[YP comment, Wednesday 14 August 2019]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today\u2019s inflation announcement will inevitably mean\nanother kick in the teeth for long-suffering rail passengers. It will be used\nto calculate next January\u2019s annual fare rises and commuters now face an\nincrease in the region of 2.8 per cent \u2013 the equivalent of just over \u00a3100 a\nyear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet,\nwhile the Government and rail industry will say that this is a small price to\npay in order to finance improvements to the network and fund new trains, this\nview who will not be universally shared by the travelling public who continue \u2013\nin too many instances \u2013 to be treated with contempt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And,\nin this respect, this represents an opportunity for Grant Shapps, the new\nTransport Secretary, to start to win back some of the trust that was lost by\nhis inept predecessor Chris Grayling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\nshould be warning each operator \u2013 including the under-performing Northern and\nTransPennine Express outfits \u2013 that fare increases must be matched by commensurate\nimprovements to reliability or the worst offenders will be stripped of their\nfranchises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr\nShapps, whose Welywn Hatfield constituency is served by the East Coast Main\nLine, should also be announcing measures to make it easier for passengers to\nobtain financial redress when services are late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet,\nwhile this back-to-basics approach will provide some relief for all those\ncommuters having to pay even more for the privilege of standing on overcrowded\nrush-hour services, including those ubiquitous Pacer trains still in service\nhere, it will be a start and begin to show that the Government is \u2013 belatedly \u2013\non the side of passengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
https:\/\/www.yorkshirepost.co.uk\/news\/opinion\/columnists\/link-hike-in-rail-fares-to-reliability-or-strip-north-s-failing-train-operators-of-franchises-the-yorkshire-post-says-1-9933394<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [YP comment, Wednesday 14 August 2019] Today\u2019s inflation announcement will inevitably mean another kick in the teeth for long-suffering rail passengers. It will be used to calculate next January\u2019s annual fare rises and commuters now face an increase in the … Continue reading