I’m sure there’s people who know a lot more about this than I do and can probably enlighten me. I seem to remember many many years ago that rail fares were kind of ‘normal’ — at least not controversially or outrageously expensive in terms of the general cost of living.
So what happened? Was it to do with privatisation? the lines and rolling stock just getting a bit past it? monumental errors by the companies responsible? or just too many people needing to use them?
I’m pleased we’ve got railways: I can go to London without endless baggage checks, airport parking, flight delays or the hassle of trying to get into the centre from one of London’s far-flung airports. They used to be pleasant.
They still are… until I pass Newcastle.
It's a good point. Years back, there was a simple fare structure. Day Return, Weekend Return and Single. That was it.
Last time I used the Long Island Railroad in New York, it was even simpler. One-way peak, and one-way offpeak. That was it.
But what happened to rail tickets is the same as what's happened to pretty much everything else in consumer land. Air fares, phone bills, electricity and gas bills, bank charges and all the rest. Absurd preponderance of fares and prices. Marketing people love all that shit because they can persuade business owners and managers that they're getting the best 'yield' for their product or service. But the reality is that it pisses people off.
Car manufacturers have done a similar-ish thing. BMW for instance make a huge range of cars, one for every possible segment or sub-segment of the market for cars. But when they're making 120 different models, some only selling a few hundred units a year, it can't be cost effective, so the price gets passed on to the mugs who buy their cars. If they made only three models - small, medium and large, for instance, and with minimal optional extras - then their cost per unit would come right down and buyers would be a lot clearer about what they're getting and thus happier. And slightly better off.
Same with BT and other phone suppliers. If one of them came along and said, right, this is the deal. A tenner for your line rental and all calls a penny a minute (or whatever.) That's it. No bundles, no packages, no paying for discount and all the other smokescreens. I'd be first in the queue.
The real problem with banks, phone companies and airlines etc is that in their endless pursuit for market share, they have a massive marketing spend, and somehow it's got to be paid for. Disguising and complicating their fares and prices is the best way of covering it.
