AgnesIO
11-04-2013, 10:41 AM
Soaring rail profits are used to cut fares abroadhttp://metro.co.uk/2013/04/02/soaring-rail-profits-are-used-to-cut-fares-abroad-3567491/
High fares paid by British commuters are subsidising rail travel across Europe – and even China – by millions of pounds.
The profits go to international companies often owned by other governments, which use the money to cut fares on their own networks.
As well as raking in expensive ticket prices, foreign train firms shared in a net subsidy of £2.7billion paid to train companies last year.
Shadow transport minister Maria Eagle said: ‘Many of these private companies are at least in part state-owned, so German, French and Dutch state railways – and a little bit of Hong Kong – are running franchises on our system from which they are making not only dividends and nice big pay packets but also profits.’
This in itself shows the issues with privatised railways. Many British fares rose by OVER 10% recently, which is not only clearly above inflation, and also paying for OTHER countries to have a cheaper rail service. Privatisation is all well and good, but it clearly is not working for the rail service.
Last year, it made £19million from its 45 per cent share in First TransPennine Express and £21million from its 35 per cent share in London Midland, Southeastern and Southern.
German government-owned Deutsche Bahn owns Arriva trains and buses, Chiltern railways, CrossCountry and helps run London Overground. It made a profit of £736million last year.
Clearly, the issue with ticket prices is NOT to do totally with inefficiency. Subsidies are not making the firms completely lazy, just look at the profits that are being generated! British commuters are a laughing stock, and international firms know it.
Other countries are subsidising their services, so why don't we? We subsidise our service by £4Bn per year, whilst France is subsidising theirs by £9Bn. I have nothing against these subsidies being reduced, as it could increase efficiency which will therefore reduce costs. However, if the subsidies remain, there is NO way ticket prices should be increasing.
High fares paid by British commuters are subsidising rail travel across Europe – and even China – by millions of pounds.
The profits go to international companies often owned by other governments, which use the money to cut fares on their own networks.
As well as raking in expensive ticket prices, foreign train firms shared in a net subsidy of £2.7billion paid to train companies last year.
Shadow transport minister Maria Eagle said: ‘Many of these private companies are at least in part state-owned, so German, French and Dutch state railways – and a little bit of Hong Kong – are running franchises on our system from which they are making not only dividends and nice big pay packets but also profits.’
This in itself shows the issues with privatised railways. Many British fares rose by OVER 10% recently, which is not only clearly above inflation, and also paying for OTHER countries to have a cheaper rail service. Privatisation is all well and good, but it clearly is not working for the rail service.
Last year, it made £19million from its 45 per cent share in First TransPennine Express and £21million from its 35 per cent share in London Midland, Southeastern and Southern.
German government-owned Deutsche Bahn owns Arriva trains and buses, Chiltern railways, CrossCountry and helps run London Overground. It made a profit of £736million last year.
Clearly, the issue with ticket prices is NOT to do totally with inefficiency. Subsidies are not making the firms completely lazy, just look at the profits that are being generated! British commuters are a laughing stock, and international firms know it.
Other countries are subsidising their services, so why don't we? We subsidise our service by £4Bn per year, whilst France is subsidising theirs by £9Bn. I have nothing against these subsidies being reduced, as it could increase efficiency which will therefore reduce costs. However, if the subsidies remain, there is NO way ticket prices should be increasing.