Campaign grows to switch the building of HS2 station to Sheffield city

[Annie Bynnol]

not really... E.g. Germany and Switzerland have railcards available to absolutely anyone, not restricted to those under/over a certain age or with kids etc. Germany offers a 'Bahncard 100' which is an annual unlimited travel card - for less than a season ticket from say the 35 miles from Reading to London! Most western European countries offer advance tickets online, again available to both locals and visitors. Eastern Europe has less in the way of discounts but the fares are cheap (even to locals) in the first place. As with so many other things, Rip-Off Britain in full force!

 

Sure the UK 'under 26' railcard must violate age discrimination rules, just need a court case to force them to make it available to everyone!

 

At 4000 Euros a BahnCard100 would not be very useful in Sheffield.

The other BahnCards and regional passes in Germany and the main saver cards in Switzerland have a residential qualification/annual card which allows substantial discounts for multi use within area(s). Such tickets are of little use to the irregular user and are either not available to tourists because of residential qualification or length of validity. There are very limited discounts on certain trains companies for older people. Some regions have discount cards designed for tourists.

The Advance tickets in the UK have a much higher level of discount.

Ours system is certainly not an easy, fair or cheap system but media comparisons are often grossly unfair.

 

There are many examples of commercial, age related pricing and discounts. None of which contravene any age discrimination law.

[dutch]

Only reason UK gets away with it is because its not connected with the continent. If travelers from France Germany Belgium Netherlands suddenly paid double for rail in a bordering country serious questions would be asked.

This doesn't happen in UK, it profits from its separation, very few here compare rail prices with those abroad.

If they dropped the prices more people would use it and profits increase.

[Guest busdriver1]

If they dropped the prices more people would use it and profits increase.

 

That would work because we never hear the words "no seats available" do we?

[dutch]

That would work because we never hear the words "no seats available" do we?

 

The Dutch trains are much more bigger and modern than UK ones, busy lines there is a train every ten minutes. Still they announced they will increase capacity with thirty percent in the near future. And it costs less than half to use them.

 

UK is more separated and has longer distances, poor people in UK often never travel out of town. Society is structural different and uses coaches for poor people and trains for rich ones. Many other countries don't do this.

Edited March 4, 2017 by dutch

[Guest busdriver1]

The Dutch trains are much more bigger and modern than UK ones, busy lines there is a train every ten minutes. Still they announced they will increase capacity with thirty percent in the near future. And it costs less than half to use them.

 

UK is more separated and has longer distances, poor people in UK often never travel out of town. Society is structural different and uses coaches for poor people and trains for rich ones. Many other countries don't do this.

 

So how does the capacity on Dutch trains help British commuters?

 

They are 2 very different systems.

 

The Dutch have a major advantage with their rail system, it was flattened after WW2 and was rebuilt to much more modern standards. Should we start WW3 and hope our rail system is demolished so we too can start again?

How do you decide that poor people use coaches? I am not poor but in most cases would use the train as it is mostly cheaper.

[dutch]

So how does the capacity on Dutch trains help British commuters?

 

They are 2 very different systems.

 

The Dutch have a major advantage with their rail system, it was flattened after WW2 and was rebuilt to much more modern standards. Should we start WW3 and hope our rail system is demolished so we too can start again?

How do you decide that poor people use coaches? I am not poor but in most cases would use the train as it is mostly cheaper.

 

UK had the best rail system in Victorian times. All my respect, they performed miracles at the time.

 

I must admit that the landscape and social structure creates different needs here that could make rail more expensive.

By making it more expensive to take the train than I get return flights to Europe for on the existing system makes me only laugh at what would happen to HS2 if it would have been reality. As I said it is for international trading, not for transport.

The French prime minister just opened another HS line in france, just imagine pressure on pound value if UK admitted they are doing nothing at all to keep up.

[Annie Bynnol]

The Dutch trains are much more bigger and modern than UK ones, busy lines there is a train every ten minutes. Still they announced they will increase capacity with thirty percent in the near future. And it costs less than half to use them.

 

UK is more separated and has longer distances, poor people in UK often never travel out of town. Society is structural different and uses coaches for poor people and trains for rich ones. Many other countries don't do this.

 

Ah! the perfect railway.

Nederlandse Spoorwegen will have a toilet on each train by 2025!

The high speed train service HSA went bankrupt in 2015.

Nederlandse Spoorwegen profited by 270 million Euros by having its financial base in Ireland.

Massive costs are involved in upgrading its technically outdated and very expensive electrical system. Increasing services has caused the need to reduce acceleration and line speed.

Journey times and capacity cannot be improved without conversion to 25kV AC.

 

The point being that all railway systems have technical and financial problems which no Government/Privatisation has mastered. To compare NS with BR is ridiculous.

[Guest busdriver1]

As I said it is for international trading, not for transport.

.

 

Trading with Europe? No future in that one is there?

 

---------- Post added 04-03-2017 at 13:41 ----------

 

The French prime minister just opened another HS line in france, just imagine pressure on pound value if UK admitted they are doing nothing at all to keep up.

 

France has the land and terrain too do that UK does not, your point is...........

[dutch]

 

[/color]

 

France has the land and terrain too do that UK does not, your point is...........

 

In Victorian days Britain had no difficulty to install the greatest trains on its terrain. What's the difficulty now? Money?

[Guest busdriver1]

In Victorian days Britain had no difficulty to install the greatest trains on its terrain. What's the difficulty now? Money?

 

Because in Victorian times they built Victorian slow speed lines, you know, the ones you criticise for not being as good as Durch ones. The ones we still have now because the land is not there hence this whole debate.

I am really surprised you have asked that question.

At times you come across as intelligent, this is not one of them.