13.08.18
Rail fare rise on the way as mayors call for cost freeze in the north
Two north-west mayors have called for a freeze on rail fares in the north after national fees on networks are set to rise by 3.5% next year.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram wrote to transport secretary Chris Grayling highlighting the “horrendous” service rail passengers have been receiving after chaotic new timetables introduced on 20 May led to crisis for commuters up and down the country.
The two northern mayors condemned the increase for long-distance commuters, which — following economists’ predictions that fare increases are measured by the Retail Prices Index — could set commuters back as much as up to £150 extra each year for their travel.
Exact fare figures will not be established until last month’s RPI is released by the ONS on Wednesday. Fares went up by 3.6% this year.
In a letter, mayors Burnham and Rotheram wrote: “The past couple of months have been horrendous for passengers across our region and issues relating to punctuality and reliability continue to be a real problem.
“As you know this crisis has caused real damage to the north — the current estimate is that at least £38m has been lost to the economy — and has led to many turning their backs on using the train. Over the past few months travelling by train in the north has become a lottery, where passengers turn up at stations with no idea if there will be a train or whether they will arrive at their destination on time.”
The pair noted that two months since the introduction of the new timetable has given leaders “no confidence” to get performance back to an acceptable standard in the future. They called for a commitment to freezing fares on Northern and TransPennine services in 2019.
Shadow secretary for transport Andy McDonald said today in a tweet: “Totally unacceptable that long suffering passengers face a 3.5% price hike for a sub-standard rail service. The privatised rail rip-off has to end. We need a railway in public ownership that supports and builds a vibrant economy and thriving communities.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who has frozen tickets in the TfL network, said a further hike in rail fares would be “a slap in the face for commuters.” He added: “It is time the government stood up to these underperforming private rail companies – if I can take action by freezing TfL fares while providing a better service, so should they.”
A Transport Focus spokesperson encouraged rail users to contribute to the public consultation on future fares that it is running alongside the Rail Delivery Group until 10 September.
Enjoying RTM? Subscribe here to receive our weekly news updates or click here to receive a copy of the magazine!
Image credit: Joe Giddens, PA Images