Trains

UK train fares are 3x those of Germany and Spain and 10x those in Italy, and nowhere near as fast, efficient or comfortable. Privatisation has failed. it is time to re-nationalise. UK motorways remain crowded and full of delays. By investing in a 21st century infrastructure the gains are enormous economically, environmentally and socially. Do it now! The Uk is the home of rail, we have the technology and expertise, China knows what it is doing, and public transport is a dream here in Hong Kong, with a couple of exceptions.

From the BBC
Searching for the most expensive train journey

By Tom de Castella BBC News Magazine
Man on platform

Rail fares have gone up again, leading to claims that Britain has the most expensive trains in Europe, if not the world. So what is Britain's most expensive stretch of railway?

You shell out thousands of pounds a year in exchange for half an hour standing with your face hidden behind the Daily Telegraph - or a copy of Metro - an elbow in the back, and from the public address system comes a series of garbled announcements about "the late running of this service".

Such is the caricatured experience of the commuter on Britain's expensive and overcrowded railways.

The arrival this week of a 6% hike in rail fares brought a mixture of weary resignation and anger from passengers. Season tickets to London from Stevenage reached £3,200, Leeds to Sheffield £2,148, and Manchester to Liverpool £2,688. Swansea to Cardiff is now £1,468 and Glasgow to Edinburgh is £3,380.

Recent research by the Campaign for Better Transport suggested that season tickets for commuters around London cost more than three times those of their Spanish and German equivalents, and 10 times more than those in Italy.

Much of the anger seems to be focused in England, particularly in the South East and London. In Scotland, ticket prices tend generally to be lower, reflecting higher subsidies.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16390608