HS2

[Charles Bukowski]

Re: HS2

Flying is cheap as we don’t pay tax on airline fuel. If we paid tax on the fuel it fall into line with other transport. However train travel in the UK is too expensive.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: HS2

Flying is cheap as we don’t pay tax on airline fuel. If we paid tax on the fuel it fall into line with other transport. However train travel in the UK is too expensive.

We give train operators billions of taxpayers money which we don't give to airlines.

[splott parker]

Re: HS2

What is the solution? I love a train journey and if it was more affordable would use them 100%. Millions must be lost when people like us see the prices and immediately dismiss it and hit the road, madness really.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: HS2

What is the solution? I love a train journey and if it was more affordable would use them 100%. Millions must be lost when people like us see the prices and immediately dismiss it and hit the road, madness really.

Renationalising them is a swear word to some, but we pay billions to train operators when they don't make a profit, then when they do, they keep it. The railways cost the taxpayer more in real terms now than they ever did when they were under public ownership.

[Charles Bukowski]

Re: HS2

Airlines don’t pay tax on any of their fuel, so we subsidise in a different way.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Re: HS2

Airlines don’t pay tax on any of their fuel, so we subsidise in a different way.

I'm aware of that. I presume the answer lies with global cooperation, so there's little chance of things changing that much. In the UK we charge duties on tickets, that barely covers it and if it rose significantly, would result in lots of people ditching plane travel - not good for those who rely on the speed of it for business and government.

[Charles Bukowski]

Re: HS2

I'm aware of that. I presume the answer lies with global cooperation, so there's little chance of things changing that much. In the UK we charge duties on tickets, that barely covers it and if it rose significantly, would result in lots of people ditching plane travel - not good for those who rely on the speed of it for business and government.

Absolutely, not a level playing field or train track even!

[19bluebirds27]

Re: HS2

Having not taken a train for years Its become a viable option now on cost.
Just come back from London £119 return (2 adults and 2 kids).
If we drove up it would have been about £55 fuel, £35 parking, £15 congestion charge/ULEZ.
For that little bit more it was worth it to relax and just under 2 hours.
Same sort of costing when I went to Stanstead airport a couple of months ago.

Bristol City away next week £13.50 all day return just for me.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Re: HS2

I’ve just priced up Cardiff to Edinburgh on the train for the next half term. Train return was £434. Flying was just over £60

Now every time I watch question time and scrapping HS2 is mentioned it gets a big round of applause. I don’t get it. So much hostility to new infrastructure in the UK.

It won't knock hundreds of pounds off the cost of a train journey but have you tried any split-ticketing websites?

[19bluebirds27]

Re: HS2

It won't knock hundreds of pounds off the cost of a train journey but have you tried any split-ticketing websites?

I have been using the Trainline app and been happy with the price I paid.
I’ll have a look as I’ll probably do the Train for the Liverpool game.

[The Bloop]

Re: HS2

I have been using the Trainline app and been happy with the price I paid.
I’ll have a look as I’ll probably do the Train for the Liverpool game.

Not sure how true it is but I've seen something about the earliest time it's possible to arrive in Liverpool by train from Cardiff on the day is 12.11pm

[WJ99mobile]

Re: HS2

How does that make it cheaper?

The reason fares are what they are as far as I believe is that we are at maximum capacity

Increase capacity, decrease price.

[Croesy Blue]

Re: HS2

The reason fares are what they are as far as I believe is that we are at maximum capacity

Increase capacity, decrease price.

What do you mean when you say maximum capacity? Do you think the trains are full or that they couldn’t put more on the current routes? Because neither of those is correct.

Ticket prices are high because each franchise gets to operate their routes as a monopoly and HS2 would be no different.

It’s about a quicker link it’ll never be about cheaper tickets.

[City123]

Re: HS2

Renationalising them is a swear word to some, but we pay billions to train operators when they don't make a profit, then when they do, they keep it. The railways cost the taxpayer more in real terms now than they ever did when they were under public ownership.

It's pretty popular in this country, over 50% in favour with just 12% against

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/trackers/should-train-operating-companise-be-brought-back-into-public-ownership

[PontBlue]

Re: HS2

I’ve just priced up Cardiff to Edinburgh on the train for the next half term. Train return was £434. Flying was just over £60

Now every time I watch question time and scrapping HS2 is mentioned it gets a big round of applause. I don’t get it. So much hostility to new infrastructure in the UK.

If the money being spunked on hs2 was spent around the country on rail it could be transformational.

I read an article recently that said what we could do to rail in wales had we had a share of the money and it would have made a huge difference