Ok
I mean I understand that it's partially subsidised by the government and that subsidy is slipping, so the train operators need to turn a profit. But the problem is that there is no real competition to train companies like other partially privatised industries. The trains will soon only be used by the upper middles class, businesses, and fare dodgers.

The rest of the people will be using untaxed and uninsured cars with no MOT due to the fact that it costs so much to run a car as well.
(powervator and NONE SHALL PASS, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 13:24, 1 reply)

The point is
it shouldn't be subsidised by the government. It was privatised "to encourage competition" which is of course ridiculous, you can have competing coaches and buses, but only one train company can run on the tracks at a time.

If they really thought that trains could be run privately they should have been left to do so, but they obviously can't because trains don't really make a profit, they simply enable other business to make a profit by allowing people to travel around in order to use those businesses.

The best thing the government could do would be to say "Fuck you all private train companies, we'll having this back, and no, there won't be any compensation, you're a bunch of cunts and you're lucky we don't public ally bugger all of you for being such twats".

But that's never gonna happen.
(Bazongaloid, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 13:42, closed)

it's a damn shame that won't happen
because it is precisely what is required
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 15:20, closed)

Ooh, good idea
*enters into Manifesto*
( uberdeity Wondered why Owen Lars knew of the term "hell" on, Fri 20 Feb 2009, 16:34, closed)