Where the money comes from... and where it goes

摘要

PAYING for the railway remains an expensive and emotive subject with passengers regularly complaining that fares are too high, unions complaining that money is being syphoned offshore, and taxpayers still paying for services they may never use (but likely benefit from). The truth is inevitably more complicated and more nuanced than any single viewpoint. Government policies play a major part. Successive UK governments have continued a long-standing policy of shifting the financial burden of the railways from taxpayers to farepayers. This shows itself every year with above-inflation fare rises. Where once the split was roughly equal, now passengers pay around 80% of rail's costs.