Rail fares up by more than inflation, why?

I did notice that the interview on this was conducted outside the freshly refurbished Reading Station to show us where all the ticket money has gone :hihi::hihi:

 

---------- Post added 20-08-2014 at 13:53 ----------

 

 

Isn't that supposed to be funded by TFL/London Council/The Government??

This is what they would like us believe.... geared.

 

Successive governments have wanted the passengers to pay more whilst the Treasury pays less.

The treasury doesn't pay anything. The tax payer does. The question is "who should pay to use the railways? Should it be the folk who use them or the folk who don't?"

If I lived on the Shetland Islands tending sheep I'd wonder why I needed to pay more tax so a banker from Gilford could get a cheaper fare into the city of London to pick up his £million bonus.

I like how the Tory Minister says people need to realise they are paying fair fares for comfortable commuting. I wonder if she has seen people packed in like sardines having to stand and paying thousands of pounds a year for a season ticket for the privilege.

I like how the Tory Minister says people need to realise they are paying fair fares for comfortable commuting. I wonder if she has seen people packed in like sardines having to stand and paying thousands of pounds a year for a season ticket for the privilege.

On the box the other day, someone was saying the Brits pay around 14% of their annual salary to commute. While in Italy it's 1%...Spain and France around 3-5% of their annual salary.

I would hazard a guess that their trains are cleaner, on time and you get a seat.

On the box the other day, someone was saying the Brits pay around 14% of their annual salary to commute. While in Italy it's 1%...Spain and France around 3-5% of their annual salary.

 

I would hazard a guess that their trains are cleaner, on time and you get a seat.

Yes but...

Italy they nail you for 23% income tax on everything up to 15k - no personal allowance. Then 27% after that to about 30k.

And theres a 40% deduction that they employer has to make as well....

Germany they stiff you up to 24% to 13k then onto 42% up to 50 something k income. And they tax you 5.5% on top of you income tax bill - if you have tax due of 10,000 then it costs you 550 to file that claim....

France just likes to stiff you so much people leave. Income tax might only about about 18% but then there is 8% social payments minimun, if you happen to own a lot of stuff like cars and houses you pay 3% of it's value a year (want to pay a rent of £3000 on a house you already own?) and there are byzantine local taxes - you have to pay tax just because you have a residence in addition to the wealth tax....

They have cheap trains because they already stiffed you elsewhere for it. It's not really feasible to directly compare between them and us, or indeed each other.

Yes but...

 

Italy they nail you for 23% income tax on everything up to 15k - no personal allowance. Then 27% after that to about 30k.

 

And theres a 40% deduction that they employer has to make as well....

 

Germany they stiff you up to 24% to 13k then onto 42% up to 50 something k income. And they tax you 5.5% on top of you income tax bill - if you have tax due of 10,000 then it costs you 550 to file that claim....

 

France just likes to stiff you so much people leave. Income tax might only about about 18% but then there is 8% social payments minimun, if you happen to own a lot of stuff like cars and houses you pay 3% of it's value a year (want to pay a rent of £3000 on a house you already own?) and there are byzantine local taxes - you have to pay tax just because you have a residence in addition to the wealth tax....

 

They have cheap trains because they already stiffed you elsewhere for it. It's not really feasible to directly compare between them and us, or indeed each other.

Thanks for this Obelix.

There's always another side to a story.

Thanks for this Obelix.

 

There's always another side to a story.

There is an upside. You can travel on those trains a lot cheaper if you are British as you are not paying their income tax. There is a considerable feeling in certain sections of the German press that outsiders should pay more so they are not travelling for free. EU rules however stop them from doing that :-) IT is occassionally useful this single market thing....

I always wondered why you see so few European tourists around everywhere, they're all friggin broke!!

January 2012 saw a rail fare increase of 5.9%. This coming January we will see a rise of 5.8%. All on a backdrop of recession and economic gloom. Scotland will see a rise of 3.8%!

 

I can't see why this should happen? We already have one of, if not the most expensive rail networks in the world, with little to show for it. Compare that to Italy who have better, nicer and a more reliable rail system and we pay 10 times what they pay for season tickets!!!

Annie Bin All will be along soon to explain it all.