The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-11-20
COST OF TRAVEL
Average Passenger GrOans
About Price of Ticket.
American Railroad Fares Not as
High as Other Countries.
RATES HIGHER IN ENGLAND
English Trains Show More
Speed and Better Service.
Monthly Bulletin of Union
Pacific Tells of Rates.


The average passenger on an Amer
lean railroad train is wont to groan
a little at the price which he has to
pay for his ticket before boarding the
train, and to take it for granted that
nowhere in the world does it cost so
much to travel as in these United
States of ours. For years the citizens
of the United States have prided them
selves on the fact that they pay more
for for everything they eat, wear or do,
than do the citizens of foreign coun-
tries, so it may come as rather a shock
TO be told that even with the increased
fares which went into effect on August
IS. railroad travel in the United
States isn't the most expensive trans
portation in the world.
Compare the II. X. Rates.
The last issue of the monthly bulle-
tin of the Union Pacific system pre-
sents a table which has been worked
out to compare the rates for railroad
travel in the United States and in for
eign countries. with distances be-
tween stations we'll known in each
country as a basis for comparison.
In the table there are figures from
the roads of the United States, Eng
land and France. The monetary eX-
changes between the different coun-
tries have all been figured on basis
of dollars and cents, and the kilo-
meters which the doughboys used to
pull towards themselves, one at a
time, with their feet, have been done
over by some bored railroad mathe-
matician, into United States miles.
All this for the edification of the
American who reads.
English Rates Higher.
The distance between Manchester.
England, and York, England, is just
half a mile greater than the distance
between Kansas City and Topeka.
The fare from Kansas City to Topeka
elf you don't beat the railroad COM
Kansas side, and boarding the train
there). is $2.57. The fare in Eng
land is S4.40 first class. The third
class fare is $2.39, Is cents less than
the fare in the United States.
The distance between Kansas City
and Ellis. Kan, is four miles farther
than from London to Carlisle, Scot
land, or nine and one-half miles less
than the distance from Paris to Strass-
burg on the Rhine. The fare from
Kansas City to Ellis is s11.79. The
first class fare on the English railway
is S19.59. the third class is only 5000.
The fare on the French railways is,
first class, s20.44; second class. $1S.5I.
From Kansas City to Salt Lake City
is 1926 miles and the fare is $47.94.
From Paris to Warsaw, the distance is
1879 miles, and the fare first class
is S127.7S. Second class and third
class are not quoted in the bulletin.
The distance from Paris to Belgrade,
which is .2S7 miles. costs S95.32.
No second Glass Travel.
Second class travel in England is
now almost noneXistent. The bulk Of
English travel is, of course, third class.
which does not permit the traveller
parlor or sleeping car privileges" says
the bulletin.
The British third class fare are
hitler lower than our fares. while the
first class are very much higher" the
bulletin continues, and then comes a
statement with which the writer must
take flat issue.
considering the character of serv-
ice accordide, our standard fares are
lower than English third class fares.
The service and accommodations avail
able tor travellers on the British rail-
road were found by the writer, who
travelled third" by virtue of the fact
that his rank in the British army did
not permit him to enjoy the luXuries
OF "first''-the third class coaches,
which are carriages" over there. were
found to be equal or superior in point
of comfort and elegance, to the day
coach or chair car of the American
roads. And this during wartime.
Better Service in England.
Tho speed of the trains, and the
connections which they made with
intcrlocking systems turnout the
country, the condition of the road bed.
with its resultant comfort in riding,
were far superior to anything in the
United States except the service of
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