Not being funny but Dundee to Glasgow is hardly a long trip that needs a lot of pre-planning. None of the central belt cities are particularly far apart and Dundee is at the edge of the Glasgow and Edinburgh commuter belts. Like the absolute edge but it’s still possible. It is totally reasonable to turn up on the day and expect not to be fleeced for Intra-Scotland travel. Especially within the central belt

A lecturer when I was at uni commuted Dundee-Glasgow by train every day (or maybe 4 times per week) and I just don't know why you'd torture yourself like that.

Edited February 12, 20205 yr by Harve

I had a mate who commuted from Fife to Aberdeen each day for well over a year. I think we’re just wired weirdly :lol: same friend also did mid-Fife to Stirling daily for a while as well.

@1372222398544670721

 

This follows Wales taking their network back into public ownership last month: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-54635421

 

I've always argued for renationalisation, now we can put that argument to the test.

Been expecting that since they announced that the break clause would be used and the contract terminated early. Good to see. Now if we can get network rail on our side of the border handed over to us too, along with the relevant cash, we’d really be cooking with gas. Finally the line to Aberdeen could be electrified

With HS3 being cancelled, and part of HS2 dropped.. the UK not likely to improve this statistic much in the next few decades:

 

It's a joke, people accept the substandard train lines we have. The fact is, the majority of the lines were built in a different time and are not fit for purpose in todays climate. Yes it is expensive, time consuming and will piss off a load of villages, but it's for the good of the country. The new plans yesterday were really poor and they don't go any way to fixing how do you truly connect the east and west of the North through the Pennines.

It's not all doom and gloom though- the Dartmoor line from Exeter to Okehampton (or SOAKhampton as the locals call it...) officially reopened yesterday with a 2 hr'ly service reinstated 7 days a week. More of these Beeching cut lines to reopen please!

 

@1461955092115070977

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-59358794

 

Exeter will also get a SEVENTH train station with the opening of Marsh Barton next year: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsh_Barton_railway_station

That is great news. I understand that the track was still laid so it was a fairly easy branch to reinstate in comparison some of the others that have now been constructed on and such like.

 

I am really looking forward to more lines reopening and being reconnected to the network. It was a tragedy that so much of the network was decimated to the extent it was

Ash Sarkar -as always - doing the lords work on Good Morning Britain. *.*

'Every single person in this country has benefitted from rights which have been secured by trade unions.' - a talking point rarely had in the British media sphere when strikes take place.

 

^^This!

One of the many heated discussions about Brexit I had with left-leaning pro-Brexit supporters back in 2016/7 was that I knew it would lead to economic hard times and Right-wing nutjob attacks on rights of workers and the less-well-off. The EU were regarded as the enemy, where I believed the Tory Party were the main danger and we'd all be worse off. To which the response was, and I quote, "I DON'T CARE!".

 

And so we are where we are. That's what you get when you believe the propaganda of billionaires and their lap dogs and the lies. I've watched Council Union membership shrink to very minor rates since the 80's. We never get RPI wage rises and never manage to do anything about job cuts (inevitably disastrous results and truth twisting subsequently). Hmmm, maybe there's a link....

 

 

One of the ironies of the Brexit votes is that the constituencies which voted for Brexit (Northren and Midland towns) will do far worse than Remain hubs like London. Mind you the evidence was there and repeated ad nauseum- they chose to believe the populist charlatan and buy into the Mail/Express/Sun nonsense.

I don't support all strikes, but equally I think unless you are in the 1%, there are some strikes you should be supportive of.

 

Now reading between the lines this has been pitched as all about pay, but it appears it's only a small part. The worst bit about this strike for me is how the Government are using this to turn worker vs worker. I am not sure what percentage increase the Union is asking for, but being such a big union I don't think they would be asking for 10-11%. The private sector looks to have settled on 4-5%.

 

Just think the Government have got to do something to get ahead of this, otherwise come September there will be other strikes. But part of me does think they actively want strikes to turn the people against the Unions.

Out of interest, which strike actions do you not support?

I don't support all strikes, but equally I think unless you are in the 1%, there are some strikes you should be supportive of.

 

Now reading between the lines this has been pitched as all about pay, but it appears it's only a small part. The worst bit about this strike for me is how the Government are using this to turn worker vs worker. I am not sure what percentage increase the Union is asking for, but being such a big union I don't think they would be asking for 10-11%. The private sector looks to have settled on 4-5%.

 

Just think the Government have got to do something to get ahead of this, otherwise come September there will be other strikes. But part of me does think they actively want strikes to turn the people against the Unions.

 

Yep, and they'll always do that. It's incumbent upon all workers who need better pay due to the cost-of-living crisis to support the rail strikes. Even with minor inconvenience. The government have been working in tandem with business to try and frame this as the workers being selfish for demanding better pay.

 

I hope that the fact that everyone knows they need it, that the RMT are being as clear as possible that this isn't about high-paid train drivers (very few of whom are in the RMT from what I've read), will have public support high and galvanize other unions to threaten strike action until the government does do something.

On the rail strikes - public support has actually increased over the past week. Mick Lynch is a fantastic communicator, a complete breath of fresh air!

 

I wish we had some politicians that could speak as clearly and directly as he has, cutting through all the tired media attack lines.

 

@1542125147968217088

Train fares have rocketed. I used to book a couple of weeks in advance return from London to Barnsley via Sheffield and could get for £23. Could even get £15 by booking more in advance. Haven't been since mum died in early 2016 though. Now it's £55 minimum, some days £80 return.

 

The coach is just £7.50 return but takes 5 hours and you can't take dogs. Always took Evie to my mum's.

Train fares have rocketed. I used to book a couple of weeks in advance return from London to Barnsley via Sheffield and could get for £23. Could even get £15 by booking more in advance. Haven't been since mum died in early 2016 though. Now it's £55 minimum, some days £80 return.

 

The coach is just £7.50 return but takes 5 hours and you can't take dogs. Always took Evie to my mum's.

 

It's not only expensive, it's very confusing. There are so many different rules and permutations of tickets (Advance/Off-Peak/Super Off-Peak) and then pricing itself is constantly inconsistent with people travelling on the exactly the same train at the same time paying widely varying prices. The whole thing needs to be completely ripped up and restarted.

 

The railway could be utilised so much more effectively to improve our society, help meet our net zero commitments, and it would command strong public support and yet very little progress has been made sadly. You get those absolute MELTS moaning about how the railways have to be subsidised but they are a public good benefitting us all indirectly or directly, which you cannot put a price on. It's like the road network and you don't get people moaning about the roads failing to make a profit.

 

Anyway our lovely government have just changed to law to allow something that they criticised P&O Ferries for doing only a few months ago, impacting on those who only want to see their wages match the increases in cost of living. Fuck the lot of these absolute goons.

 

@1550123057821274113

If it was a criminal offence to go on strike then Tories would be rounding everyone up and bunging them in prison, ahead of bringing in the end of democracy and a one-party state.

 

Of course, that also assumes there are hordes of unemployed workers just on the edge of their seats waiting for the call to learn some skilled job in 20seconds flat. Which, thanks to Brexit, is not the case. I'm sure Quasi Farting would wish that were the reality, but it's more of a threat thing and playing to the fanbase than something that is going to happen. Threat being: You Peasants will do as you are told and gratefully accept a drop in wages to make us more competitive because we have f***ed that up with Brexit and we have no other answers on how to deal with it.

 

Bankers dont go on strike cos they tend to pay RPI and annual bonuses for screwing the Peasants. Plus the staff just move to another bank. There's loads of 'em, tax-payer supported as it turns out. Oh that's right, rich Right-wingers are in favour of saving banks if they go tits up....not that it would worry them though, their cash is mostly stuffed in Tax havens or property...

The government has nationalised another rail service by proxy - the TransPennine Express has lost its contract for the North of England and parts of Scotland.