ntw3001 wrote:It was her government (and, I believe, the one following her) that privatised the railways. Turns out that results in abandonment of unprofitable stations, tracks being taken up, price increases and overcrowding. Train companies don't have to supply a good service for a decent price. Commuters can't exactly be picky about which train company they use; they pick the one that serves their local branch line (long-distance trains are nicer, because customers making a one-off journey from a major hub can feasibly make a choice). If driving isn't an option (for whatever reason), there's no alternative. They privatised an industry in which profits don't depend on quality of service.
Yeah, that's kind of the essential problem with privatising the trains: it isn't very practical to have multiple networks offering the same service, but without that competition there isn't much incentive to provide a more desirable service. Comparing the cost of train travel in the UK to that on the continent is depressing, in my experience. In Austria we were able to travel all around Vienna for three days for a few euros each.
Lots of people really hate using public transport, but I really don't mind it. I just wish it wasn't so outrageously expensive.
