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Number of Passenger journeys in UK 1.3 billion

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<p>[quote user="beaulieu"]</p> <p> <blockquote> <div><img src="/TRCCS/Themes/trc/images/icon-quote.gif" /> <strong>aricat:</strong></div> <div></div> <p>The BBC announced on their website that Passenger train journeys are 1.3 billion passengers. This is the most since 1928, except for World War II.Gas prices in the UK are around $11.50 a gallon,up $3.50 over 2006.The UK fares are the highest in Europe.Passengers rate service levels high. Are the politicans on this side of the pond noticing? British trains are run by private operators for profit.</p> <div style="clear:both;"></div> <p> </p> </blockquote> </p> <p>Yes they are for profit, but only three mange to turn a profit without subsidy. [/quote]</p> <p>This sounds similar to the situation in Victoria, Australia, as well as other areas of Australia.  In Melbourne, which accounts for more than 75% of the population of Victoria, the trams, buses, and commuter rail operations were privatized.  They require government subsidies to make money, but when I lived there (1999 to 2004) most people agreed that they were more efficient under private opeators than the government.  </p> <p>The private operators had to meet agreed upon performance standards or they forfeited a performance incentive payment.  More importantly, perhaps, if they consistently failed to perform, they could lose their contract.  There have been some changes in the arrangements over the years, but as far as I know, they are still operated by private operators.  </p> <p>In addition to the aforementioned operations, VLine, which operates country trains in Victoria, was privatized.  And the Great Southern Railway, which operates the Indian Pacific, Ghan, and The Overland, is a private company.  They get government subsidies to make them whole, but they do a better job than was the case when the government ran them.   </p>
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