Article; Train Fares Essay

Train fares go off the rails. Are train fares becoming affordable for only the rich? Travel is ridiculously expensive: bus train or taxi, but especially the train. As trains are used by many people for various reasons to travel: to and from work; to and from school; to and from visiting family or holidays. They are used daily, and can be used by anyone any age, to anywhere they need, and this is why trains shouldn't be so expensive.Trains are know as being the quickest,most efficient type of transport, as they travel through many different towns all over the country, and because they have professionals driving them already, they allow you to work on the move- something you can't do whilst driving. But the train isn't as great as they make it out to be, Dan Lane a business worker who travels by train to get to work everyday quoted ‘The price of a train ticket is absolutely ridiculous, I have to pay at least ? 200 a month to travel to and from work. I don't really earn alot, and most the money I do earn is mostly spend on buying more train tickets.I Could travel by car for a cheaper price, but i cannot afford a car, and I don't have a drivers licence. † Great Western obviously don't think the prices are enough, so keep rising them more. On average they earn ? 2 billion a year, but want more. High rail fares at peak times could be adding to ‘social exclusion' as the high prices are barring poorer people from using trains because they cannot afford a ticket; Because poorer people are less fortunate to use the train, they could be forced on dependence of cars, but to some could still not be accessible.As they are employed in different towns, they will need to find a way of transport, so many rely on using the train, but could be finding it difficult to pay to use it everyday. Train fares are highly expensive, and still rising to outrageous prices. Some are even finding it too much to pay for; housing, food, children, families and paying up to ? 200 on fares, they could end up finding theirselfs with very little money.If train fares continue to rise, and stay unable to keep affording tickets, it could consequence to them being forced either out of work because of unable access to get their destination, or forced out of their homes because they could end up unable to afford to live their any more. On the subject of ridiculous prices- Great Western made a ? 2 billion profit last year, -No wonder! Prices rose by an outrageous 50%. These rises in price could be the reason families have to relocate or change jobs- because the new locations could make their transport a whole load cheaper and quicker.Many people like visiting their families or friends, and may have to use the train to get their, which could be a problem because transport is essential and they could simply not afford it. Great Western managers don't realize they are preventing people from seeing: family, friends, going to work, or going to school. They only care about making the money, they don't care about their passengers. Some people simply can not afford the ridiculous price of just 1 train ticket. This year has flew by, leaving Christmas very soon.This means that people will be traveling to towns to do their Christmas shopping, which they need their money for, not to spend on a little piece of paper. Also people struggle to afford Christmas because they need to use the train to visit their families all over the place. John Lunton, 60 who is retired is angry with what is going on with the prices and wants to do something about it. â€Å"The prices when I was a teenager is what the prices should still be now, as they were reasonable. The prices have over doubled since then and I think it is absolutely ridiculous.I need to travel because I have Grandchildren and other family all over Britain, and I would like to see them over Christmas. Sadly, I cannot afford to travel to see all of them, but if I do choose to, then it would result in me not looking after myself by not eating, because I will need the money to travel. † A major problem with trains, is how managers allow them to get so overcrowded,which could be bad for others health, some people are claustrophobic so it could be bad for their health. Also trains are dirty and their is litter all over the floors, there are security cameras but they don't seem to help with anything at all.Trains are sometimes late and delayed, this shouldn't happen, as people need to get to work and if the train is late, and results in them being late for work, it could cost them their job. Trains show absolutely no sign of improvement for the conditions and them being on time, but which they should. Do the government care about their passengers and wasting their money? I think not. As long as their making their nice, big comfortable profits, they don't care who their passengers are, and how much they charge them.In my opinion, I think that the prices should be lowered to suit the co nditions of the trains, which would be quite low, but would result in them not making as much money. Oh no, What a shame! I'm not surprised that British citizens complain about the prices of train fares, as Britain has the highest price of train fares in the whole of Europe. The railway has been described as being a ‘rich mans transport' because it is becoming affordable for the rich only. An example of the ridiculous prices is from Exeter to London– The price of a single way journey is ? 130 minimum price. this shows how outrageous our county is getting.Many people have described ‘First group' as being ‘Worse group' and some people have even be complaining. So why are train fares so expensive? to get money for themselves, not caring abut other peoples money, as long as they have as much as they desire. Trains are used by many people for various reasons, therefore the prices should be reduced. but if the rising prices continues, they could lose customers, de scribed as ‘price increase= Passenger decrease. ‘ So if they want to maintain the high number of customers they are currently obtaining, they should either: lower the prices or stop rising them.