ebbs and flows of the UK economy?

It depends if you think the railway should be run as a business or a public service. Personally I think all public transport should be run as a public service.

 

[45378]

What everyone seems to have missed is the question of which idiot designed these interiors - and it doesn't matter whether it's a pendo, a Voyager, a 170, a 175, or whatever - so badly.

In fairness Siemens, with classes 185 and 350 has tried reasonably hard.

But the others, well, they've taken a perverse delight in fouling up visibility.

OK not everyone wants to look out the window, but at least they should have the option.

I don't notice too many new cars / buses being designed without an outside view, and I can't imagine they'd be popular if that was the case.

Of course it must be really difficult to do - so go and have a look at an HST (before FGW messed them up) or a Mk 3!

Rgds

45378

 

[MCR247]

You know what? You said people may not want to, but wouldn't people want a choice of a seat?

So to be quite frank, think about your stupid comments before writing them

 

[AlterEgo]

Really there are bigger battles in life than this. *sigh*

 

[yorksrob]

Personally I don't think this should be an option but some people would say that if the service can't make a profit then it's not up to other people (farepayers or taxpayers) to fund something they don't use. This is not my personal opinion but as an argument I often hear.

These very misguided people fail to recognise that the railway contributes hugely to the British economy by reducing congestion and allowing people to go about their everyday economic business. This benefit to the environment and economy is of course shared to some extent by all of the public.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

And commuter fares subsidise Ethel and Sid on their annual off-peak jolly to Margate.

Where do you draw the line?

Since the train and infrastructure are there anyway, it makes sense to have Ethel and Sid paying something to go on it. The Kent commuters also receive the economic benefit of Ethel and Sid spending their dosh in Margate.

 

[Squaddie]

Really there are bigger battles in life than this. *sigh*

There's always a bigger battle, so you seem to be suggesting that no battle is worth fighting except for the very biggest?

Seating on British trains, especially in Standard, is appalling. The choice these days seems to be between an airline style seat with insufficient space to open a newspaper or laptop and a table seat where the seats are so close together that your knees are touching those of the person opposite. The fact that even first class seats are not properly aligned with the windows demonstrates that the TOCs have no interest in making the passenger's journey a pleasant one.

So far this year I have travelled by train in the USA, Switzerland, Poland, France and the Netherlands. Every train was more comfortable than a British one, and every journey cheaper than an equivalent journey in the UK.

 

[WestCoast]

Seating on British trains, especially in Standard, is appalling. The choice these days seems to be between an airline style seat with insufficient space to open a newspaper or laptop and a table seat where the seats are so close together that your knees are touching those of the person opposite. The fact that even first class seats are not properly aligned with the windows demonstrates that the TOCs have no interest in making the passenger's journey a pleasant one.

So far this year I have travelled by train in the USA, Switzerland, Poland, France and the Netherlands. Every train was more comfortable than a British one

Don't really agree that seating is bad all round - there are some bad apples but some of our seating is really rather adequate. Some of our seating comes from European manufacturers anyway - who use the same seating on continental European trains. The legroom on the Pendolino airline seating is much more generous than any aircraft seating on budget or charter airlines.

and every journey cheaper than an equivalent journey in the UK.

Walk up fares, yes! On advance fares, the UK has some of the cheapest deals in Europe, trust me unless you get a special offer DB charges much more on its version of advance ("Sparpreis 25/50") than fares for the equivalent distance in the UK can be.