Should rail passengers pay more to travel at peak times?
Train operators are considering congestion charge-style pricing for peak time journeys to combat a rise in passengers of 28% over the next ten years.
This is the second page of your comments.
The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:
 | SUGGEST A DEBATE This topic was suggested by James, UK  What is your reaction to congestion charging on the railways? |
These fair increases seem to fly in the face of Alistair Darlings plans. If we are to be charged for the use of roads (predominantly at peak times) to encourage us all to use public transport and now to have these fairs raised to prevent us form doing so, the only looser will as usual be us - the public - paying for these restrictions on our movements.
Alexander Fletcher, Bristol, England
I travel by train every working day from mid Sussex to London. The trains are now much better than they used to be, less delays, air con, etc, but there are simply not enough trains. The problem, I believe is that years ago, in order to save a few quid, the decision was made to use a third rail for electricity rather than the more expensive overhead cables. So we have to have overcrowding because the new trains use more power (air con, working lights etc) than the old ones. Solution: Start upgrading to overhead cables now and we can increase capacity. Problem: the rail franchises have just spent billions on new rolling stock to work with the third rail, nice strategic thinking from our leaders!
JH, Sussex
| Another cynical and overly simplistic approach to congestion where the only loser is the commuter |
This is yet another cynical and overly simplistic approach to congestion where the only loser is the commuter. If this comes about the rail companies will have increased their profits, and 'justified' it, and done precisely nothing to improve their services. The onus should be on them to work out how to transport more of us before they think about increasing their fares. This is not really that difficult - larger, more frequent trains for example.
Richard, Portsmouth, UK The only solution is more rails. Schemes like the Olympic high speed link in London need to be implemented everywhere. It would then be possible for people in suburban areas to get to their places of work without using the existing lines, leaving them free for people coming in from out of town. The trouble is, this plan takes guts to commit to. It'll take longer than the rest of the Government's term in office, so they're not willing to do it.
Ralph Bolton, London, UK
Its faintly ridiculous to think a rail congestion charge will encourage commuters to leave their cars at home. There should be more trains at peak times and more park and ride schemes on the edges of our big cities to enable the rail companies to close the smaller, less profitable stations.
Oliver McWilliams, Borehamwood, London
The idea of bringing in a congestion charge for trains is preposterous! I am wholeheartedly for road congestion charges and taxes. We need to be thinking about the environment and using cars less and public transport more. What we need is better, cheaper, faster more frequent public transport (maybe funded by larger taxes on car users) not rail congestion charges! The idea is joke. There is obviously no clear government transport policy if this is even considered this.
Emma, Cardiff
We live in the 5th most over developed country in the world and as more people than ever are in employment, the roads and railways strain under the pressure of peak time travel. The government has not got a transport policy.... Mr Blair how about a tax on bicycles and roller skates?
Julian, London
Would the government and the private transport monopolies prefer that we not go to work? Would it be better for them if we all stayed at home on benefits and didn't use the roads and trains? My train from the South coast to Victoria is never overcrowded, full yes, but not overcrowded. There would be no justification for charging us more, especially as there is absolutely no alternative.
John Holmes, Eastbourne, E Sussex As motorists pay so much into the tax system, a case could be made to replace level crossings with bridges and replace the old Victorian road over rail bridges, so trains can be double decked. It would increase the safety, capacity and reliability of the rail network and reduce road congestion around level crossings too as well as providing an opportunity for road widening.
Rob, Dorset
Why don't the government come straight out with it, and tell us that commuting has to become a thing of the past? We're all going to have to live near our place of work, and if we do travel, this will be in eco-friendly bubble-cars packed with others from the car pool who are heading in the same direction!
Penny Bassett-Jones, Swansea, Wales
The anti-private sector sentiment on this page is bizarre! For 40 years in state ownership, the government increased the price of train tickets to reduce demand because it couldn't afford to invest in the rail network. Passenger numbers fell, rail routes were shut down and we all became dependent on cars. Once the network was returned to private ownership, passenger numbers rose, new railways got built and ticket prices actually fell on many routes. Now we have an excess of demand and this is leading to price rises. That's fine by me. The prices go up, the private sector make more profit, in return for which they will invest more money so less taxpayers' money is needed. This sounds like a good thing to me.
John Moss, London, UK
There is one form of transport which has never been fully realised in the UK, and that is cycling. If the number of commuters using cycles was equivalent to that seen in most continental European cities then there would be no congestion on UK roads or trains. However, poor investment in city cycling over decades means that getting on your bike is too risky.
Mahesh, Glasgow
| A never ending nightmare of the worst kind |
Is there no end to the crass stupidity of both politicians and public transport bosses? It is a never ending nightmare of the worst kind. Sack all rail bosses and nationalise the trains again. Trains should put public service first, not profit a few
Pete B, Pershore, UK This is a ludicrous idea to have congestion charges on trains. Am I wrong in thinking that peak time ticket prices are already a congestion charge? So surely this is just a way of saying ticket prices will go up. If the government want to discourage usage of the roads then they must not allow the train system to undermine their efforts.
Christopher Rodwell, Edinburgh
Charging people more to travel in overcrowded trains? This sounds very convenient for the train companies. They should invest more in public transport and the government should introduce compulsory variable working and school hours to ease the peak time congestion.
Michael, London
We're being forced off the roads with high petrol prices, and the congestion charge and can look forward to being charged per mile for using the roads in an effort to get us to use public transport and now they want to charge us more for doing the right thing! Train fares are extortionate enough as it is. What are the alternatives?
Mark, Greywell England
Train companies want to start congestion charging for travelling at peak times? Is that on top of the premium they already charge customers who have the audacity to travel at peak times? They've been congestion charging for years, it's just an excuse to rip off people who have to use these appalling services.
David Nicol, Swansea UK
This is what you get if you don't invest in your rail network for twenty or more years. The 80s and 90s were lost in terms of public transport investment so now we are playing catch-up and it's very expensive. The problem is that non-investment doesn't show through for 15 or 20 years so, at the time, nobody cares. But now it's too late, everybody cares and moans.
Ian Bartlett, Chesham, UK
| The answer would be for the government to encourage commerce to be more evenly distributed |
The roads and railways are both overcrowded, therefore, we must reduce the amount of travelling that we do. In order to do this we will all need to live within walking distance of our places of work. There is only one small problem and that is that there isn't enough housing to go round in our towns and cities! Surely the answer would be for the government to encourage commerce to be more evenly distributed rather than all located together. This just might provide an alternatives to commuting.
Paul, London It's the same old sorry story. They wanted to tax people off the roads and onto public transport. Now this is working they want to tax people off the railways and back onto the roads. Rather than admit that what's needed is sensible, long-term plan to sort out Britain's over-crowded transport infrastructure that would require investment, it's much easier just to say "if it moves, tax it."
Wayne, London
Are train operators mad? They certainly seem to be. There are many possible and feasible solutions to avoid overcrowding and congestion. Abolish first class carriages and have a single, universal travel option. More carriages on busy routes may be an idea as well, as is improving maintenance. Overcrowding increases as a result of constant mechanical failure, so this seems a sensible suggestion. The service on my local line is often overcrowded at peak times and Saturdays, a situation not improved by frequent cancellations. Passengers are often compelled to try and find another means of getting to work, which is easier said than done in Cannock if you don't have a car.
Andrew, Cannock, United Kingdom
Roads are congested, railways are congested, cities are congested, we are using natural resources faster than they can be replenished, we are polluting the atmosphere and depleting the oceans' fish stocks. All this points to chronic overpopulation. We should be tackling this problem rather than tinkering with the symptoms.
Bryan, Edinburgh
No these charges are not justified. How about cheaper fares before 7am instead and starting earlier ? Personally I will pay this surcharge just once - on the way to their airport to go to Australia.
David, London, UK
Over the last few years my family and I have made a conscious effort to use public transport because it was better for the environment. I live in the country and this is not always convenient, but I thought I was doing the right thing. In its 'green' moments, the government have tried to persuade us out of our cars onto public transport, now this. We have know for years that cars and big pollutants are an environmental time-bomb, yet because it takes lateral thinking and forward planning, rather than an immediate feel-good solution, no one has acted. It's pathetic.
D Brown, Hope Valley, England
I was in Oxford street the other day and it was terribly crowded. Shouldn't the government be considering a congestion charge for overcrowded pedestrian areas?
Paul, London, UK
Surely the long-term cost to the economy of pricing commuters off the railways (or these costs being passed on to employers) is greater than the cost of building new high-speed lines?
Mac, Bath
The only solution is to encourage businesses out of South East. The North is cheap and empty. At least, the universities can be forced out of London area.
Mustafa Yorumcu, UK/Turkey Rail congestion charging, road pricing, the problem is the same, who chooses to be stuck on a crowded train or in a queue at rush hour? Those people are there because there are no viable alternatives. From Manchester to London it's 2.5 Hours on the train and 4.5 hours on the coach. Is that really a proper alternative?
Pieter Dyson, Manchester, UK
This suggestion by train operators is just ludicrous - the price to peak fare tickets is already considerably greater than cheap day versions. This is a very backward view on their behalf, particularly when the government is promoting the use of public service transport. A more logical approach albeit more expensive in the short - term would by to increase the service frequency and reinstate existing tracks presently disused
Alastair, Glasgow, Scotland
Rail congestion charge, what a joke! Transport around the London area is crippled by a lack of imaginative thinking. Why not build monorail lines over motorways or major roads like the A3, or over key rail lines. These lines can link into existing rail lines or be used to serve local or long distance requirements. They can also be used to help develop new rail hubs further from the centre. Steps like this can lead to less rail and car congestion. The beauty is that it can probably be built relatively inexpensively and with no or no government funding.
James, Epsom
You can't get a job near your home, you can't afford a home near your job and soon you won't be able to afford travel costs even if you use public transport. Should we all resign and live on benefits or emigrate? Answers on a postcard to Alistair Darling....
Mike W, Newark, UK
As my commuter train pulled up this morning with eight carriages instead of the usual 12 (no explanation given) and consequently was even more crammed than usual, I read in the paper that train operators are considering congestion charge-style pricing. Pure genius. How inconvenient we customers must be for them.
Kirk O'Connor, London, UK Investing for double-decker trains might be worth doing, even though it would require conversion of whole railway lines, adjustments to every platform and station canopy, lowering track in tunnels etc, etc (the track is the same width but the trains are much bigger). It would be one of those things that in 100 years time we might say "thank goodness we did it". It would have the great advantage that we could then use the same rolling stock in use all over the rest of the EU rather than having to have special UK-only trains purchased, inevitably at greater cost.
Stephen Lawrence, Cambridge, UK
How can we be reaching capacity. Have any of the bosses looked at Japan's railway system, millions of people travel everyday. The trains are clean, efficient and train travel is the preferred method for Japanese. Why should we pay more for travelling on the train. Surely it is far better for our country that less cars are polluting the air.
Valerie Maeda, Liphook, England
OK, so I already pay an extortionate sum to sit/stand on an overcrowded, dirty (have you ever seen anyone cleaning on them), frequently delayed and inefficient service and now they want me to pay a premium just to get to work on time? I don't want to work in London but that is where the jobs were, if the government encouraged business to invest in the regions instead of buying into London 'as the place to be', then we would not have a problem!
Jill, London
The fundamental problem needing to be addressed is the actual need to commute. Many jobs could effectively be done from home or smaller local branches of large firms. This would also work towards re-building a sense of community and local businesses/services in many dormitory towns. What are the costs of commuting in wasted time, money and energy?
Andrew, Bath, England
| It seems that in order to "improve punctuality" the level of service is cut |
I thought the idea of privatisation was to foster competition. How does this work with the railways? I have no choice of operator when I go to work every day, or when I visit my girlfriend at the weekend. It seems that in order to "improve punctuality" the level of service is cut - fewer trains are late because there are fewer trains! My local service is now two coaches instead of three and is packed a peak times. But what can I do? I'm stuck with whatever First want to provide.
AFJ, Hampshire, UK I thought the idea was to make people use public transport more, so why drive people away with this sort of stunt? When businesses and the public sector become flexible enough to accommodate shifted or segmented working days or remote working we will be able to reduce this "burden" on the rail and other transport systems. In the meantime, stop profiteering on the railways and re-engineer the transport networks with the funds available.
Phil W-S, UK
Someone should tell them that it is 21st June, not 1st April. Once the pavements are 'too congested' because we can drive anywhere and the trains are too expensive just watch them suggest the pedestrian charge.
Allan, Walsall
The problem facing our railways is the profile inherited from our Victorian forefathers. The smaller gauging and sharper curves than our European counterparts mean that options such as double deck trains as in France and Holland cannot run here without investment of billions of pounds.
Christopher Young, Bideford, England
So, all the extra affordable housing that the government said HAS to be built in the South East is never going to be taken up because the money the prospective purchasers are saving on the price of a house will be taken up by higher rail fares - the houses will obviously remain empty and the green pastures 'stolen' to build them will be lost forever for no reason.
Val, Kent
Congestion charging for roads, stamp duty for your house if you move and now congestion charging for rail. Are we moving to Local Jobs for Local People?
Rich, London, UK
It seems to me that this government by increasing travel costs/taxes is trying to "re social engineer" this country to the life of past generations whereby people live in the same vicinity as their work and family group and don't need to travel. I suppose the government logic is that pollution and creation of greenhouse gasses would be reduced. The trouble is that this government doesn't live in the real world.
David Brown, Hassocks, Sussex
It's all very well working at home but who pays for the extra heating and electricity used?
Geoff Harris, Harrogate, N. Yorks
Quite right too. Keep the riff-raff off the road and rail so the important people can travel in comfort!
Allan, Surrey, UK
I don't know whether to laugh or cry really, as I'm giving up commuting after five years of sustained misery - filthy overcrowded trains, pig ignorant staff and railway bosses keen only to line their own pockets. Oh and I'm �25,000 poorer over that time. What's the alternative? Government appears clueless - just slap a tax on anything that moves, oh that'll be great for the economy. The RPC is toothless and flatulent, we need a really strong champion of passenger rights.
Big Mike, Northampton, UK I spent a year living in Japan. Trains always ran on time. There were plenty of them (17 an hour in each direction during the rush hour on the line I used). Pricing was fair and transparent. The trains were crowded, but reliable. Perhaps we should let Japan Rail run our trains for a decade or so and see what improvements will be made....
Dave Jowett, Yate, UK
The government must plan towns so employees can live close to their job, and walk or cycle to work. Milton Keynes made a bold attempt at this with offices and business units positioned all over the city with excellent roads within the city. The only rush hour jams are for those commuting from outside, along the M1 and A5. This example must be followed elsewhere with green areas, and good housing kept in the centre of cities.
George, Milton Keynes
What a ridiculous idea. How is that going to encourage people like me to ditch the car and use public transport? I would gladly leave my car at home and do the 10 mile journey to work each day if I had a reliable (and CHEAP) alternative. Unfortunately, the alternatives are neither. If the government were really serious they would reopen the hundreds, possibly thousands of miles of disused rail track, stations and halts that still exist around the country and not only encourage people but freight also, back onto the rail system.
Allen Hanley, Stoke, UK
ATOC members seem to intend to reap the profits from increased passenger numbers and especially commuters, without actually putting any investment into the train service they provide. Scrap trains, lines and stations? No: increase the number of trains to match demand. Improve the service to the less-used stations to make them attractive. Reduce off-peak fares to match bus/coach services. And watch those passenger numbers and profits increase!
Michael Sandy, Swansea, Wales
Absolutely laughable - can't drive and now probably can't afford to get to work either. A life of benefits will be more profitable than actually working for a living. Ridiculous.
Pam, Reading
I think it is time to emigrate. I travel to London every week. If I use my car I sit in traffic, pay through the nose for congestion charges and parking. If I use the train I have to get up at 4:30 to guarantee to be in for 9:00 due to delays and cancellations, 90% of the time I have to stand all the way and I pay �10 return. Surely more trains, better lines, cheaper prices would mean less traffic and a better environment.
Ian Tranter, Wolverhampton England
Sorry, I thought that we had already been paying peak rail fares for years to fund the improvement of our railways, and similarly ludicrous levels of road-related tax (fuel duty etc) towards improving roads. If the money we've been paying for years had gone where it was supposed to, we wouldn't be in the situation we are now. Also, Mr Darling, we generally travel when we do because we need to be at our destinations at particular times - there's no enjoyment in being crammed into cattle trucks, as you'd know if you ever used the railways at peak times.
Dave, UK
We already have peak prices for commuting - it's called a season ticket. Travel after 9am and the prices come down to a more sensible level (although you are free to travel back in peak hours!). To increase fares further would seriously impact the economy. Perhaps if this government (and previous governments) had invested in the infrastructure rather than privatisation, then there would be greater capacity and faster lines now. So, if they invested now in the system rather than allowing the train operators to run the system for their own profits, we might have a reasonable system within the next decade. This is especially important in the South East where housing policy is allowing the construction of more and more homes, but without any investment in roads or rail.
Ralph, Reigate
What a ridiculous notion. Is it not enough that we pay �3,500 a year to travel as it is?? How many companies would let their staff work "off-peak hours" anyway? I know mine wouldn't. It is sickening that they can get away with high prices, bad service and continue this way year after year. Is there another industry which would get away with this?
Michelle, Colchester, UK
So the congestion charge and motorway toll are introduced to encourage motorists to use public transport and help take care of the environment. Those who decide to do their bit and move to public transport will then be charged more for congesting the trains. Unless employers decide that their employees can change their hours to avoid the Railway Congestion Charge (highly unlikely!), the idea is farcical! What will they come up with next?! A Pedestrian Congestion Charge for children walking to school?!
Melissa, Richmond
| Additional charges would be ludicrous and completely unfair on lower paid key workers who have to travel at peak times |
We pay enough money at peak times for trains. Additional charges would be ludicrous and completely unfair on lower paid key workers who have to travel at peak times. And this suggestion is completely against government policy, which wants us to use more public transport at an affordable price and not force us back into our cars
Victor, London, England I started to use trains over 3 years ago and in that time I've seen prices increased dramatically and the service worsen. Trains never seem to run on time and when they do they seem to breakdown, be over crowed or just stand outside a station until a platform become free as the train in front was delayed. The service needs to improve if we are to get people off the roads, but increasing prices and introducing congestion charges would just force people back into their cars. Public transport in general needs to improve before people will give up their luxury of their cars.
Claire Greenwood, Leeds
Totally ridiculous. By instigating a 'congestion charge' (which amounts to a penalty or fine) rail operators are inferring that commuters are 'doing something wrong'. Do we therefore assume that they are encouraging us to return to pollution-causing private transport, cars and the like? This idea is politics gone mad! The government wanted us to make greater use of public transport, and now have apparently reversed that policy!
Rob Gazely, Durham, England
How bizarre. We want to price people off the road (which I agree with) and yet make public transport still more expensive and difficult too. As so often happens with UK infrastructure we prefer to prevaricate and seek a temporary fix than bite the investment bullet.
Stephen, London, UK
A few years ago we were told that people should be using public transport more to get cars off the road. But now we are going to be charged more to commute to work on the trains, currently paying around �30 to commute to London. Where does all this money go I wonder Car Tax, Fuel Tax, Congestion Charging, High Priced Train Tickets, but I have not seen any new major track or road development?
Andrew Scotford, Ashford, UK
I think that it is iniquitous that any private industry should be subsidised. If there is money to pay shareholders, then public money should not be put in. I'm not generally one in favour of nationalising things, but I think the railways is one exception most people of whatever political persuasion would be in favour of.
Martin, Malton, North Yorkshire
My husband and I both work as community nurses. We cannot really afford to run two cars so he uses public transport which here in Devon varies from infrequent to non-existent. At the moment this costs almost as much as running another car, it takes him two hours from leaving the house to arriving at work at best, often longer. This journey is just 20 miles away! If road tolls are introduced, rail services are cut and prices raised, I don't know how we will be able to continue with our jobs.
Michelle, Exeter
This is madness. Atoc should welcome the fact more people are wanting to help the environment by using public transport ... they have to spend the money now to invest and support their customers.
Scott, UK
A very bad joke indeed. Maybe the public should go on strike by boycotting the trains and underground and using their cars. The country would grind to a halt.
Bradley Holland, England
Ok, let me get this straight. We will have to pay phenomenal charges to use the road and ghastly charges for public transport which will no doubt cost more than I earn after tax! So now all we have left are our bikes. I predict a bicycle chain tax next or a shoe sole wear out charge for those who walk (which is not an option as I live 35 miles from work). I give in, Australia, here I come.
Tom, Bridgend, Wales
Soon it will be too much hassle, and too expensive, to get out of bed!!!
Chris, Horley, Surrey, UK
Tax companies on how far their employees live from them, they might thus make an effort to recruit locally or find accommodation for their workforce.
Christian Tiburtius, Reading UK
These proposals are ridiculous. The solution, I would suggest, is for all those who have to commute to work to go on strike on specific days until there is a sensible commitment to sort out public transport. I wonder how London, or government, for that matter would work without the commuters.
MP Hoskins, Herts
Simple. Replace season tickets with a more flexible scheme to encourage part time home working. I have to pay full whack even though I only travel three days a week. I wrote to the rail company to make this suggestion and got a dusty answer. But let's face it, rail companies are in it to make money and they regard commuters as a captive market to be milked.
Stephen Lowe-Watson, Lewes, UK
Tax aviation fuel to fund a fully integrated national public transport system. All the technology exists, it is merely a matter of political will against vested interests.
Pete Nightingale, Reading, UK
Why are we getting overcrowded trains? Because of the Deputy Prime Minister's insistence that hundreds of thousands of houses are to be built in already congested areas so the already over-full trains get even more congested.
Paul Green, UK
I think the solution to this problem is simple, and extremely effective. Every single worker in the UK should stop working, and just remain at home all the time. If we are to be charged left, right, and centre for travelling to and from work, then why should we bother working?
Andy, Leeds, UK
Every time I get on a train I walk past endless empty first class carriages to then sit in over-crowded standard class. Over crowding would be helped just by sorting this out rather than increasing already overpriced trains.
Sarah, London
Why not have what they have in Japan, a man with a pole to push and prod as many people as possible into the train before the doors shut. That'll teach 'em to rely on public transport!!!
Chrissie Nyssen, Aberdeen, Scotland
Why do people need to travel at peak times? Because employers are not currently flexible with working time - we're too stuck in a 9 to 5 mindset. Instead of putting further burden on the poor commuters, perhaps the government could consider forcing employers to offer flexible working hours, or home working.
Nick Grant, Bournemouth, UK
Could we not explore continental-style double-decker suburban rail carriages?
M. Millington, London
Will someone please explain this government's transport policy to me? First, the roads are congested so they're charging to reduce use. Now, public transport is being used too much so they're charging to reduce use. Which do they want us to use, or is it that we should all just stay in our homes and go nowhere?
Chris, UK
I don't know what the problem is. Here in Germany they are putting more trains on by increasing the frequency rather than trying to discourage travel and cash in on commuters' misery.
Andrew, Hamburg
I thought we were being encouraged to use trains and get out of cars! What's next - a bus tax?
Mark Malik, Teesside, UK
I thought we already had congestion charging on trains - it's called the before 09:30 peak time, where ticket prices are already high enough.
Steve, London
| Penalising those who need to commute to reach their workplaces |
This is simply penalising those who need to commute to reach their workplaces. Those of us who need to travel for business purposes should be exempted from this charge and those that travel during peak hours for "leisure" or "shopping" should be forced to pay the extra or travel at other times.
Paul Williams, UK How about longer trains in some places? On the Chiltern line the platforms can take 12 coach trains but you often see only two coach trains operating.
John Wright, Scotland
Put the Swiss in charge!!!
John Carnie, Worcester, UK
Build a separate high speed rail network using disused railway track beds. Then the local traffic can be increased without fear of disruption to the intercity trains.
Dean, Leeds
Funny how the RMT are using this as another excuse to attack the privatised railways and call for nationalisation. If the current private sector railway network is so bad, then why are passenger numbers shooting up so much?
Pete, Nottingham, UK
Privatisation was supposed to introduce innovation and risk taking to a "moribund" public service. It doesn't seem like that. I like intercity rail travel. It is much more relaxing than driving long distances. However I am glad to be able to avoid peak fares - they do put me off, and going any distance to London the difference could pay for an overnight stay.
Gordon Batten, Brixham Devon
The greatest advantage to government of privatised services is that failures in delivery are never their fault, just something for companies to work out, thus allowing ministers to adopt the blame free and critical position of consumers.
McSpode, Lowestoft
Hey Ho - more "rip off" Britain.
Mark Franklin, Derby
So the railways want to bring in a congestion charge. Are they going to get rid of the peak/ off-peak rail fares then, or is another stealth price rise.
Paul, Swindon, UK
For once I completely agree with the RMT. The country needs to invest in the rail infrastructure and increase the feeder system to the main lines.
P. Lockwood, Market Drayton, UK
Longer platforms must be the cheapest transport solution going in some places (less than one new roundabout on the roads?). Further ahead, most countries have double deck trains; can we find cheap ways of introducing that here at least on busy routes where it's easy to do?
John, Weybridge
"Very crowded in the next few years." Do these people travel on rush hour trains? The trains are already overcrowded! I want to know what these innovative ideas are that will solve train commuters' problems - perhaps having trains run on time would be a start. Do these measures involve congestion charging for peak-time trains? But hang on, we can't use our cars to get into London without being charged and in the future perhaps we'll have to pay to use rush hour trains. Are they forgetting that we already pay peak fares to travel?
Adrian Cole, Ampthill, Bedfordshire
What has the rail companies done since then to deal with these pinch points? In light of this report it would seem nothing has been done. The money spent on the rail network is being wasted. Either those responsible for running the railways get their act together or we should divert the wasted money to building roads. At least then there would be some improvement in our transport infrastructure.
Alan Addison, Newcastle, UK I use Bristol Parkway - weekend trains are always being cut on the Bristol to Paddington line or delayed weekend after weekend due to maintenance - about time this was completed and regular services installed. Lack of use of trains is due to poor service and unreliability of service. I have been told by rail spokesman maintenance is carried out at weekends because of light usage. There just aren't the trains to use! Also, integrate bus services with train services.
Diana English, Yate, South Gloucestershire, England
Would not the answer be to add one extra carriage to each train therefore increasing capacity by 20 to 30 per cent? Or is that too simple.
David King, Blackburn , Lancashire
Much as it grieves me to agree with Bob Crow, his comments about 'upside down logic' are hard to deny. What sort of mindset other than mad freemarketeers thinks 'How do we accommodate a 28% growth in passengers? I know, shut down stations so that they can't actually get ON the trains'! Insane stuff.
Andrew Whiteside, London, UK
The privatised rail industry requires huge funding simply to make the various sectors work together as they should, whereas the previous "vertically-integrated" regime did this almost by definition. Contract-driven operations will always cost huge sums to make them work. To cite an example that all can see - every train company (and there are about 25) has its own livery, which will have been "designed" by their own teams/consultants, at a cost, instead a national livery, designed once for the whole country. Re-nationalisation will cost less if done in steps (taking each franchise back into public ownership as it becomes due for renewal, until all are done and a national network can be re-established), than it would if "bought back" in one go. The sooner the process starts the better, and we can return to a properly-integrated national network.
Ian Docwra, London, England
Surely further overcrowding on trains will discourage people from using the trains, and given how packed all the trains I've been on lately were, I would consider it positively dangerous to travel by train if more people were squeezed on to trains where even at present three or four people are squeezed into the aisles between each pair of seats.
The stations that are underused are often stations in rural areas, where there are fewer people. However, those people (such as myself) have no realistic alternative form of transport. Simply because a station is used less frequently than Euston or Paddington does not mean that it is not part of a vital public service.
Catrin, Aberystwyth, Wales
So, our rail network is effectively saturated in parts and cannot cope with more users. I wonder if the government will want to press ahead with their road pricing scheme for roads, since that would force many more people onto the rail system. If the rail system cannot cope and the road network is priced into unusability, then commuting will become impossible. House prices already make relocating well-nigh impossible, so precisely what do the government imagine will happen?
Dan H., Manchester, UK
If we're all meant to be getting out of our cars, surely an efficient alternative is required? If "under used" services and stations close, there will be no other means to reach those destinations than a car. Self-defeating and short sighted again by our politicians, who appear to be pandering to a few very rich individuals whose self interest is at the expense of everyone else. Very sad.
Richard Congreve, Southampton, England
Sounds like they should include a new pricing structure to tempt commuters in particular to use non-rush hour trains. It should tempt a percentage to start earlier, and some others to leave later. Flexible pricing would improve efficiency.
Stephen Budge, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
With this revelation coming only a couple of weeks after the news that Mr Darling will be charging us as we go on the roads, is there any hope for anyone who has to commute to work. I live in West Sussex and travel daily to Wembley in West London, this is due to my partner living and working in the same area therefore cutting down on her transport usage. Even so I have an average of 5 hours a day in the car. Public transport is not an option as the cost is far greater than travelling on my own and far less reliable. The car I drive is as economical and green as possible and I car share with colleagues most of the time. Invest in our transport network, as our European cousins have done and give us a viable alternative to the living hell that is commuting in the UK.
Richard McKenna, Steyning, UK
| As commuters we will be stuck between a rock and a hard place |
I commute between Doncaster and Sheffield using a mixture of trains and the car. Last week we heard how car users were going to be taxed based on the miles they do, with higher charges for peak times and roads (essentially a congestion charge). The idea was to get people using public transport - the trains. Now we hear that we will be penalised for using the trains as well. As commuters we will be stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Louise, Sheffield Atoc has suggested introducing congestion charging for trains or in other words 'peak rail pricing', but do we not already pay this? A peak travel card to London from Reading is already about �28 so how much higher are the ticket prices going to get? I commute to university in London 3 days a week because this saves me money instead of living in halls. If the prices are put up much higher I won't be able to afford to go.
Amy, Reading
It will be too expensive to drive to work and too expensive and overcrowded to use the train. How does Mr Blair expect the UK to function?
Lobert E. Chalmers, London
Why not introduce a congestion charge on busy overcrowded lines so only the well off can afford to get to work on time?
John, Hastings
| It makes me so glad I commute on my motorcycle |
The Times was reporting on plans to charge commuters on busier routes more money during the peak period of morning and evening commutes, a rail congestion charge if you like. Imagine paying more money to be even more crammed than before! It makes me so glad I commute on my motorcycle, I can't understand why more people don't do it?
Russell, UK Why don't we look at other countries operate, France for example, the system in Paris is excellent, trains every 10 to 15 minutes, double deckers, long. I hate to say it but the French put us to shame when it comes to the railways, and they admit to having problems with theirs!
Robert France, York
So Mr Darling not only wants to charge us per mile for using our cars, he wants to restrict access to public transport by closing rural and quieter regional stations. And the train operating companies want to "congestion charge" at peak times. Exactly how will this economically benefit the country? The mobility of the workforce in this country will be massively curtailed by all of these measures, the cost of transporting goods around the country will rise substantially, and we will find ourselves with rising inflation and falling earnings as people quit "good" jobs for something more local.
M. Willis, Coventry
I read in First Great Western's free magazine that they are planning to invest in carriages with seat-back entertainment systems. This after spending 2 hours standing on a dangerously overcrowded (and delayed) train. Seat-back entertainment? Just a seat would be good.
Anonymous, Swindon, UK
Taxed off the roads, priced off the rail, how on earth ARE we supposed to travel then?
Cris Page, Pembroke, UK
| Trains are packed to bursting point |
I have travelled from Kent to Central London every day for nearly eight years and, while I do not consider myself a veteran train traveller, I have noticed a steady decline in both the quality of service and in value for money. Trains are packed to bursting point, poor reliability in terms of timing and length of train, yobs using the carriages as fighting arenas and art galleries for their graffiti, unsafe stations during the night, overheated in summer and freezing in winter. Surely the days of British Rail were not as bad as what we have to face every day.
Adam Rider, Erith, Kent An increased number of passengers means more revenue from fares (which always seem to rise faster than inflation too). Train Operators should use this money to increase capacity by increasing the length of trains and reopening some of the lines that have been closed down over the last 50 years. The train operators seem to be taking the opposite approach - cutting services (and costs) until customers are forced to drive or take the bus instead.
James, London, UK
We should scrap an obsolete network (Victorian infrastructure) and start again. How long would it take working 24/7 to take it all down and build a brand new network? All the major construction companies could be involved as it would be a nationwide project and create 1000s of jobs. Provide replacement coaches and introduce coach lanes on all roads (which generally follow the same routes) where necessary, for however long it takes. The airlines wouldn't moan either would they (at this prospective windfall for a couple of years) and we could start by building 1000s of coaches which would create jobs too. Just an idea but the ultimate solution?
Jules, Sutton, Surrey, UK
Rail companies on some overcrowded lines have the ability to increase capacity by about 12 percent with no additional rolling stock. On Midland Mainline's latest trains, half a carriage of a four carriage units is occupied by a buffet bar. Replacing it by seats gives an instant capacity increase. It also reduces the problem for those who don't get seats since it does away with the constant stream of people pushing through aisles filled with standing passengers, while carrying cups of hot liquid and balancing against the bounce and sway of trains on poorly maintained tracks. Let the train companies get their priorities right. They are supposed to transport passengers, not run a mobile take-away cafe.
Anne, Northants UK
Ah, so in order to reduce congestion on the roads the plan is to make it more expensive and less convenient to use public transport, another great Labour victory! How about removing every other seat in the carriages too thus reducing the weight of the trains and as a result wear and tear on the tracks?
Chris, Coventry
Interesting. Create an environment where car drivers are either priced off the road or forced to take public transport due to the imposition of a ludicrous number of restrictions and stringent enforcement actions, and then raise the issue of "congestion charging" on railway passengers as well as thinking about cutting service availability. Joined-up thinking?
Terry, London, UK
| Where is our integrated transport policy? |
Recent announcements on road pricing can only make train congestion more acute. Where is our integrated transport policy and why does the public seem to get a constant poor deal in transport matters? Surely a well run and cheaper rail network is the least we can expect as we are about to be bled dry to use the roads.
Paul, Liverpool, UK So, the government is to price us off the roads with road pricing, and now they want to price us off what's left of the railways with peak-time rail pricing. One question springs to mind - just how exactly ARE we supposed to move around the country?
Charles Peters, Peterborough, UK
This sounds more like an attempt by the rail operating companies to boost their profits than solve the rail crisis. Shutting down railway stations and lines will be of no benefit to travellers and leave many unable to make their journeys. But it will mean that the operating companies to can lose their loss making routes and concentrate on the profitable ones.
Neal Hawman, York
It is great news that more and more people are starting to use trains rather than cars. Train services are becoming faster all the time which is surely leading some of this movement to trains rather than cars. Hopefully the extra revenue generated from ticket sales will be fed back into the network to continue the improvement.
Michael Kiehn, London, UK
One of the answers to the problem is to provide more rolling stock. The train which I catch in the morning has only two carriages and is packed with people, both sitting and standing. Frequently, I have to stand for the whole of my journey (and I have a season ticket - doesn't make any difference, though). It's the same on the return journey. The trains are seriously overcrowded to the point of being highly dangerous as it is. We desperately need more carriages on our trains.
Liz, UK
In any other business, an increase in customers is a reason to increase profits and supply a better service! How does it, in this case, lead the customers getting an even worse service and the need for cost cutting?
Mat, Kent
It's yet another excuse for the large rail companies to try and scrap essential yet less profitable stations in rural and outlying urban areas. Solve overcrowding by adding additional carriages and adopting a minimum of two trains an hour in both directions at the majority of stations.
Peter, Manchester, UK
People who use the train hear this sort of news with incredulity. How can this be? The operators tell us that trains are going to be more crowded than now AND have the affront to say it will cost more to use them.
Andy McCaughtrie, Peterborough, UK
It's high time the railways were taken back into public ownership. All the profits could be invested in improving rolling stock, making train travel safer and introducing a train timetable fit for use in the 21st century. We need a train service where there is a seat available for all who wish to travel, including suitable access and seating set aside for the disabled.
Paul Rossiter, Torquay, UK
Someone please explain how you improve a service by cutting trains and stations? Maybe it is really just a backdoor policy of pushing the problem elsewhere, i.e., onto the already overcrowded road system. This is especially short sighted when we are likely to face a really tough future in terms of high oil prices. Once again the politicians are just playing games and not really dealing with the issues.
Jean-Pierre Joosting, Reading, Berkshire
I find it incredible that the lessons of the 1960s, when massive rail closures occurred that deprived many communities of rail services, have still not been learnt. The limited capacity restricting growth demands that ATOC seeks to address, including the crazy suggestion that more closures might occur, are partly due to what happened then. For example, the Harrogate-Northallerton main line closed in the late '60s. If it were still open, many of the Trans-Pennine expresses that use the very busy York-Northallerton 'East Coast Main Line' could go that way instead, giving a faster Leeds-Newcastle journey into the bargain. Some of the network 'bottlenecks' are thus a direct result of the short-sighted 'Beeching' mentality in the past.
Alan E., Leeds, England
The rail network doesn't work under public or private ownership. However, we should give public ownership a go again with more accountability and a lot less red tape. What about double decker trains as in Switzerland and Australia. The Government could increase bridge sizes to allow these trains without the need for extra trains and/or lines.
Ashley, Burgess Hill
What a disgrace that not only do the privatised rail companies want to keep on bumping up prices and wash their hands of the overcrowding issue, but they also want to isolate communities with less profitable routes. They are responsible for running a 'network' that serves the people and if they are unprepared to do so efficiently, then the Government should enforce this one way or another. As a private company by its very nature will always want to cream off any excess money for its shareholders, the only way to provide a decent rail service for the people is to renationalise the railways.
Julia, Brighton
Instead of charging more for an increasingly poor service, why not put more trains on? Or at least put more carriages on the existing trains? Why is it that the knee jerk reaction of these people is to hike prices? I've got news for them - we still need to get to work no matter how much you charge. But then again they know that don't they.
Stephen Martin, Glasgow, Scotland
How can the overcrowding get any worse when we already have instances where it is impossible to get on the trains due to the sheer volume of people? So you can't get to work using the train, and the government is doing it's level best to force people off the roads as well; do they not want people to have jobs, or am I missing something?
Mike, Yorkshire
On Sunday my student daughter was travelling from Paddington to Cheltenham Spa. The train was due in at 12:07 it was late, at Swindon everybody had to leave the train and travel to Gloucester by bus, at Gloucester they all got back on the train - late again. They finally got to Cheltenham at around 5:00pm. This appalling service cost �35:00 return - the train was also delayed on the Saturday travelling to London. The sooner the train service is de-privatised and everyone has just one agenda the better. No wonder there are so many cars on the roads. We seem to have the worst and most expensive transport system in Europe.
Linda, Wales
Seems as though we can't win - we are encouraged to use public transport to relieve congestion on the roads... now everyone will be using the roads to relieve the overcrowding on the train.
Debbie King, Durham, England
| If BR had received half much money as the rail companies receive we would have a first class network |
On this one the rail unions are right. The civil servants and ministers who thought up rail privatisation should be held accountable and sued for mess the rail network is in and all the wasted taxpayers' money. If BR had received half much money as the rail companies receive we would have a first class network. These people have also destroyed the ability of Britain to manufacture the trains it so badly needs therefore all the new trains on the network are made in elsewhere further damaging our balance of payments deficit. All we get from this government is more quangos and reviews when what we need is action.
Andrew, Winchester It's the usual clap trap from the private train companies. The usual spiel that when they cut trains or close stations they are doing it for the passengers. The truth of the matter is it's really about profits and filling the pockets of the investors. Passengers are nothing but a means to make profits. The busiest routes are the best for making profits so the privateers cut all other services and focus on them. The situation since deregulation is madness in cities with too many buses and trains and total neglect in rural areas where people have very few choices regarding 'quality' transport. Renationalise the trains. Stop the profiteering!
Ian Hall, Alnwick, UK
Private sector involvement has led to a shambolic and disintegrated network which is being starved of investment. Get the private sector out of railways and invest the money which currently goes into their pockets in the rail system.
Matt Munro, Bristol, UK
Last night I waited an hour to commute to the centre of Nottingham, but it was impossible! They can't even offer a service on a tiny branch line (robin hood line) how are they expected to cope in the future, and why would rail passengers increase? Rubbish service more customers? Show me the working out of that!
J Souter, Nottingham
Talk of closing under-used stations to save railway money is a joke! This means people who use the railways have to either 1) drive further to get to a station and park there ( nd once they are in their car they'll think, might as well drive the whole way) or 2) move house to live nearer the stations that remain, thus concentrating the problem of overcrowding. What is needed is to nationalise the railway system and have serious public investment in the whole structure. Other countries have better rail systems than ours - why should we be the poor relation? We should be looking at ways to get more freight on to the railway system and lorries off the roads. The rail and bus networks need to be properly co-ordinated. Children should ride free, to get them in the habit of using public transport.
Louise, England
My local operator (Central Trains) often uses single carriage trains at peak times and you can hardly get in the door, never mind find a seat. And yet there are hundreds of perfectly good carriages sat around the country in sidings rusting away 'off-lease'. There always seem to be reasons for inaction in the railway industry - too many rules and too many contracts!
Andrew, Nottingham
So the roads are congested and we will be priced out of them so as to use public transport. But at the same time the public transport is overcrowded and we will be priced out so as not to use it during peak hours. The only option left is to stay home and stop working and claim some benefits. I wonder how many people on a low income will choose that.
Theo, Uxbridge, UK
Well first we had the ludicrous idea of road chargicharging to supposedly ease peak time congestion. What happens to the �30 Billion surplus from the motoring public? So in the future we will have to use public transport, but now they want to introduce peak time congestion on the trains, great idea! So the future will be can't take the car, nor the train. So looks like we will all have to walk. Even that might not be an alternative as we will probably be charged for pavement congestion charging! Please someone wake me up out of this bizarre dream.
Chris Fernando, Croydon UK
My husband travels on a major route every day. I cannot believe these proposals. The country is going to the dogs and the entire transport system needs nationalising now so that it can all be run in tandem (ha ha ha) and pressure on the roads relieved effectively - not have someone decide to counter any efforts to relieve congestion by discouraging people to use the railways!
Madeline, Isle of Wight, UK
Oh you poor UK commuters, in Switzerland they increase train capacity through a long term investment strategy. Has anyone considered this alternative? PS: My train is air-conditioned.
Tim Birch, Zurich, Switzerland Make trains and buses safe, free and accessible to all children under 14 and you will raise a generation of people who want to use public transport!
Louise, England
Bob Crowe is right - the railways should be renationalised. As long as they are in private hands, both taxpayers and commuters end up paying out more. A decade after privatisation and service levels are still worse than they were under BR. I heard on the radio this morning that someone has actually suggested congestion charging on popular rail routes. Does anyone seriously imagine that commuters pay peak fares when they don't have to?
I certainly can't arrive at my office after 9.00, so what is the idea here? Should I get in to work an hour early and donate my time to my employer? Perhaps I should spend the time just wandering the streets? I'm not going to be able to leave any earlier in the evening, so the concept does seem to be that I give up an hour or so of my free time because it's too difficultfficultfficult for the rail companies to provide the service that I pay for. Does no-one in government realise that in order to do business, people need to be available at work at the same time? The business day is 9.00 to 5.00: they should plan around that.
W Monk, London, England
OK, so basically the solution that Atoc have come up with is the following: put the fares up and remove those trains that aren't full already. Can't say I fault their logic. Their job is to make money not It's hard for regular commuters not to use trains in the rush hour, and it's not very fair to penalise them for having to do so. Instead of charging more, why not restrict some trains to season-ticket holders only? In that way, the regular commuters don't get hit, and the irregular users don't contribute to crowding.
Mick Moignard, Oxford, UK
I graduated a year ago and now I commute every day. I work in London as there is little work outside the capital. Every day I am late to work, and more often than not I don't get a seat. I feel the amount I pay (more than �2.5k a year) is already vastly excessive and after tax I really don't understand how my age group is supposed to afford living in this country anymore. Consider me horribly disillusioned by it all.
Rob, Chelmsford
I heard on BBC breakfast that one of the measures being considered to prevent overcrowding on our trains, was to introduce a congestion charge during peak times. That is totally ludicrous, there is already a congestion charge on trains. If you want to arrive in London before 10:00 am, the rail ticket will cost you more. Perhaps we should all just stop travelling to work? With all this congestion charging being considered for our roads and our railways we just won't be able to afford to travel to work. The only people to benefit from all the congestion charges are the long term unemployed! That is the people that do not contribute any taxes towards our country!
Nicky Sawyer, Waterlooville, Hampshire
If the railways are too busy, the fares need to go up to prevent over-crowding. If the railways are under-used the fares need to go up to pay for the un-economic service. With this kind of logic, no wonder we have the most expensive railways in the world.
Dave Walton, Abingdon, England
One sensible proposal, to lengthen trains (judging by the length of many platforms they were built for longer anyway), and several crazy ones to further reduce the level of service on a ridiculously overpriced railway. Perhaps restoring some parts of it that were so foolishly torn up in the past would be a more useful solution, but since that would involve spending money I can't see it happening.
Simon, Manchester, UK
Privatisation hasn't worked in any area, and the amount of money that privatising the rail network has wasted is immense. I might not be a fan of bureaucracy, but I'd prefer to see the rail network taken back in and governed effectively.
Ian Y, London, UK
If rail use is going to grow by 28% surely the use of underused stations and trains will grow by 28% also. This means they will be viable!
Colin, Derby, UK
So, first we have Ken Livingstone and the Government congestion charging us for not using public transport in London, now we are being told that we could be penalised for using public transport anyway. I hate to break this to the Government but many of us have to use the train to get to work in London (and they are already overcrowded and normally late). What are we supposed to do? I can't afford to live in Central London and I can't do my job from home - can someone please come up with a sensible transport strategy?
Sam Beams, London, England
Of course the railways are overcrowded. Introduction of the congestion charge in London means that many of those people who drove to work, now catch the train. All trains seem to go through London. Increases in the price of petrol, now means that many people who drove for pleasure now don't, they use more public transport, and therefore catch the train. A congestion charge is yet another stealth tax, on already overburdened taxpayers. No one I know that uses the train, has any choice in the matter. What ever happened to the integrated transport we were promised by Labour?
Richard, Luton, UK
I wonder when the penny will drop that a skeleton of high speed lines - like the TGV in France, needs to be built to take pressure off the "old lines" on the one hand and on the other have fast trains to enable the country to be linked by high speed rail. Like the M25 in the end extra traffic needs extra provision.
Robin Hicks, Pezenas, France
The unrealistic growth plans forlans for the south east will only make the problems worse. The housing growth is not aligned with deliverable jobs growth in the region. We will be building dormitory towns with more commuting into London. Lengthening trains will mean lengthening platforms and longer delays at road crossings. At rush hour the roads will be gridlocked. We need a sensible debate about UK growth locations. The East of England Assembly has suspended it endorsement of growth plans because of worries over infrastructure investment.
Nigel Clark, Hunsdon, UK
A government with the avowed intent to reduce car use has the obligation to ensure that adequate and affordable alternatives are in place. Any lack of support for the railways shows that said government is not really serious about encouraging a shift to public transport.
Megan, Cheshire UK
Why do train companies like Great Western persist in having three or four carriages of First Class compartments, at all times of the day? They are nearly always 95%, at least, empty. Why nor just have one, at rush hours only?
Margaret Tarner, Reading, UK
How can cutting services help with overcrowding? There is a complete absence of common sense when it comes to the railways! Routes that were profitable under BR now need hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money while fares have sky-rocketed and punctuality has plummeted. It's now cheaper to fly from London to Scotland than take a train! We are paying much more for a poorer service- all our money is going into the pockets of shareholders.
Jonathan Ewer, London, UK
If rail companies fail to predict falling leaves in Autumn and snow in the winter, it's hardly surprising that they were caught on the hop when congestion charging for road users in London persuaded more people to use the train. It's their reaction that beggars belief. Instead of providing more rolling stock to take advantage of the situation, they propose introducing a congestion charge to discourage people from using popular services.
Andy, UK
Not quite sure how they will become overcrowded the cost of travelling by train is too expensive in any event. My husband who is away on business was quoted �150 to stay overnight in hotel in comfort, compared to getting a return ticket on the train, getting up at some ungodly time in the morning to catch it and being charged �145 for it. One day this country will make sense.
Linda England, Kedington, Suffolk
Stories like this just show how ridiculous it is for this government to continually attempt to force road users on to overcrowded, unsafe, inefficient and expensive public transport. The rail network cannot cope and never will be able to. Instead of wasting billions on rail subsidies, just divert the funds to expanding the road network. Like it or not, people prefer cars - and I can see why when recently my business paid �275 for a day return train fare, for a trip that would have cost about �80 in petrol. Ridiculous.
Paul Gibson, London
So are the roads congested, but how often do you hear people clamouring for under-used roads to be closed and costs cut?
Dave Burbridge, Derby, UK
Whether we are discussing road congestion or rail overcrowding we always seem to miss the real issue is that moving so many people in and out of our major cities to work each day is slavishly following a nineteenth century model. We need to look at ways of reducing the amount of routine travelling people need to do. For example we should be looking at ways in which more people can work nearer to where they choose to live or even finding ways in which more people can do more of their work at home.
Instead of pouring billions into our ancient rail system which is just applying sticking plaster we should be investing in the sort of technology which the information age has brought us namely the internet. Put a broadband connection into every home and then many of those people who spend their working day in front of a PC screen can do so without the wasted hours spent commuting.
John Waghorne, Sale, UK
If we have more passengers, build more capacity. A bad idea with roads, a good one with mass transport. Shutting things down has never improved the service, only the train operators target hitting, and therefore profits. Consolidate or renationalise the railways. The current patchwork doesn't work.
Richard, Southampton, UK
For once I actually agreed with a trade union leader like Bob Crow. Cutting out stations and lines might speed up some trains, but what's the point if you need a car at each end of your journey? If we can add extra lanes to the M25, then surely we can add extra tracks on busy rail lines. Travelling frequently on the continent I'm ashamed of the inadequacy and expensiveness of our railways. There is a balance to be struck between profits for operators and meeting the mobility and environmental needs of the population. Until this country starts doing it better, millions (and I include myself) will continue to clog our road network.
Jamie, Godalming Surrey
Brilliant. Congestion charging on trains? I thought that they do that already by charging you more to travel before 9am? Not only will I not be able to afford to drive to work if the new car tax duty comes into force, I will not be able to afford the train either, I cannot afford a house near to my work, and all this will cost me more each day to travel than I would earn. Maybe I should think about quitting my job, and start signing on�
Georgina, Bexhill, UK
I am furious. Train operators are spending millions to feed their favourite pets, the fat cats, and generally see train companies as some sort of vending machine - trying to get as much money out of the "slot" with the smallest possible investment they can get away with, instead of ploughing enough money back to improve the train services. And the final insult for passengers now is that they want US - US! - to pay more! NO! We are fed up with these pirates. Renationalise the railways - and put the profits back where they rightfully belong - into improved train services.
Martina Watson, East Horsley, Surrey
It is only now that the railways are staring to "come good". The last thing the railway needs is renationalisation. Bob Crow's ideological viewpoint may well be that the pennies of the people pay for public services, but the railway seems to work better (not necessarily more profitably) now it is operated by business minded people, without the same levels of ministerial interference it endured when nationalised.
Stuart Irving, Carlisle
Last week, we were being told we needed to stop using the roads as they are reaching breaking point - this week, we have to stop using the railways for the same reason. So how, exactly, are we to get from A to B?
Jill Cockerham, Leeds, UK
| If anything, prices should be reduced to make up for the cramped, unreliable services and uncomfortable conditions many of us endure every day |
If you continually price people out of their cars and onto public transport, it is utterly disgraceful to then charge those commuters for using public transport! If anything, prices should be reduced to make up for the cramped, unreliable services and uncomfortable conditions many of us endure every day.
Jason, London, UK Why don't we ask the EU for funds towards more trains, more stations and to improve tracks? Other EU countries like Spain do it, why not us?
Richard, London, UK
Its amazing that only a short time ago we were all talking about overcrowding on the roads and the government proposal for the introduction of a congestion charge to encourage people onto public transport. Now we find confirmation that public transport is already overcrowded so how will it cope if the congestion charging is introduced?
Ben, Oxford UK
I hear we have congestion charging mooted on the railways now. Why is the answer to solving congestion problems just to charge people more?! And why is the answer to congestion on the roads to shut smaller stations?! We need a transport policy that is INTEGRATED not one where each method of transport is trying to stop people using it by charging them more - if it was done in shops, the monopolies commission would investigate! Also if you have to charge people more, use the money to make the service better, don't make it worse or leave it as it is while still charging people more. Finally, we already have congestion charging on the railways. The fares before 9:30am (and in the evening rush hour on some lines) are almost double the price of those at other times. Seems like congestion charging to me!
Alan, Reading, Berks
The only way to cut congestion, as opposed to simply displacing congestion, both on the roads and the railways, is to reduce the need to travel. The technology is already available to allow many office jobs to be carried out from home, allowing workers to be "virtually" in the office. Despite this, most office-based employers still insist their employees make unnecessary journeys every day to and from work, increasing the burden on the UK's overcrowded transport infrastructure. Perhaps the government should introduce Employer's National Insurance discounts for responsible employers that allow their employees to work from home for at least some of the week.
Nicholas Hodder, London, UK Some people are forced out of the cities due to cost but have to work there. 1) they were charged congestion charges to travel into work via car 2) now they're going to be charged more tax for driving into work at peak times (when they have to be there) via the proposed new tax system 3) the rail companies are now talking of a peak time surcharge if people use the trains as an alternative or closing down and restricting the services and stations that are available. When will it be understood that people aren't choosing to travel in the car or on a train into a big city at 8am because they want to. It is because they HAVE to. No amount of excess charging will change this fact. Therefore it is merely another tax that you have to pay. When will the madness end?
Chris Wood, Wolverhampton, UK
Another round of fare increases can be expected in an attempt to reduce numbers on the trains. We need: 1) Longer trains (train lengths have been steadily eroded over the last 25 years) 2) Re-instatement of passing places, redoubling of single track sections. 3) Re-introduction of stopping services feeding inter-city hubs. 4) Re-introduction of overnight trains with reduced fares. 5) Provision of standby stock to cover on-line failures
R Bland, Glastonbury, Somerset
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